Relatively few visit the Copper Canyon despite being comparable in scale to the Grand Canyon and deeper in parts. The Copper Canyon is a wild, rugged and rather impressive canyon system in the Sierra Tarahumara in the north of Mexico. The largest of the canyons plunge down to 1800 metres in depth making them deeper than those in the Grand Canyon in the US.
To get here you fly from Mexico City to Chihuahua or Los Mochis. One of the most impressive ways of seeing this huge area is to take one of the world’s great train journeys: the Copper Canyon railway or more specifically the Chihuahua-Pacifico Railroad running between Los Mochis on the edge of Mexico’s Sea of Cortez, through the Copper Canyon (Barranca del Cobre) to Creel and Chihuahua in the north of Mexico and vice versa. The railroad is a magnificent feat of engineering - 655 kilometres of track have been laid incorporating 360 degree turns, 86 tunnels and 39 bridges to descend from 2,333 metres to sea level. The railroad connects the mountainous arid interior of Northern Mexico to the Pacific coast. If you were to do the whole journey it would take you 16 hours, but you could join the train at El Fuerte which is a small outback town, which is when the scenery really starts to get interesting. It is an 8 hour uphill trip to Creel.
The Posada Barrancas Mirador sits on the edge of the Copper Canyon, near its highest point and indeed each of the 50 rooms has a dramatic balcony that seems to hang right over the cliff's edge. The views are simply awe-inspiring from the canyon’s rim. More…
Within the canyons lie the towns of Batopilas and Urique. Life moves slower in these towns and it can be hard to imagine you are in the same country that counts Mexico City, Acapulco and Cancun amongst its attractions. Shops and restaurants tend to be simple affairs that open late and close early. That does not prevent them from being very charming and the small towns in the canyons are great places to slow down and unwind. The more time you have to spend in this un-touristy part of Mexico, the more you will be rewarded. More…
