Places to See and Stay: Copper Canyon Area - Mexico

In the north of Mexico lies the beautiful, remote, rugged canyon system, generically known as the Copper Canyon. The largest of the canyons are Urique, Sinforosa and Batapilas which all plunge to depths of over 1,800 metres making them not only as impressive, but deeper than their better-known cousin across the border in the USA. The area is most easily accessed by air from Mexico City to either Chihuahua or Los Mochis and the best way to see the Copper Canyon is by the famous Chihuahua al Pacifico (El Chepe) train that runs between the two cities, making numerous stops along its way. It is a magnificent feat of engineering - 480 kilometres of track have been laid incorporating 360 degree turns, 86 tunnels and 36 bridges to descend from 2,333 metres to sea level. It travels alongside parts of the Copper Canyon and is a real taste of adventure travel in Mexico.

The journey takes 16 hours to complete, but to appreciate the grandeur of the scenery and to enhance your trip we recommend setting off from the colonial outback town of El Fuerte, an hour from Los Mochis. From here board the train and spend several days exploring the region, staying in a couple of places along the train route, such as the tiny mission village of Cerocahui, where you can access magnificent viewpoints over the Urique canyon. However, the environment up here can be harsh with extreme weather conditions, especially between December and February, when snow can fall. Unlike in other parts of the country, the hotels in the Copper Canyon are far from luxurious with food, heating and service very much on the slow side, and few of the region’s Tarahumara Indians speaking English. Intrepid travellers find this all adds to the experience of Mexico at its ‘Wild West’ best.

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