Walking Durango's Main Avenue From the Depot, Block by Block

Thomas Garner

Oct 7

11 min read

The yellow Durango and Silverton railroad depot building with green striped awnings in Durango

Photo: Ken Lund, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

479 Main Avenue is where I would start any coffee walk in Durango, Colorado. It is the address of the Durango depot for the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, and the railroad's own site says the line reached Durango on August 5, 1881. Everything this piece covers sits north of that address, on foot, in the historic downtown blocks of a town of about 19,257 people.

This is a walk by address, not a ranking. I am going to go up Main Avenue block by block, naming coffee stops by their street numbers and the hours they post on their own pages, and pointing out the side streets worth a detour. The addresses come from the businesses' own pages and from the Downtown Durango coffee page, which lists coffee, tea and bakery stops with a street, a phone and a link for each.

If you only have one morning in Durango, this is the route I would hand you.

Block Zero: The Depot at 479 Main and the Train Clock

The depot is the anchor for this walk for a simple reason: it is where the most visitors are standing with the least idea where to go. On any morning the train runs, a crowd gathers at the south end of Main Avenue, and a lot of that crowd wants coffee before boarding or after coming back.

Main Avenue's street numbers climb as you walk north from the depot. That makes the walk easy to plan. Every coffee address below is a bigger number than 479, and the bigger the number, the farther you walk. By the time you reach 1101 Main, you are at 11th Street Station, at the north end of the historic blocks.

One practical note before you set out. The depot area is busiest right around departures and returns. If you want a quiet cup, walking a few blocks north before you stop is usually worth it.

The railroad sets the rhythm of the south end of Main Avenue. The railroad's own site says excursions begin May 2, departing from the Durango Depot, and it dates the line's arrival in Durango to August 5, 1881, with construction toward Silverton starting that same fall. That long history is why the depot, not a hotel or a parking lot, is the natural front door for a downtown coffee walk.

For a walker, the train clock means two coffee windows. The first is before boarding, when time is short and the closest open door wins. The second is after the return, when the same visitor has an afternoon to spend and is happy to walk the full length of the historic blocks. Knowing which stops open early and which open at noon lets you plan both windows from the same list of addresses.

Outside the train season, the walk is quieter and the depot is just a landmark. The addresses stay the same, and the route still works.

What Others Say About This Stretch

The people who describe downtown Durango agree on one thing: it is where the coffee is. Fort Lewis College's About Durango page says downtown is full of art galleries, restaurants, coffee shops, and local businesses and community organizations. Visit Durango's coffee and tea page, read on September 27, 2026, talked about cozy cafes serving freshly made pastries and more modern spaces offering craft lattes, and mentioned outdoor seating for a hot drink with friends.

Neither of those sources walks you block by block, which is the gap this route fills. The college is talking to students deciding where to live. The tourism page is talking to visitors deciding whether to stop. A walker standing at the depot needs the next address, and Main Avenue's climbing street numbers are the easiest map in town.

The 600 and 700 Blocks

The first coffee stops on the walk come quickly. The Downtown Durango page lists two entries in the 600 block of Main Avenue and two more in the 700 block, which makes this the densest stretch of the walk for pastries and a cup.

The address most visitors know by name is 730 Main Avenue. That is Durango Coffee Company's cafe, and the company has been in business since 1984. More than four decades in business is a long run in a mountain town where storefronts turn over with the seasons. From the depot, it is the first long established coffee name you reach.

The 700 block is also where the side streets start to matter. Graze Colorado, which describes itself on its own site as catering, charcuterie and bakery in Durango and the Four Corners, is at 171 East 7th Street, Suite 1A, according to the Downtown Durango page. That is a short step off Main to the east, and it is the first of three numbered side street detours on this walk.

The 800 Block and East 8th Street

The 800 block holds one Main Avenue entry on the downtown page, at 835 Main Avenue, Suite 102. The bigger reason to slow down here is East 8th Street. Bread is at 135 East 8th Street, per the Downtown Durango page, and its own site is titled simply Bread Durango. For a walker who wants a loaf or a pastry with coffee, the East 8th detour is a block off Main.

The side streets have a different feel from Main itself. Main Avenue is the parade route for visitors. The numbered east side streets are where the walk gets quieter, with shorter blocks and less foot traffic. If I am walking with someone who wants to talk, I turn east here.

This is also the point where it helps to know the walk is not a straight line. You can zig east to 8th Street and back to Main without losing more than a few minutes, and the street numbers on Main will still tell you exactly where you are.

The 900 Block: Chocolate First

Animas Chocolate and Coffee Company sits at 920 Main Avenue. Its own page describes an artisan chocolatier with bean to bar chocolate, truffles, bonbons and chocolate bars, and says it also runs an on site cafe. It posts hours of 11 to 7, Wednesday through Saturday.

I like having a chocolate first stop in the middle of a coffee walk. It is a reminder that Durango's coffee map is not all espresso bars. The downtown page itself groups coffee, tea and bakeries under one heading, and 920 Main is where chocolate joins that list.

Those hours shape the walk, too. A Wednesday through Saturday visitor arriving late morning can plan 920 Main as the midpoint. An early train rider or a Sunday walker should plan around it.

The 900 block also has an east side street detour of its own. The Downtown Durango page lists an entry at 128 East 9th Street, which makes East 9th the last of the three numbered side streets on this route. From there, the walk heads back to Main for the final two blocks.

The 1000 Block: An Afternoon Stop

Cream Bean Berry is at 1021 Main Avenue. Its own page describes an artisan ice cream shop making handcrafted flavors fresh on site, with a menu that changes almost daily and seasonal flavors built on Colorado produce. It posts hours of noon to 9, every day.

Cream Bean Berry sits on the Downtown Durango coffee page alongside the espresso bars and bakeries, and it earns its place on this walk as the afternoon end of the day. It opens at noon, so a morning walker will pass it closed, and an afternoon walker coming back from the train will find it open until evening.

That is the whole reason I organize a Durango walk by address and hours together. Two stops can sit a block apart and keep completely different days.

1101 Main: 11th Street Station

The walk ends at 1101 Main Avenue. Café Amor sits there, inside 11th Street Station. Café Amor's own page lists 7:30 AM to 3:00 PM Monday through Wednesday, 7:30 AM to 4:00 PM Thursday through Saturday, and 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM on Sunday.

Its own page also names its signature drink, Cafe de Olla, which it describes as a traditional Mexican drink made from recipes enjoyed for generations. For a walker who has been sampling pastries since the 600 block, a spiced cup at the north end of the walk is a good way to finish.

From the depot at 479 Main to 11th Street Station at 1101 Main is the whole historic stretch. It is a morning's walk with stops, or a quick stroll without them.

One Street West: Camino del Rio

Camino del Rio runs parallel to Main Avenue on the west side of downtown and carries the highway traffic through town. The Downtown Durango page lists two entries there, at 802 Camino del Rio and 1333 Camino del Rio.

I leave Camino del Rio off the walking route on purpose. It is close to Main on a map, but it is a different kind of street to walk along, faster traffic and fewer storefronts shoulder to shoulder. A driver coming into town, or leaving it, will pass those addresses naturally. A walker starting at the depot usually will not.

If you are staying on the west side of downtown or driving in along the highway, Camino del Rio may be the easier coffee stop. If you are on foot from the depot, stay on Main and the east side streets.

Past the Walk: North Main and Florida Road

Keep going north past 1101 Main and the historic blocks end. The Downtown Durango page labels the next coffee stretch the North Main District, with 81301 Coffee House and Roasters at 3101 Main Avenue, Suite 1, La Bonne Patisserie at 3101 Main Avenue, Unit 2, and Durango Doughworks at 2653 Main Avenue. Those are real Main Avenue addresses, but from the depot they are a drive, not part of a walk.

Florida Road is the other direction worth knowing. Still Life Coffee and Botanicals sits at 1301 Florida Rd, north of downtown, and describes itself on its own page as a coffee shop with specialty coffee and teas, house plants, and floral. Hillcane's hub post on this city covers North Main and Florida Road as their own neighborhoods.

For this walk, the rule is easy. Under about 1100 on Main, walk. Over 2000 on Main, or on Florida Road, drive.

Why Addresses Beat Adjectives

Every guide to Durango coffee can call the town charming. Only an address tells a walker where to turn. The depot at 479 Main, the cafe at 730 Main, chocolate at 920, ice cream at 1021, and 11th Street Station at 1101 give a visitor a route they can follow on foot without a single ranking or superlative.

For a Durango coffee business on Main Avenue, that is the most useful thing to say about yourself online: your block, the nearest side street, how far you are from the depot, and your hours for each day. A walker standing at 479 Main can do the rest.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where should a Durango coffee walk start?

Start at the Durango depot at 479 Main Avenue, the south end of the historic downtown blocks. The Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad reached Durango on August 5, 1881, and the depot is still where many visitors begin their day. Main Avenue's street numbers climb as you walk north, so every stop on this route, from 730 Main to 1101 Main, is a bigger number and a few more blocks.

What is at 730 Main Avenue in Durango?

730 Main Avenue is Durango Coffee Company's cafe, in the 700 block of the historic downtown. The company has been in business since 1984, more than four decades on Main Avenue. It is the first long established coffee name a walker reaches heading north from the depot at 479 Main, and the 600 and 700 blocks around it hold several more coffee and bakery stops.

Which side streets are worth a detour on the walk?

The numbered east side streets. The Downtown Durango page lists Graze Colorado at 171 East 7th Street, Suite 1A, and Bread at 135 East 8th Street, plus an entry at 128 East 9th Street. Each is a short step east of Main Avenue. The side streets are quieter than Main, with less foot traffic, which makes them a good choice for a slower cup away from the depot crowd.

What are Animas Chocolate and Coffee Company's hours?

Animas Chocolate and Coffee Company, at 920 Main Avenue, posts hours of 11 to 7, Wednesday through Saturday, on its own page. It describes itself as an artisan chocolatier with bean to bar chocolate, truffles and bonbons, and it runs an on site cafe. On this walk it sits in the 900 block, roughly the midpoint between the depot at 479 Main and 1101 Main.

When is Cream Bean Berry open?

Cream Bean Berry, at 1021 Main Avenue, posts hours of noon to 9 every day on its own page. It describes itself as an artisan ice cream shop with handcrafted flavors made fresh on site and a menu that changes almost daily. Because it opens at noon, it works best as an afternoon stop, for example after a train ride back to the depot at 479 Main.

What are Café Amor's hours at 11th Street Station?

Café Amor, at 1101 Main Avenue inside 11th Street Station, lists 7:30 AM to 3:00 PM Monday through Wednesday, 7:30 AM to 4:00 PM Thursday through Saturday, and 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM on Sunday on its own page. Its signature drink is Cafe de Olla, which it describes as a traditional Mexican drink. It marks the north end of the historic Main Avenue walk.

Is Camino del Rio part of a walking coffee route?

Usually not. Camino del Rio runs parallel to Main Avenue on the west side of downtown and carries highway traffic. The Downtown Durango page lists two entries there, at 802 and 1333 Camino del Rio. Those are easy stops for a driver entering or leaving town, but a walker starting at the depot at 479 Main will find Main Avenue and the East 7th and 8th Street detours easier on foot.

Can I walk to North Main from the depot?

It is a drive, not a walk. The Downtown Durango page labels North Main as its own district, with 81301 Coffee House and Roasters at 3101 Main Avenue, Suite 1, La Bonne Patisserie at 3101 Main Avenue, Unit 2, and Durango Doughworks at 2653 Main Avenue. A simple rule works: under about 1100 on Main, walk from the depot at 479 Main; over 2000, drive.

How long is the historic Main Avenue coffee walk?

From the depot at 479 Main Avenue to 11th Street Station at 1101 Main Avenue is the whole historic stretch, about seven hundred street numbers of downtown blocks. With stops at 730, 920 and 1021 Main and a detour to East 7th or East 8th Street, it fills a morning. Without stops, it is a short stroll through the center of a town of about 19,257 people.

What should a Main Avenue coffee shop tell walkers online?

Its block, its nearest side street, its distance from the depot at 479 Main, and its hours for every day of the week. On this walk, stops a block apart keep very different days: 920 Main opens Wednesday through Saturday, 1021 Main opens at noon daily, and 1101 Main opens at 7:30 AM most weekdays. A walker who knows that can plan the whole route.

Work with Hillcane

Durango's best coffee walk starts at the depot at 479 Main Avenue and ends at 11th Street Station at 1101 Main, with Durango Coffee Company at 730 Main, chocolate at 920, ice cream at 1021, and quiet bakery detours on East 7th and East 8th Streets.

If your Durango coffee business sits on Main Avenue and wants walkers from the depot to know your block, your side street and your hours, reach Hillcane at hillcane.co/contact or call (256) 384-2449.