Amazing train trips through Mexico's largest canyon, The Copper Canyon
Featured Destinations
Throughout the course of your trip, Copper Canyon Rail takes you in comfort and luxury to the renowned destinations of the Copper Canyon region of Mexico. Below are the major cities and towns you can visit.
Los Mochis is Mexico's west coast sugarcane capital and is known for its nearby fishing and hunting, cotton, wheat, rice, corn and tomato crops. Los Mochis, which means "Place of Land Turtles," is the financial, economic, and industrial center of the El Fuerte Valley. The city was founded by American Benjamin Johnston, who built Los Mochis great sugar mill in 1903. Near Los Mochis is Topolobampo Bay, meaning "Lion's Watering Place”. The bay is 15 miles southwest of Los Mochis, and is noted for its sports fishing, duck hunting, and its cargo harbor, which exports fish and sugar from the area of Los Mochis.
Like many Mexican settlements, Chihuahua City was founded as a mining and cattle center. Since the city’s founding in 1709, the state of Chihuahua has become home to approximately 4 million people. Filled with colonial buildings and plazas mixed with fine residential districts, popular attractions include the Cathedral, the museum, and the 230 year old aqueduct that still supplies water to the city and to farms for irrigation. Chihuahua is also the turnaround for passengers originating in Los Mochis.
Located on the outer rim of the canyon is the village of Creel, originally established as a mining and lumber town. Not only do the Tarahumara Indians still inhabit caves in the area, they also still maintain traditional rites, laws, and customs, including rain dances. Shy and elusive most of the time, they tend to avoid human contact as they migrate up and down the canyons with the seasons, and very few of the Tarahumara speak Spanish, as they have their own language passed through generations. Other points of interest include travel by vehicle and horseback to Cusarare, Batopilas, Valley of the Monks, Mushroom Valley, and Arereko Lake.
Translated, Divisadero literally means “the dividing.” The city is located in the center of the canyon, twenty-eight miles southwest of Creel. Visitors experience breathtaking views and rustic, spacious accommodations. Popular excursions include hiking or horseback rides along the canyon rims or through the Sierra Tarahumara village. You can visit Indian caves and dwellings, where you can watch women making native artifacts that are available for purchase.
A day trip to Batopilas Canyon from Creel takes visitors through the mining towns of La Bufa and Batopilas at the bottom of the canyon. Batopilas thrived from 1880 to 1910, and was the second town in Mexico to receive electricity, after Mexico City. Ruins of the Hacienda de San Miguel provide evidence of the grandeur and mystery of this Colonial mining village hidden in one of North America's deepest canyons. Four miles beyond Batopilas at Satevo is the Lost Cathedral, a solid red brick church built in 1750, whose padres ministered to the groups of indigenous people and settlers working in the mining communities through 1910.
Another popular stop in the heart of the Canyon is the small settlement of Bahuichivo, cradled in a picturesque valley surrounded by the mountains of Copper Canyon. About twelve miles east of Bahuichivo is the village of Cerocahui (population 600), with a mission dating back to 1690 that has been converted into the warm and friendly 30-room, Hotel Mision. The half-hour van ride from Bahuichivo takes you along a scenic mountain road past unusual rock formations and crystal clear streams. Cerocahui Village (its name means “Enemy Hill”) is a picturesque community 5000 feet above sea level and located in a beautiful fertile valley surrounded by mountains. A must for every visitor to see is the awesome Urique Canyon. The view from the top of Gallego Mountain (7600 feet) overlooking the old mining town of Urique Village is breathtaking.
Cobblestone streets lined with mansions, churches, and plazas add an element of country to the colonial charm of El Fuerte. The town was named by the Spanish in 1610 when they constructed a fort 46 years after the founding of El Fuerte. The pride of this tranquil town includes the Municipal Palace del Hidalgo. The converted mansion built in the early 1900s, Hotel Posada del Hidalgo, features tropical gardens, antique displays and fantastic murals.
The largest harbor on the Mexican Pacific Coast, Mazatlan is known as “The Pearl of the Pacific.” Visitors will find a bustling tourist center with touches of history, modern comfort, and natural beauty. The city is divided into two areas: the Old Mazatlan and the Golden Zone. Old Mazatlan covers the remodeled Historic Center and boardwalk, while the Golden Zone is by far the most cosmopolitan area, where large hotels and restaurants are located. Mazatlan gives travelers more than just romantic beaches and beautiful weather--it is where the traditions of the past meet the modern beauty of Mexico.
At the southernmost end of the Southern Baja California Peninsula, lies an oasis paradise named Los Cabos, which encompasses Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo, and is connected by a 25 mile long scenic corridor. Beach-goers will delight, as Los Cabos is built adjacent to some of the best beaches in the area, and naturalists will find this area an international attraction where grey whales converge. It is also an important nautical point where ships from the entire world drop anchor.
Information & Reservations
1-800-717-0108 or 503-292-5055
Rail News & Updates
Now is the time to book your unforgettable Summer Copper Canyon adventure! You can save 10% on any First Class Chepe package of 5 days or longer for travel between July 1st to August 31st. This is also a perfect time to book your Fall/Winter Copper Canyon rail vacations. Please email or call us at 1-800-717-0108 if you have any questions or for reservations.
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