(ABQ) and Farmington, N.M. (FMN) . Durango/Purgatory is located in the Southwest corner of Colorado, near the intersection of Arizona, Utah, and New Mexico. It's six to seven hours by car from DIA, a 340 mile drive via US-285, and three and a half to four and a half hours and 214 miles from ABQ using NM-44 and US-550.
In addition to its popular use for hangovers, prickly pear remedies have been used traditionally in Mexico for a wide variety of disorders. The heated cactus pads have served as poultices for rheumatism, and the fruit of the plant is consumed as treatment for diarrhea, asthma and gonorrhea.
The fruit of the prickly pear cactus (Opuntia ficus-indica) is called âtunaâ or âcactus apple.â This cactus is native to Mexico and, as it is not a cold-hardy plant, thrives only in USDA climate zones 9 and 10. There are a number of different cultivars, each of which produces fruits that vary from spineless, to spiny.exico is home to more than 100 different species of cactus that have edible fruits. Cacti come from the Cactaceae family and are native to both North and South America. These spiny, hairy, succulent plants have many uses in native cultures, from religious and medicinal to culinary applications.