• About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms
  • Unsubscribe
No Result
View All Result
Live and Invest Overseas
FREE REPORT
BEST PLACES TO RETIRE
*No spam: We will NEVER give your email address to anyone else.
  • HOME
  • COUNTRIES
    • Top Destinations
      • Panama
      • Portugal
      • Colombia
      • Northern Cyprus
      • Belize
      • Spain
      • Mexico
      • France
      • Indonesia
      • Vietnam
    • Browse All Countries
    • Best For
      • Retire Overseas Index
      • Health Care
      • Cost of Living
      • Investing in Real Estate
      • Editor’s Picks For Retirement
      • Establishing Residency
      • Starting an Online Business
      • Single Women
      • Playing Golf
  • BUDGETS
    • Super Cheap ($)
      • Cuenca, Ecuador
      • Chiang Mai, Thailand
      • The Philippines
      • Las Tablas, Panama
      • Granada, Nicaragua
    • Cheap ($$)
      • Algarve, Portugal
      • Medellin, Colombia
      • Boquete, Panama
      • Carcassone, France
      • Buenos Aires, Argentina
    • Affordable ($$$)
      • Abruzzo, Italy
      • Barcelona, Spain
      • Las Terrenas, Dominican Republic
      • Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
      • Costa de Oro, Uruguay
    • Luxury On A Budget ($$$$)
      • Ambergris Caye, Belize
      • Paris, France
      • Panama City Beach Area
  • Real Estate
  • ARCHIVES
    • Living & Retiring Overseas
    • Raising A Family Abroad
    • Foreign Residency & Citizenship
    • Offshore Diversification
    • Our Latest On Coronavirus ⚠️
  • Making Money
    • International Real Estate
    • Banking
    • Employment
    • Investing
  • CONFERENCES
  • BOOKSTORE
Live and Invest Overseas
  • HOME
  • COUNTRIES
    • Top Destinations
      • Panama
      • Portugal
      • Colombia
      • Northern Cyprus
      • Belize
      • Spain
      • Mexico
      • France
      • Indonesia
      • Vietnam
    • Browse All Countries
    • Best For
      • Retire Overseas Index
      • Health Care
      • Cost of Living
      • Investing in Real Estate
      • Editor’s Picks For Retirement
      • Establishing Residency
      • Starting an Online Business
      • Single Women
      • Playing Golf
  • BUDGETS
    • Super Cheap ($)
      • Cuenca, Ecuador
      • Chiang Mai, Thailand
      • The Philippines
      • Las Tablas, Panama
      • Granada, Nicaragua
    • Cheap ($$)
      • Algarve, Portugal
      • Medellin, Colombia
      • Boquete, Panama
      • Carcassone, France
      • Buenos Aires, Argentina
    • Affordable ($$$)
      • Abruzzo, Italy
      • Barcelona, Spain
      • Las Terrenas, Dominican Republic
      • Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
      • Costa de Oro, Uruguay
    • Luxury On A Budget ($$$$)
      • Ambergris Caye, Belize
      • Paris, France
      • Panama City Beach Area
  • Real Estate
  • ARCHIVES
    • Living & Retiring Overseas
    • Raising A Family Abroad
    • Foreign Residency & Citizenship
    • Offshore Diversification
    • Our Latest On Coronavirus ⚠️
  • Making Money
    • International Real Estate
    • Banking
    • Employment
    • Investing
  • CONFERENCES
  • BOOKSTORE
No Result
View All Result
Live and Invest Overseas
No Result
View All Result
Home Lifestyle

Introducing Durango: Bargain Real Estate In Authentic Mexico

John Wayne Loved This Hidden Corner Of Mexico—And We Think You Might, Too

Lee Harrison by Lee Harrison
Feb 01, 2021
in Lifestyle, Mexico, Real Estate
0 0
0
Cathedral at Plaza de Armas, Durango, Mexico.

Alamy/Witold Skrypczak

272
SHARES
3.7k
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Durango is my favorite spot for full-time city living in Mexico.

In fact, I consider this city my most exciting personal find of the past few years. You might find that surprising as you’ve likely never heard Durango mentioned as an expat destination.

That’s because it’s not an expat destination.

Durango is a large, sophisticated city––with great weather and a high standard of living––that’s still relatively undiscovered by the expat forces.

If there’s such a thing as the “real, unadulterated Mexico,” Durango is it.

You May Not Have Been To Durango, But You’ve Seen It Dozens Of Times

Nestled in a valley high in Mexico’s western Sierra Madre range, Durango’s surroundings look like what we think of as the Old West. Properly called Victoria de Durango, Durango is the capital of the state that bears the same name.

More than 140 Hollywood movies have been filmed in the mountains, valleys, and deserts surrounding Durango. These include classic Westerns featuring the likes of John Wayne, Burt Lancaster, Kirk Douglas, and Maureen O’Hara.

A handful of those old movie sets are still standing. Some remain movie sets… some are destinations for tour companies… while others—such as John Wayne’s personal set—were occupied by former workers and their families and have become real towns.

I found Durango to be a bustling, modern city, situated in a Western mountain setting. It offers clean, well-kept streets, good infrastructure, a thriving central market, and amazing architecture more reminiscent of Europe than Hispanic America. The newly-constructed, pedestrian-only areas are filled with cafés, shops, and clubs.

 

Durango is as close as it gets to an authentic Mexican lifestyle
Durango is as close as it gets to an authentic Mexican lifestyle

The occasional cowboys on the street give the town a Wild West feel, as they are typically dressed like their West Texas counterparts 600 miles to the north.

The weather in Durango is great. The coldest months of the year (December and January) have an average high temperature of 69°F (20.5°C). During the hottest months of May and June, the highs average 86.5°F (30.2°C). Overnight lows are always below 60°F (15.5°C), so I’d be fine with no air conditioning. Humidity levels are low, and rainfall is about 20 inches (529 mm).

The skies are almost always clear and deep blue.

The New Highway Is Bringing Economic Benefits To Durango

In 2013, the Mexican government completed a new superhighway between Mazatlán and Durango. This was a huge project, which involved the construction of 115 bridges and 60 tunnels.

The highway makes truck traffic possible via a direct link between the port of Mazatlán and Durango. Trucks from the port can also continue on to Monterrey and Texas.

More important––from the perspective of the real estate investor––the highway has allowed Mazatlán to become a weekend destination for people in Durango and beyond. The effect on Mazatlán has been dramatic.

But the highway has also affected the Durango market and has allowed Durango to become a weekend destination for people living around Mazatlán. People are coming to escape the summertime heat on the coast and to use it as a base for active tourism in the surrounding area… an area that offers tall pine forests, canyons, mountains, and deserts, as well as the most northerly ancient pyramids in the Americas.

The Pros And Cons Of Buying In Durango

I realize that we’re all looking for something different in an overseas lifestyle or real estate market. But here’s what I see as Durango’s advantages:

  • Almost no foreigners. This means no gringo pricing, no gringo stereotypes, and no foreign domination of the local culture and real estate market.
  • It’s clean and safe.
  • Cost of living is low.
  • Cost of properties is far below that of more popular Mexican cities.
  • Durango offers a youthful, energetic university vibe.
  • The weather is dry and relatively cool.
  • The city boasts great air quality.
  • The architecture is surprisingly European rather than Spanish-colonial. It’s more reminiscent of Madrid than of Hispanic America.

These are the disadvantages of buying in Durango:

  • Lower liquidity. Selling a property here will take longer than in the active markets on the coast or in the highland cities popular with expats.
  • No English is spoken, so you’ll need to get to Spanish class before settling here or shortly after you arrive.
  • No expat community, which is great from a lifestyle perspective… but if you’re simply looking for a warmer version of Minneapolis or Calgary, then Durango won’t be for you.
  • Durango offers fewer dining options than Mexico’s resort or expat-heavy communities.
  • No direct flights to the United States are available at this time. International flights connect through Mexico City.
  • Durango sits at about 6,000 feet above sea level, so it may not be suitable for people with respiratory problems.

Is Durango Right For You?

Durango is a modern, clean, and efficient destination with all the big-city amenities you could need. It’s cheerful, youthful, energetic, and inexpensive. Its four mild seasons will be just right for most people.

As I mentioned, you’ll find almost no expat community and few English speakers… so you’ll need to appreciate living in non-gringo Mexico. Spanish lessons should be a priority if you don’t speak any.

On the positive side, you’ll enjoy a Mexican capital with almost no American-expat influence and no foreign-community stereotypes to deal with. This not only means an authentic and welcoming cultural experience but also far better prices than you’ll find in the expat venues.

If you’re ready for an unadulterated experience of Mexico, then Durango is for you.

Lee Harrison
Part-Time Mexico Expat

Tags: 'Lee Harrison'expats Durangoexpats mexicolifestyle Durangolifestyle mexicoliving Durangoliving mexicoretire Durangoretire mexico
Share115Tweet65
Lee Harrison

Lee Harrison

Lee has been living overseas for nearly two decades, making his first purchase abroad in the colonial city of Cuenca, Ecuador. After that first investment, he traveled extensively across Latin America and Europe looking for the best property deals possible. Lee’s network of property insiders from those travels, along with his understanding of local cultures and languages, has helped him develop insight into local property markets that only the locals usually possess.

Related Posts

Cyprus: Better Than Your Neighbor’s Retirement To Florida
Lifestyle

Life On Cyprus: The Secret Brits Don’t Want Americans To Know

by Kat Kalashian
January 26, 2023
0

At the far eastern edge of the Mediterranean… blessed with year-round warm weather, clear blue waters, and over 400 miles...

Read more
A beach in Los Islotes, Panama

Los Islotes In Panama’s Pacific Coast—A Unique Community In One Of The Safest Havens

January 23, 2023
Ferragudo, Portugal

How One Couple Discovered A Great New Life In Algarve

January 20, 2023
A ship in The Algarve, Portugal

Starting A New Life In Portugal With A Family

January 19, 2023
Building in Paris, France.

The Importance Of International Estate Planning

January 13, 2023
Colorful street in Granada, Nicaragua

The World’s Most Affordable Real Estate Buys In 2023

January 12, 2023
Picturesque lane with flowers in an Italian hill town

5 More Things To Check Before You Move Overseas

January 11, 2023

Start Your New Life Today, Overseas

A world full of fun, adventure, and profit awaits! Sign up for our free daily e-letter, Overseas Opportunity Letter, and we’ll send you a FREE report on the 10 Best Places To Retire In Style Overseas Today.







LIOS Resources


  • New To LIOS
  • Ask An Expert
  • Media Center
  • Contact Us
  • FAQs

Quick Links


  • Best Places To Live
  • Best Places To Retire
  • Finding A Job Overseas
  • Real Estate

Sign up for our free daily e-letter, Overseas Opportunity Letter, and get your FREE report: The 10 Best Places To Retire Overseas In 2023

  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms
  • Unsubscribe

© 2008-2023 - Live and Invest Overseas - All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Countries
  • Budgets
  • Archives
  • News
  • Events
  • Bookstore
  • Newsletters
  • About Us
  • Members Area
  • Contact Us

© 2008-2023 - Live and Invest Overseas - All Rights Reserved.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

The World’s Best Places To Be In 2023?

Discover Them Here…

Get Your Free ​Mexico Report Today!
 

​​​Learn more about ​​​MEXICO ​​​and other countries in our free, daily Overseas Opportunity Letter​​​​​​​​​. Simply enter your email address below and we’ll send you our FREE REPORT – ​​​Mexico: Home To The World's Largest Population Of North American Retirees