Mexico's Copper Canyon

The train trip (that is clearly a feat of engineering and human labor!) is by far the highlight of the trip, but don't hestistate to get on and off the train as often as you like and explore the areas by foot or bike. It's possible to make the spectacular route in a day if you direly need to get from Los Mochis to Chihuahua, but take your time if you can. The memorable moments are innumerable. Your jaw will be hanging open for hours on the train ride. Several publications on the are offer mile-by-mile descriptions of the route, explaining little-known facts about the construction, flora/fauna, etc. And, as much as I liked travelling independently, it was nice to be able to "eavesdrop" on tour groups and take advantage of the guide's knowledge.

Quick Tips:

Though tickets for the train trip are quite inexpensive, the lodging is quite expensive! If you're looking to save some money and make this an affordable trip, look into camping, or staying at lodges further away from the train stations - many will come pick you up from the station. Pack clothes for all kinds of weather - after coming from a warm beach climate on the Baja coast, temperature drops every day as you climb higher into the mountains, and rain is always possible, even snow. Bring along everything you might for an casual outdoors trip - there's no need for anything fancy, and not a whole lot of areas to buy things that you forgot at home. Do leave room in your luggage to bring back some of the great crafts that are one of the many trademarks of the local tribes - baskets woven from grasses and pine needles are exquisite, (and lightweight). You almost can't avoid buying them - young Tarahumara girls board trains at the stations and hawk their wares on board to you, as well as set up impromptu shops on blankets around the station, in simple cliffside dugouts, etc.

Best Way To Get Around:

The train in the most popular way to explore the area, but increasingly, there are more ways to discover this area - bike tours, horseback trips, hiking, 4wd tours, bus tours, etc. There are small taxis and even old American schoolbuses at the train stations that can be hired to get you to your destination.

An amazing colonial hotel, complete with gardens, pools, fountains, courtyards and rustic furnishings, it''s a great place to start your trip. It''s east of Los Mochis, where most people will arrive via plane, though most people choose to start their journey into the Copper Canyon here. Meals are absolutely spectacular, and watch your step carefully after enjoying a deliciously strong margarita on the patio. Several rooms are available in the front part of the hotel, with massive carved wood doors and traditional spanish colonial decor, while others are more secluded off the courtyard, hidden behind flowering bushes and with hammocks on the front steps. There''s even a bar/nightclub below the hotel for those looking for some exciting nightlife in town. The hotel is right off the main town square, which is absolutely worth walking around, day or night. As tempting as it is to wallow in the lush surroundings of the hotel, don''t just stay inside the whole time!

You can get there via bus from the airport, or even arrange to take a cab there - it''s a LONG cab ride, about 45 minutes, but will cost you only $25-30 or so.

By getting off the train at the Bahuichivo station, you can get to Cerocahui, a quiet agricultural town near the edge of the canyon. The Hotel Mision gets it''s name from it''s beautiful mission church next door. It''s a bumpy 1/2 hour ride on a mini-bus that meets you at the train station, but this hotel is worth the effort to get to.

Rooms are rustic and minimal, set around a courtyard - all meals are included during the stay, and are spectacular! Margaritas are served up at happy hour in the lobby/dining room, where you can get a chance to meet other guests and exchange travel stories - half the people have probably come from where you''re headed to next, so it''s worth striking up a conversation. The hotel has a good attitude towards conservation, so be flexible, as water and electricity are not availble at all times, and conservation is strongly encouraged.

The Hotel is a great base for exploring surrounding areas - be sure to get to the edge of Urique Canyon. Horseback rides to the waterfalls are a very popular trip, and right next door to the hotel, you can take an informal tour of the boarding school set up for the Tarahumara children, the local indigenous people of the area. Couldn''t be more convenient or interesting!

Creel is mountain biking mecca of Northern Mexico, and it's understandable why once you start riding around. We rode through some fields to Valley of the Monks (on a great map provided by Arturo), which was amazing, and quite an easy trail - most parts are on dirt roads, then across some grassy fields. You can drop your bikes and scramble up the rocks for some amazing views of the stone formations in the valley.

One word of warning - you're up at fairly high altitude to start with, so pace yourself, if you're not used to althetic endeavors at high altitude and less oxygen.

This is by far one of the greatest ways to see the canyon area (and until a few years ago when a through-road was completed, the ONLY way to get through the canyon). There are several classes of train - there's a private luxury train with organized tours that travel through the area, travelling south from Tucson, AZ. There are also 2 classes of "standard" train service - first and second class. The prices are unbelievably low for tourists, considering exchange rates. First class is entirely affordable and comfortable, though travelling in second class with more of the local citizens and less tourists clearly has it's draw. You can elect to travel independently, or with a guided tour. Many people were surprised to discover that we were travelling alone - I'm not fond of being part of tour groups, but the advantage of having a local guide to inform you of lots of information, lore, etc. is clearly an advantage to consider. If you're going independently, definitely do your research on the area before you go - you'll get a lot more out of it.

The train trip is worth far more than the meagre price of the ticket! It's an engineering marvel that took nearly 100 years to complete, and winds its way through the Sierra Madre mountains, from low desert scrub, across bridges, through tunnels blasted through mountains (80 or more tunnels and bridges altogether!), along precipitous cliffs, alpine meadows - most any environment you could imagine. Your train ticket is good for any amount of boarding/disembarking, so as long as you've bought a fare from your start point to end point, you can get on and off and enjoy the scenery off the track. One word of warning - I don't think the train has operated on time once since it's been in operation - at times, our trains were delayed 4 hours or more - just be flexible and patient with your plans. There is only a single track and two-way traffic, so the trains often have to pull out on spurs, back up, or wait at stations for oncoming trains to pass. Just consider it as an opportunity to enjoy more of the scenery. There are the unusual unexpected thrills along the ride - passing over bridges and seeing the wreckage of derailed trains fall below, and the occasional story of mudslides, derailments, etc. that shut the line down for days. Not to alarm you, but do be prepared to be patient, as nature takes it's course on this route. On my last day in the canyon, we delayed for hours on a spur, waiting for a freight train to rumble past in the night- and the next morning we heard we were extremely lucky, as the overloaded frieght train did derail and take some of the track with it, which was going to shut down the line for days!

Even if you're not getting off at a station, check with the conductor about how long the train will be there - sometimes trains have to wait at the stations for passing trains, crew changes, etc., and you may have a chance to jump off and do some walking around or grab a bite to eat (or souvenir to take home) at the impromptu stands set up on the platforms each time the train arrives. Take advantage of any delay or opportunity arises - this is sure to be one of the greatest train trips of your lifetime!

It's possible to travel through the canyon in a week or so (or even faster, if you're really tight for time), but you can extend your trip even longer by taking side trips off the main route of the train. Small side day trips are easily possible as well, no matter what your schedule - hosts at the hotels/lodges usually have information about hikes down into the canyons, etc that lead directly from the hotel.

On my trip, I didn't get to go deep down into the canyon, which is supposed to be spectacular - especially towns such as Batopilas, Satevo and others that developed due to silver mining in the area. The descent down into the canyon to Batopilas is an infamous one - many truck drivers will offer rides for trekkers down to the bottom, but choose your ride carefully - most everyone can tell you the endless legends of people careening off the road (which happened the day I was there as well), but the road is probably being improved now...There are wonderful towns, churches, mining ruins, ranches, etc. down there worth exploring.

Day hikes away from the lodges along the train route bring you a little closer to the canyon - just walking around after breakfast near divisadero brought us great views of the canyon, and walks past the inventive Tarahumara cliff dwellings and stone houses.