It took a plane, a train, and a couple of automobiles, but Mexico’s Copper Canyon was well worth the effort.  This UNESCO World Heritage site is made up of six canyons and is four times (or five, or seven-opinions vary) larger than the Grand Canyon.

Ever since moving to Mexico nearly four years ago, I’ve had Copper Canyon on my radar. Why? Because I’d heard it was a highlight of North America not only for it’s remoteness and varied topography, but because the El Chepe train that traverses the deep canyons and sky-high mountain ledges was one of the most spectacular train rides in the world. Yes, the world!!

Leaving the boys (Jeff and Chance) back on El Gato, I flew from Puerto Vallarta to meet my friend Nancy in Los Mochis, on the Pacific end of the train route. (Unfortunately, dogs aren’t welcome on El Chepe and most hotels in the canyon.) That was fine with Jeff, as he and I had just completed a four-month trip to Canada, the USA and interior Mexico, and a little time apart would, frankly, be welcomed by both of us.

One night in sweltering Los Mochis was plenty, so we hopped a bus to our first stop-El Fuerte, which, unfortunately, was equally as hot, but much more interesting. This little Pueblo Magico is the birthplace of the legendary bandit/hero El Zorro, and we were entertained at the Hotel Posada del Hidalgo by a cheezy yet fun show.

A boat ride up the Fuerte River took us to some petroglyphs, and I’m glad we opted to hire a guide, because frankly, I would never have been able to identify what we were looking at. Do they just make some of that up? We did see some interesting bird life from our boat, though.

The ride from El Fuerte to the train’s highest point in Divisadero was breathtaking! El Chepe zigged and zagged its way up the mountain, affording grand views of sheer cliffs, lush vegetation and  sparkling rivers. Since we were on  the tourist train and not the more expensive Chepe Express, vendors hopped aboard at many stops to sell local apples and peaches, chips and candy. There was a dining car aboard the train, that actually served up pretty good food.

As we approached Divisadero, we knew the next two days would be full of hiking and exploring.  The Hotel Divisadero Barrancas is perched on the rim of the canyon offering ever-changing views of the surrounding canyons and ridge-tops. A short walk from the hotel brings you to a tiny community of Raramuri (also known as Tarahumara), an indigenous tribal people that are renowned for their long-distance running skills. Never conquered by the Spaniards, nor converterted to Christianity by missionaries, these people continue to follow some ancient traditions, although they are rapidly becoming modernized.

The Divisadero Adventure Park has a lot to offer the adventurous traveler-including the second longest zip-line in the world. I opted out of that one, but we did take the teleferico on a scenic ride to the bottom of the canyon and hiked back up. We were told  by several of the park employees that we were not allowed to do it without a guide (not true), or that the teleferico was about to quit running, blahblahblah. Well, we were determined to do it, as my research had suggested it was, indeed possible.

The problem with hiking in that area of the Canyon is that there is a myriad of trails, but no trail maps or signage. All we knew was to go up, in the general  direction of the  teleferico cable.  And up we climbed. Our initial trail soon petered out and we found ourselves bushwacking through prickly overgrowth, climbing hand over fist across boulders and invading the territory of various farm animals. By now it was early afternoon and the sun was strong, and even though we both consider ourselves strong hikers, we needed lots of rest stops in the heat and altitude. Finally we made it up the last steep stretch and congratulated ourselves for not taking “No” for an answer.

The train ride to Bahuichivo actually had us backtracking, but the scenery was no less spectacular.  Since we were again on the regional train, our brief stops were met with local Raramuris chasing the trains, selling bags of apples, peaches and baskets.

We were met  by a driver from the Hotel Mision in Cerocahui, about 20 minutes drive toward the Urique Canyon- one of the deepest canyons in North America, and the deepest in Mexico. The Hotel owners run a vineyard not far from the hotel, so of course we sampled their goods.

A 5-mile round-trip hike to a forcefully flowing waterfall was easy-breezy compared to the previous canyon hike, but through a very different topography, which is one thing that makes the Copper Canyon so fascinating. While the canyon rim hosts hundreds of species of pine and oaks, the lower elevations are home to palm, fig and apple trees.

While visiting Cherochui, some people opt for a tour to the bottom of the Urique Canyon, into the town of Urique, but Nancy and I opted out for two main reasons.

1. It is HOT at the bottom
2. We are Chicken Shits

Instead, we went by private van only as far as the Mirador Cerro del Gallego, for one of the best viewpoints in the  Copper Canyon. The road to the overlook was a rutted, swerving, narrow dirt road often with sheer drop-offs to certain death below. Sitting in the front seat of the van, we were practically throwing ourselves into the lap of the driver as we traversed the ledges. On some of the curves lay memorials to those who didn’t make the trip, and our driver frequently crossed himself in that way Catholics do. It was a bit nerve-wracking, and I can’t imagine doing the entire trip to the bottom and back up.

 

Just to switch things up a little, we left the Hotel Mision in town and spent our second night in the area at the Rancho Cabanas San Isidro. Truth be told, I wish we had spent both nights at the Rancho. Our accommodation was a lovely cabana overlooking the forested hills below, complete with full bathroom and firepit. The owner told us that upon completion of the cabana the previous year, it was blessed by the local Raramuri people who still farm and dwell on this land.It was truly special, and the main dining lodge was unique and cozy. The staff was warm, friendly and very accommodating.

We opted for a horseback ride the next morning for more amazing views of the valley before transferring to the train station for the long haul back to Los Mochis. Again, we were rewarded with breathtaking views of this vast landscape in Mexico, the country that I am proud to call my home.