Copper Canyon Mexico

Northern Mexico is the ultimate frontier land: vast cactus-strewn deserts, craggy mountains and breathtaking canyons define this most iconic of regions, which is familiar to almost anyone from its role in countless Wild West movies.

If the landscape is diverse, then the people of the north are equally so: cowboys, revolutionaries and bandits have, over the centuries, left their mark on the region, while the varied and still deeply traditional indigenous peoples remain some of Mexico’s least Westernized.

Photos

Itinerary

• Day 1

  Arrival Los Mochis / Transfer to El Fuerte

  Upon arrival at city of Los Mochis, meet & greet by our representative and travel to the small colonial city of El Fuerte, where we spend the night and begin our Copper Canyon Adventure.
  
  El Fuerte : A small colonial town with cobblestone streets located about 50 miles east of Los Mochis, El Fuerte, �The Fort,� was founded in 1564 by Spanish Conquistador Don Francisco de Ibarra as a military post. For three hundred years it served as a trading post for gold and silver miners.

• Day 2

  board the Copper Canyon train / El Fuerte - Bahuichivo station - Cerocahui

  Early this morning we board the Copper Canyon train for one of the most spectacular train rides in the Western Hemisphere.
  
  The train travels through the lowlands of Sinaloa State and up into the Sierra Madre Mountains, passing through 86 tunnels and crossing 37 bridges.
  
  Leaving the train at Bahuichivo station, we drive to the Paraiso del Oso Lodge (Paradise of the Bear), located in a beautiful valley a couple of miles from the little village of Cerocahui.
  
  The lodge is named for a natural rock formation that overlooks the valley and resembles Yogi Bear.
  
  CEROCAHUI: A small, peaceful farming village of about 600 residents, Cerocahui is located at an altitude of 5000 feet. The valley is dotted with apple and peach orchards and is surrounded by the Sierra Madres. A narrow dirt road leads from Cerocahui down to the village of Urique in the bottom of the Urique Canyon.

• Day 3

  Cerocahui / Excursion to Urique

  This morning we travel to the bottom of the canyon and the town of Urique. There is plenty of time to explore the village before returning to the Paraiso del Oso Lodge.
  
  URIQUE: A small village at the bottom of the canyon, Urique was founded in 1690. It remained isolated until it was connected by dirt road to Cerocahui in 1975. Gold mining is still conducted there on a small scale and the town serves as a county seat and economic center for this rugged and remote section of the mountains.

• Day 4

  Board Copper Canyon / Bahuichivo to Divisadero

  We board the train for the ride to Divisadero, a very picturesque area where several of the canyons join together.
  
  EL DIVISADERO: �The View Point.� At an altitude of nearly 8,000 feet, this magnificent vista point overlooks a whole series of intertwined �barrancas� (canyons) with rivers deep in their bottoms. This is also the point where most visitors first encounter the remote and cave-dwelling Tarahumara Indians. El Divisadero provides many photo opportunities and short hikes to local caves, a Tarahumara school, balancing rock, and several dramatic viewpoints.
  
  We stay at a beautiful hotel located right on the rim of the canyon. Spend the afternoon hiking or relaxing, either way taking in the magnificent views.
  
  Optional aerial tram rides and zip-line adventures are available.
  
  Dinner is at the lodge�s dining room, with its majestic view of the canyon.

• Day 5

  Board Copper Canyon / Divisadero to Creel

  Spend the morning further exploring this remarkable area.
  
  Enjoy your lunch while taking in the majestic views from the dining room before we board the train bound for Creel, a lumber town high in the Sierra Madre Mountains.
  
  CREEL: Situated at an altitude of approximately 7,200 feet, Creel is a small lumber town located in the high Sierras close to Copper Canyon. At one point the terminus of the Chihuahua al Pacifico rail line, Creel is now the midway stopping and departure point for several Indian villages in the area. From Creel, many Tarahumara caves can be visited along with beautiful lakes, waterfalls, pine forests and strange rock formations.

• Day 6

  Creel to Batopilas

  We travel from Creel to the little town of Batopilas.
  
  We pass through mountains and valleys, and after reaching the Tarahumara community of Kirare we head down the long, windy dirt road that leads to the bottom of the canyon.
  
  We spend the next two nights in a charming little Mexican hotel in this village that seems suspended in time somewhere in the nineteenth century.
  
  BATOPILAS: Located at the bottom of Copper Canyon, Batopilas, now a sleepy little village, was once one of the richest silver mining areas in the world. A visit to Batopilas is a step back in time. Cowboys ride their horses down its dirt streets while Indians pack their burros with supplies for their remote villages. On the outskirts of the town are the ruins of a Gothic mansion built in 1880 of adobe by Alexander Shepherd, an American entrepreneur and the last territorial governor of Washington D.C., and a 400-year-old Jesuit mission known as the �Lost Cathedral� of Satevo.

• Day 7

  Batopilas / Local sightseeing & excursion

  We hike or ride, at our option, to the �Lost Cathedral" of Satevo and explore Batopilas and the surrounding area.

• Day 8

  Batopilas to Creel

  Today we return to Creel. En route we hike to Cusarare Falls and a cave with petroglyphs.

• Day 9

  Creel to Chihuahua City

  Today we visit the famous Basaseachic Waterfall. This single drop waterfall is the second highest in Mexico and ranks 29th in the world.
  
  We continue our journey on to Chihuahua City making a brief stop at the Mennonite museum.
  
  CHIHUAHUA CITY: Capital of the state of Chihuahua, this large Mexican city is one of the most important cities in Northern Mexico. During both the War for Independence and the Mexican Revolution, Chihuahua was an important center of activity. Father Miguel Hidalgo, champion of Mexico's Independence, was executed in what now serves as the government palace. This was also the headquarters for famous leaders such as Benito Juarez and the Revolution's controversial hero, Pancho Villa. Here, visits can be made to several interesting sites, including the Chihuahua State Museum, the home of Pancho Villa and Museum of the Revolution, and the Chihuahua Cathedral, which took one hundred years to complete.

• Day 10

  Chihuahua City / Local sightseeing

  This morning we tour Chihuahua City visiting the state capital with its murals, the State museum, and the home of Pancho Villa.
  
  Afternoon is free to further explore and perhaps do some last minute shopping.
  
  This evening we enjoy our traditional farewell banquet.

• Day 11

  Chihuahua hotel to airport

  Today transfer to the Chihuahua airport for your onward flight
  
  Sad to leave but taking along wonderful memories of this remote area of Mexico and the unique people who make it their home.

Notes

Round the Year Destination - Extensions availalbe to Mexico, South America & North America

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