CopperCanyon
5
Day Itinerary •
Mexico
Five days in the Copper Canyon and Sierra Tarahumara give you the full extraordinary depth of the most dramatic landscape in Mexico. Beyond the El Chepe train journey and the Urique Canyon viewpoint lie the extraordinary lost silver city of Batopilas at the canyon bottom, the Raramuri horseback trails through the sierra, the Temoris Loop railway engineering marvel and the finest pre-Columbian site in northern Mexico at Paquime. This route covers the complete Copper Canyon experience from the extraordinary dawn departure on El Chepe at Los Mochis to the deepest canyon descent in North America, the lost colonial silver city of Batopilas, the monk rock formations of the Valle de los Monjes and the extraordinary horseback return through the Sierra Tarahumara with Raramuri guides. Five days in the canyon country that rewards every extraordinary kilometre.
Best Time To Visit
October to May
Getting There
Fly into Los Mochis (LMM) or Chihuahua (CUU)
Getting Around
El Chepe Express, local trucks, 4WD for Batopilas
Budget Per Day
Approx 75 to 200 USD per person per day
Difficulity
Moderate to challenging, canyon descents
DAY 1
EL CHEPE TRAIN
MORNING
LOS MOCHIS AND THE EL CHEPE RAILWAY DEPARTURE, THE MOST EXTRAORDINARY TRAIN IN MEXICO
The El Chepe Express, the Ferrocarril Chihuahua al Pacifico, is the most extraordinary railway journey in North America, climbing 2,400 metres from the Pacific coast through 87 tunnels and 37 bridges to the Sierra Tarahumara highlands. The departure from Los Mochis at dawn through the coastal plain and into the foothills of the Sierra Madre is extraordinary. First-class tickets approx 2,500 pesos. Book weeks ahead. Drive/Travel: 3 hours on train
MIDDAY
EL FUERTE, THE COLONIAL TOWN AT THE BASE OF THE BARRANCAS
El Fuerte is the finest colonial town on the El Chepe route, its extraordinary colonial mansions, the 17th-century fort and the extraordinary Museo de El Fuerte giving a remarkable introduction to the history of the Sinaloa sierra before the canyon ascent. The town is also known as the birthplace of Zorro according to local legend. The extraordinary El Fuerte River beneath the town is the finest birdwatching site on the route. Entry to museum approx 50 pesos. Drive/Travel: 4 hours on train
AFTERNOON
BAHUICHIVO AND THE DESCENT TO CEROCAHUI CANYON
The Bahuichivo station at 1,600 metres is the gateway to the extraordinary canyon of Urique, the deepest of the six Copper Canyon barrancas. The 45-minute truck descent to Cerocahui village passes through extraordinary pine and oak forest before emerging above the canyon floor. The extraordinary Mission of Cerocahui founded in 1680 by the Jesuits is the finest colonial church in the Sierra Tarahumara. Entry free.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The Tarahumara people, known in their own language as Raramuri meaning those who run, are the most extraordinary indigenous runners in the world, capable of running 200km in a single session through the canyon trails wearing only huarache sandals. The Raramuri ball race of rarajipari, in which teams kick a wooden ball through the canyon for days, is the most extraordinary sporting tradition in Mexico. The race is organised by the community and visitors can watch with arrangement through local guides.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Los Mochis market Extraordinary machaca beef and flour tortillas at the market near the station before the 6am departure. | Lunch: El Fuerte riverside restaurant Outstanding Sinaloa cuisine on the extraordinary river terrace. Fresh river fish and local tamales. | Dinner: Hotel Mision Cerocahui The finest hotel dinner in the Copper Canyon. Outstanding local beef and Tarahumara corn dishes.
DAY 2
URIQUE CANYON
MORNING
THE URIQUE CANYON VIEWPOINT, THE DEEPEST CANYON IN NORTH AMERICA
The Urique Canyon viewpoint above Cerocahui gives the most extraordinary vista in the Copper Canyon system, a 1,879-metre drop to the Urique river below, deeper than the Grand Canyon at its deepest point. The extraordinary morning light on the canyon walls changes colour from pink to amber to gold in the first hour after sunrise. The trail along the canyon rim through pine forest is extraordinary for birdwatching. Entry free. Drive/Travel: 1 hour truck descent
MIDDAY
URIQUE VILLAGE AT THE CANYON BOTTOM, THE TROPICAL FLOOR
The village of Urique at the bottom of the canyon floor sits in extraordinary tropical heat 1,900 metres below the pine forests of the rim, its mango trees, orange groves and subtropical vegetation in complete contrast to the cold sierra above. The Urique River running through the village is the finest swimming spot in the Copper Canyon. The extraordinary Tarahumara community at the canyon bottom maintains centuries-old farming terraces. Entry free. Drive/Travel: 2 hours truck back up
AFTERNOON
CREEL, THE GATEWAY TOWN AND THE TARAHUMARA HEARTLAND
Creel at 2,338 metres is the finest base town in the Copper Canyon, its extraordinary location in the heart of the Sierra Tarahumara giving access to the canyon system, the Rarámuri communities, the Valle de los Monjes rock formations and the Cascada de Basaseachi. The Museo de los Casas Grandes in Creel documents the extraordinary Paquime civilisation. The Tarahumara artisan market sells the finest pine needle baskets in Mexico. Entry to museum approx 30 pesos.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The Cascada de Basaseachi in the Basaseachi National Park 100km from Creel is the highest single-drop waterfall in Mexico at 246 metres, its extraordinary plunge through a pine-forested canyon creating a permanent rainbow in the mist at the base. The park also contains the Cascada de Piedra Volada, the highest waterfall in Mexico at 453 metres, visible only from a viewpoint across the canyon. Entry approx 50 pesos.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Hotel Mision breakfast Outstanding simple Mexican breakfast before the dawn canyon rim walk. The light at 6am is extraordinary. | Lunch: Urique village comedor Outstanding local food at the canyon floor. Fresh mango, fish from the river and extraordinary tortillas. | Dinner: Casa Margarita, Creel The most celebrated guesthouse in Creel. Outstanding home-cooked Mexican food. Book the canyon trek.
DAY 3
DIVISADERO AND CHIHUAHUA
MORNING
DIVISADERO, THE MOST EXTRAORDINARY CANYON VIEWPOINT ON THE EL CHEPE ROUTE
Divisadero station is the most extraordinary stop on the El Chepe railway, its platform giving an immediate unobstructed view over three of the six Copper Canyon barrancas simultaneously. The extraordinary adventure park at Divisadero includes the longest zip line in the world at 2.5km crossing the canyon, a via ferrata canyon wall climb and an aerial tram. The viewpoint at dawn with cloud in the canyons below is one of the finest in Mexico. Entry to station free, activities from approx 800 pesos. Drive/Travel: 3 hours on train
MIDDAY
CHIHUAHUA CITY AND THE PANCHO VILLA MUSEUM
Chihuahua is the largest city in Mexico's largest state, its extraordinary Plaza de Armas, the finest baroque cathedral in northern Mexico and the Museo de la Revolucion in the house where Pancho Villa lived and was assassinated all essential. The extraordinary dungeon where Father Hidalgo was held before his execution in 1811 is beneath the Palacio Federal. Entry to Villa museum approx 60 pesos. Drive/Travel: 1 hour drive
AFTERNOON
PAQUIME AND THE GREATEST PRE-COLUMBIAN CITY IN NORTHERN MEXICO
The extraordinary ruins of Paquime near Casas Grandes are the finest pre-Columbian site in northern Mexico, a sophisticated city of extraordinary multi-storey adobe buildings, hyacinth macaw breeding pens and an extraordinary water system built by the Mogollon culture between 900 and 1450 AD. The UNESCO World Heritage site and its extraordinary museum are the finest in the Chihuahua desert. Entry approx 80 pesos.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The Batopilas canyon, accessible by a 3-hour dirt road descent from Creel, is the most extraordinary hidden destination in the Copper Canyon system. The colonial silver mining town of Batopilas at the canyon bottom, accessible only by this single road, was one of the wealthiest towns in Mexico in the 19th century. The extraordinary Hacienda San Miguel ruins, the intact colonial streets and the Tarahumara community in the canyon are remarkable. Local tours from Creel approx 800 pesos.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Divisadero viewpoint stalls Extraordinary gorditas and atole from the Tarahumara vendors on the station platform. Buy before boarding. | Lunch: Restaurant in Chihuahua Outstanding northern Mexican cuisine. The extraordinary Chihuahua beef and chile con queso are legendary. | Dinner: La Casa de los Milagros, Chihuahua The finest restaurant in Chihuahua. Outstanding northern Mexican food in a beautiful colonial house.
DAY 4
BATOPILAS CANYON
MORNING
THE BATOPILAS ROAD, THE MOST EXTRAORDINARY CANYON DESCENT IN MEXICO
driving The 80km dirt road from Creel to Batopilas at the bottom of the Batopilas canyon is one of the most extraordinary mountain roads in Mexico, descending 1,800 metres through extraordinary pine forest, subtropical scrub and finally tropical canyon floor in a single 3-hour drive. The extraordinary views over the canyon at each hairpin bend are unlike anything accessible by paved road in Mexico. 4WD strongly recommended. Drive/Travel: 30 min to village
MIDDAY
BATOPILAS, THE LOST SILVER CITY OF THE CANYON FLOOR
Batopilas was one of the wealthiest silver mining towns in colonial Mexico, its extraordinary location at the bottom of the Batopilas canyon protecting it from the outside world. The extraordinary colonial mansions along the single dirt street, the ruined Hacienda San Miguel where Alexander Shepherd rebuilt the silver empire in the 1880s and the extraordinary Tarahumara community in the surrounding canyon walls are all remarkable. Entry free. Drive/Travel: 3 hours drive back to Creel
AFTERNOON
THE VALLE DE LOS MONJES AND THE EXTRAORDINARY ROCK FORMATIONS
The Valle de los Monjes near Creel is the finest rock formation landscape in the Sierra Tarahumara, its extraordinary basalt columns eroded into the shapes of monks and human figures rising from the pine forest floor. The adjacent Lake Arareco, a high-altitude lake reflecting the extraordinary sierra landscape, is the finest viewpoint near Creel. Entry approx 50 pesos. The sunset light on the monk formations is extraordinary.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The Piedra Volada waterfall viewpoint in Basaseachi National Park, reached by a 3-hour round trip trail through extraordinary pine forest, gives a view of the highest waterfall in Mexico at 453 metres dropping into a canyon so deep the base is invisible. The trail passes extraordinary volcanic rock formations and the finest sierra pine forest in Chihuahua. Almost entirely free of visitors. Entry to park approx 50 pesos. Trail well marked.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Creel market Outstanding flour tortillas and machaca beef from the market stalls before the early Batopilas departure. | Lunch: Batopilas village comedor Simple extraordinary local food in the most remote colonial town in northern Mexico. | Dinner: Casa Margarita, Creel Return for the finest dinner in the sierra. The community dinner with local Tarahumara dishes is extraordinary.
DAY 5
SIERRA HORSEBACK AND EL CHEPE RETURN
MORNING
THE SIERRA TARAHUMARA ON HORSEBACK WITH RARAMURI GUIDES
A guided horseback ride through the Sierra Tarahumara from Creel with Raramuri guides is the finest way to experience the extraordinary canyon landscape and indigenous culture simultaneously. The trails pass through extraordinary pine forest, along canyon rim viewpoints and through Tarahumara rancherias where the traditional cave dwelling communities still live. Guided rides arranged through Casa Margarita approx 600 pesos including horse and guide. Drive/Travel: 45 min to station
MIDDAY
THE RETURN JOURNEY ON EL CHEPE, WATCHING THE DESCENT TO THE PACIFIC
on train The return journey on the El Chepe from Creel to Los Mochis descends the extraordinary 2,400-metre drop from the Sierra Tarahumara to the Pacific coastal plain in a single afternoon, passing through extraordinary bridges, tunnels and viewpoints in the reverse direction. The canyon views from the western descent are even more extraordinary than the ascent as the train rounds the extraordinary Loop bridge above the Temoris canyon. Drive/Travel: Train arrival Los Mochis
AFTERNOON
LOS MOCHIS AND THE SINALOA SEAFOOD FAREWELL
Los Mochis on the Pacific coast of Sinaloa is the finest base for the El Chepe and the finest city in Sinaloa for seafood. The extraordinary Mercado Municipal has the finest fresh shrimp, fish and ceviche on the Pacific coast. The extraordinary Sinaloa cuisine, considered by many Mexican food critics the finest regional cooking in the country, deserves a proper farewell dinner before departure. Entry free.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The Temoris Loop on the El Chepe between Creel and Los Mochis is the most extraordinary feat of railway engineering in the Americas, a section where the line loops back on itself three times at different altitudes to descend the extraordinary canyon wall, visible from above as three parallel tracks on the cliff face. The view of the loop from the train window as it crosses above itself is one of the most extraordinary railway experiences in the world.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Creel market Buy tortillas and local cheese for the train. The El Chepe dining car is limited. Provisions essential. | Lunch: El Chepe dining car Simple Mexican food served on the train through the most extraordinary section of the descent. | Dinner: El Farallon, Los Mochis The finest seafood restaurant in Los Mochis. Outstanding Sinaloa shrimp aguachile and fresh tuna.
Where To Stay
Cerocahui, Night 1 Hotel Mision Cerocahui. Approx 80 to 150 USD including meals. Creel, Nights 2 to 4 Casa Margarita or The Lodge at Creel. Approx 40 to 120 USD per night. Los Mochis, Night 5 Hotel Santa Anita or Fenix. Approx 50 to 100 USD. Walking distance from El Chepe station.
Top Tips
1. El Chepe dining car food is limited. Buy provisions in Creel market for the return journey.
2. Batopilas round trip takes a full day minimum. Stay overnight in the village for the most extraordinary experience.
3. Raramuri horseback guides from Casa Margarita: book the evening before. Morning rides have the finest canyon light.
4. Temoris Loop: sit on the left side of the train on the descent to Los Mochis to see the loop from above.
5. Valle de los Monjes sunset: the monk formations at golden hour are the finest photography in the sierra.
6. The Urique canyon floor is tropical. Pack shorts and sunscreen for the bottom and a down jacket for the rim.
Total Budget
75 to 195 USD/day