Bus To Copper Canyon From Chihuahua

The Teleferico (cable car)  takes passenger from the canyon 

edge near the divisadero Train stop to a hill down inside

the canyon where a zip line ride is offered.

     


 Bus service reaches the Copper Canyon from the City of Chihuahua.            
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·        Rapidos Cuauhtemoc Bus

Estrella Blanca Bus offers bus routes into the village of Creel at the edge of the canyons via Rapidos Cuauhtemoc Buses.  The buses leave from the main terminal Central de Autobuses in Chihuahua for the five hour trip with a bus fare of 250 Pesos.  Trips start at 5:30 am and run until 2:30 in the afternoon.  The bus also stops in the City of Cuauhtemoc.

·        Creel, Village in Copper Canyon

The train station in the town of Creel

I like the town of Creel in the canyon for its bank with ATM, lodging, tour options, and its transportation.  The Casas Margaritas Hotel, just down the hill from the train station offers dorms and private rooms at budget rates, hot water, TV, WiF included.  Breakfast and dinner are also included with the room rate of 250-350 Pesos for a private room with bathroom.  Several tours are offered from the hotel, Cusarare Falls, Divisadero, Batopilas.

A few blocks west, find the Plaza Mexicana Margaritas Hotel on a side street.  Not much to look at from the outside but a good restaurant, nice setting, great patio, and 400-500 Pesos for a private.

Many other options for lodging are available in Creel including the Hotel Korachi at 200 Pesos, (no WiFi), and the five star Best Western Lodge at Creel at around 100 USD.

·        Tours

Tour options are many in Creel.  The Three Amigos consistently receive good reviews for their tours and rentals of equipment.  They are a friendly and helpful resource for trip planning.  Find them in the Center of Creel about a block west of the bank.     

·        Self Guide Tours

There are several day hikes and bike rides that can be done from Creel.

Tarahumara Indian women put 

on a demonstration of traditional 

dance in the town of Creel

 Bus service is available via Noroeste, just across from the train station.  The Noroeste bus goes west along the northern edge of the Urique Canyon to Divisadero, Posada Barancas, and San Rafael.  These stops will offer hiking along the canyon edge, views of three canyons, and trips down into the canyon.  Buses start at 10:30 am and run to 6:30.  The last return bus reaches Divisadero at 5:00 pm.  The bus fare is 60 Pesos one way for the 29 mile trip (44km) to Divisadero over good paved roads.

 After hiking, the return can be by the same bus line.  The last bus of the day from Divisadero to Creel is at 5:00 pm.  Afternoon buses: 2:00, 3:30, 5:00 pm.  Pay on the bus when returning.  (Check as you go because these schedules can change with demand)

The train stop at Civisadero offers views 

into three of the canyons of the 

Copper Canyon Park.Add caption

• Divisadero

Divisadero is the site of a new (2010) adventure park built by the Government.  The park includes a teleferico, (cable car)  zipline setup with a lengthy ride between two hills within the canyon, a rappelling experience over the cliff edge with all the equipment including hard hat, and a restaurant with great views into the canyons.  

There is also a hiking trail along the edge of the canyon that leads from the Divisadero Copper Canyon Train stop to the Adventure Park,  Parque De Aventura.  The hiking trail along the edge of the canyons from the Divisadero bus and train stop is three miles round trip.  Two miles beyond that there is the Areponapuchi train stop, Posada Barrancas, and the inns along the cliff edge.  

Lodging is available in Divisadero at the Hotel Divisadero Barrancas del Cobre just below the train station.  Find lodging also at Areponapuchi train stop, Posada Barrancas.

• Train Transportation to Divisadero

The Copper Canyon Train will arrive at Creel on its way west from Chihuahua at about 11:30 am.  You can take the train to Divisadero from Creel for 240 Pesos.  The train will arrive, however, later in the day at Divisadero and could cut the day hiking short.

Taking the train for a return to Creel from Divisadero can also present problems because the train's arrival at Divisadero from the west end at Los Mochis can vary by an hour or two.  It is best to ask the vendors at the station if the train has arrived yet.  If it has passed, there is the bus option for a return to Creel.  The train from the west usually arrives at Divisadero between 1:30 and 3:30 and on certain days there are two trains, a first class and a second class, economy train.  On other days, the first and second class trains are combined into one train.

              The train stop at Divisadero offers a

       walk way to the  teleferico with views into 

       three of  the canyons of the   Copper 

       Canyon Park.

Lodging in Divisadero at Hotel Divisadero Barrancas or in Areponapuchi is always an option.  

• Cusarare Falls.

Another good day hike or bike ride in the Copper Canyon area can be done from Creel, a trip to Cusarare Falls. 

·        From Creel

There is a shuttle from Creel,  Transportes Cusarare Choguita, that makes a regular run the 14 miles to Cusarare and beyond.  The shuttle starts from the road just across from the train station near the small, Estrella Blanca Bus station.

Take the shuttle bus down to the vicinity of Cusarare Cascade and hike in the cascade area.

 Start a hike back and hail the shuttle along the way or pre-arrange a taxi pickup at the end of the day. Cabs are available in the center of Creel.  

A map is needed this are as there are many dirt roads and trails.  The main trail out of Creel follows the road, however, as it runs down past the lake and into Cusarare.  

The train stop at Divisadero offers 

lodging with views into three of  

the canyons of the Copper Canyon

 Park.

 Lodging in Cusarare   360-588-1290

·        Tours to Cusarare

Check with the "Three Amigos" tour agency on the man street of Creel for transportation options, maps, vehicle rentals etc.  

Check also with the Casas Margaritas Hotel next to the church in Creel Center for tour options to Cusarare.

  I booked a tour to Cusarare with Casas Margaritas and they put on a good tour with a visit to the mission church, the valley of Hongos, a cave dwelling, and the Cusarare Falls.

Olmec Heads are on display in the Museum of Anthropology in the City of Jalapa in Veracruz

Bus Oaxaca To Veracruz, Ruin Sites 

From Oaxaca City, ADO first class buses to Veracruz are frequent. The night bus is a good option, the 10:15 pm bus gets you into Veracruz City at around 6:00 am. The bus fare is 466 Pesos.


Veracruz Ruin Sites
Veracruz is home to some good Olmec ruin sites such as San Lorenzo Tenochtitlan and to other ruin sites such as Zempoala (Also called Cempoala) and the ruin site of El Tajin.
  Veracruz was homeland to the Olmec culture from 1500 BC to 300 BC and therefore offers some great artifacts such as the Olmec heads at the Jalapa Museum of Anthropology.  Olmec influence continues in the area ruin sites.  From Veracruz you can visit several, the closest, the the ruin of  Zempoala, is 28 miles to the northwest and reached within an hour by bus.

 Zempoala Ruin Site
To reach the ruin of  Zempoala, go to the AU Bus terminal, just around the corner from the ADO first class terminal.  Take the AU Bus, (ADO) to the town of Cardel for 30 Pesos. (Jose Cardel)  The bus will be a semi-directo going to the city of Jalapa with a stop in Cardel.
* Caution, the taxicab starter at the ADO first class terminal might tell you that there is no bus transportation to  Zempoala and try to book you a 500 pesos taxi.

Cardel
Once you reach Cardel's bus terminal, walk two blocks to the Hotel Cardel where buses for 10 Pesos will reach the town of Zempoala and the ruin site. Taxis (50 Pesos) and colectivos (10 Pesos) also reach  Zempoala from Cardel.

Ruin Site Circle Stones

Zempoala Ruin Site, Veracruz State Mexico

Once at the  Zempoala ruin site, allow two or three hours to tour the ruins and visit the museum.
Of interest at the ruin site are two sets of circular stone structures.   Within the larger circle you can, according to guide Jose Luis Carleon, stand in the center and feel the energy.   You can also hear the amplified voices of others as they speak within the circle of stones. Jose is a spiritual guide and has many stories to tell about  Zempoala.

The larger of the circle structures is arranged with stepped shaped stones set upon the stone perimeter wall.  At the four cardinal points, the stones are stepped on both sides.   Various researchers have speculated on the use of the stones as solar or lunar tracking devices but as of yet no definitive answers have evolved. The shapes of the stones are similar to the stones at the ruin site of Alta Vista on the Tropic of Cancer, a ruin site  that is believed to have been built to track the Zenith day.

Cortez
 Zempoala was the first major Native American town visited by Cortez and his small army in August of 1519.  The leaders of  Zempoala wanted to be rid of the Aztec dominance which included tribute payments of goods and slaves so they allied with Cortez and supported his march towards the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan in what is now Mexico City.  The  Zempoalans gave Cortez 200 porters and 40 soldiers according to Bernal Diaz del Castillo's account of events in his book, "The True History Of The Conquest Of New Spain."

Olmec Head sculpture, Jalapa Museum, 

Veracruz

The ruins visible now at  Zempoala are a small remnant of a much larger site that can still be seen throughout the the modern town of  Zempoala.


Return to Cardel
To leave   Zempoala ruin site, walk two blocks south of the ruin to the main road where you find buses, 10 Pesos, taxis, 50 Pesos, and colectivos 10 Pesos, back to Cardel.
In Cardel the ADO station runs buses to many destinations including Jalapa for 65 Pesos.
Jalapa is noted for the Museo de Antropologia de Xalapa, (MAX), the location of several of the large Omec heads carved of volcanic stone.

www.uv.mx/max for museum details

Jalapa hotels
Citlali and Real de Cortez
on Calle (street) Clavijero in Centro Historico