Buena Vista

The name of this historic town is not pronounced how you probably think it’s pronounced.

It takes practice, but it’s called: BYOO-na Vista.

If you find that difficult, locals also call it: BYOO-nie, BIEW-nie or just BV.

While the name is Spanish for “Beautiful View”, the Americanized pronunciation is not meant to be disrespectful. The enunciation was established by a German woman when the town was incorporated way back in 1879.

The town sits at almost 8,000’ above sea level and is known to be the biggest whitewater rafting towns in the country on the Arkansas River. Biking, rock climbing, hiking, ATVing, horseback riding, kayaking, boating, and fishing are all some of the reasons people come from all over to visit this gorgeous little part of Colorado.

Several “fourteeners” surround the town, including: Mount Princeton, Harvard, Yale, and Columbia (known as the “Collegiate Peaks”) and one (Mt. Antero) can be clearly seen from the wraparound deck of Chalk Creek Riverhouse.