COLORADO (USA)

Hotels	Flights	Car Hire/Rental	Tickets & Attractions in Colorado

Aspen	Mesa Verde	Winter Park
Breckenridge	Steamboat Springs
Denver	Vail

Colorado is one of the most geographically diverse of the United States, ranging from the flat, endless plains of the east to the colossal mountains of the west. In the north, Native Americans hunted and trapped in lush mountain valleys in summer, and returned to the prairies for the winter; in the south, the Ancestral Puebloans of Mesa Verde grew corn on their isolated mesas and shared in the great early civilization of the southwest.

Best known of the Rocky Mountain states, Colorado is essentially an outdoor paradise and owes its recognition to the majestic mountains that create spectacular scenery, panoramic vistas and an abundance of recreational possibilities. For many, nature forms the essence of Colorado.

The Rocky Mountains is a year-round destination that boasts national parks and forests, canyons, lakes, rivers and peaks that provide opportunities for hiking, mountain biking, fishing and horse riding. Numerous winter resorts nestled in the mountains offer unrivalled skiing and snowboarding amid beautiful alpine scenery. The resort of Vail is considered to be one of the top ski destinations in the Americas and is the most popular, while Aspen is best known for its celebrities and glamorous après-ski scene.

The state capital, Denver, is the obvious starting point for a vacation and is the gateway to the mountains, ski resorts and spectacular Rocky Mountain National Park to the north. Home to many museums, parks, gardens and a lively downtown area, the city offers the comfort and culture of bigger cities like Los Angeles or New York, but at a more relaxed pace. Pikes Peak looms over the popular city of Colorado Springs, famous for its breathtaking views that was the inspiration for the lyrics of  'America the Beautiful' by Katherine Lee Bates. Just outside the city are the fantastic red sandstone formations of the Garden of the Gods.

The western part of the state comprises beautiful remote desert canyons and the archaeological remnants of the cliff cities left by an ancient civilisation at Mesa Verde National Park, a stark contrast to the alpine wonders that attract most visitors to Colorado.

For the modern visitor, the obvious first port of call is Denver , at the eastern edge of the Rockies and the biggest city for six hundred miles. Outside Denver, the northern half of the state holds the most popular destinations, starting with the dynamic college town of Boulder and the spectacular Rocky Mountain National Park . The majority of the resorts that have made Colorado the continent's foremost skiing destination snuggle into the mountains to the west of Denver: Summit County attracts the most visitors, Vail is considered best for terrain, and Aspen boasts the glitziest après-ski scene. The far west of the state stretches onto the red-rock deserts of the Colorado Plateau. Pikes Peak towers over the enjoyable city of Colorado Springs , but the rest of the state's southeast quarter is mostly agricultural plains. To the southwest untouched old mining towns like Crested Butte and Durango stand in the mountains, while Mesa Verde National Park preserves perhaps the most impressive of all the cliff cities left by the ancient Ancestral Puebloan civilization.