Copper Canyon Villages

Where Are the Villages of Copper Canyon
Update Oct 2012

Copper Canyon weaver

• Latest News, Cable Car, Adventure Park 

The Adventure Park with its cable car and zip line are the latest news from Copper Canyon.
Copper Canyon is still remote, regardless of the modern touches, and for the hiker and bike rider, there are still several isolated villages within Copper Canyon that you might visit for hiking, biking, and sightseeing.  Some hikes are on the ridges overlooking the canyons and some down in the canyons and reached by switchback roads and trails where you hike,  bike, or drive.  The train stops (Link)
along the way at three of the locations that are most popular with visitors: Posada Barrancas, El Divisadero, and Creel.

• El Divisadero  

El Divisadero is noted for its lodges on the edge of the canyons, with lofty views down into three canyons.   Here is where you find the new Teleferico (cable car) and zipline,
Divisadero is located about half way on the 400 miles of track between the Pacific coast and the City of Chihuahua.  El Divisadero is one of the important stops for tourists on the train line because the train stops for 15 minutes to give passenger a chance to take in the views from the overlook.  The hotels hug the edge of the cliff with views down into the canyons.  El Divisadero is 30 miles by road from Creel.  Walking tours, bike rides, and van tours to the villages (link)in the canyon are offered at El Divisadero.  Hikes to the cable car from Divisadero (3 miles round trip) are along the canyon rim.

• An El Divisadero Hotel

     The Hotel Divisadero Barrancas is located at the cliff edge with views down into the junction of three canyons, Del Cobre, (Copper Canyon) Urique Canyon, and Tararecua.  The restaurant offers views while dining, and some rooms offer balconies with a view.  The hotel offers a bar, cafe, reading room, souvenir shop, and parking for those that drive into the canyon.  The room rates start at 190 USD for a single in December and include breakfast.  The hotel is located just to the left where the train stops for the viewing area.
   Shop Hotels Chihuahua, Creel,  Divisadero, Areponapuchi

Copper Canyon weaver Cusarare

• Posadas Barrancas 

The Posadas Barrancas stop is another stop popular with tourist because of the access to hiking in the Urique Canyon.  Find lodging at the Mirador Posada Barranca, ( Posada Barancas Mirador) a hotel on the rim of the canyon offering great views.   This area is called Areponapuchic on maps.  The hotel offers in-room fireplaces, WiFi, and balconies overlooking the canyons.  The hotel can arrange hiking, horseback riding, helicopter flights, and it offers proximity to Tararecua Canyon and Tarahumara Ranch.

• Creel 

 Creel

Creel is an important rail stop away from the edge of the canyon.  Creel offers a more budget-friendly range of hotel options that include Hotel Margarita at 25-30 USD with breakfast.
Creel offers a bank and ATM machine, restaurants, bus service, and bus tours to the villages.  Creel is a popular train stop with tourists.
The village, at 7841 feet, is at the highest point in elevation along the train route.
 From Creel, you can access all the Copper Canyon villages with tours, bike routes, taxi, and bus transportation.  A good tour or bike ride from Creel is the 12-mile road to Cusarare, the small mission church of San Ignacio, cave dwellings, and the Cusarare Falls.  Check with the Three Amigos on the main street of Creel for rentals of vehicles and tours.  Check with Hotel Margarita for daily tours to mission church and the falls.

• Bus Service

From Creel, first class bus service reaches east to Cuauhtemoc and Chihuahua, a trip of 5 hours.  The train is not the only way to reach Copper Canyon but is the only direct way to  reach the canyon from the Western or Pacific Ocean side.

Copper Canyon Train, El Fuerte

• Copper Canyon Train

The Copper Canyon Train is the most popular method used by tourists to reach the canyons.  On the First class train, diesel locomotives pull passenger cars and a dining car once a day from the eastern end of the track at Chihuahua to the western end at Los Mochis.  At the same time, a train leaves from the western end at Los Mochis, headed over the 405 miles of track for the 15-hour trip to the inland city of Chihuahua on the eastern end of track.
The Ferrocarril Chihuahua al Pacifico, or Chepe, as the train is called, starts its run at 6:00 am from Los Mochis, an industrial seaport town on the Gulf of California and the Sea of Cortez.
Los Mochis also offers ferry service to La Paz on the lower Baja.

Shop Hotels Los Mochis, Mazatlan

• Train Route 

The Copper Canyon train follows Urique Canyon on its run to the villages at nearly 8000 feet elevation and then on to the City of Chihuahua on the Central Plateau.
       A second class train leaves Los Mochis as part of the first class train several days a week.  At other times, the second class train is a separate train leaving at 7 am to make the same run.  The trains also leave from Chihuahua in the same fashion.  These schedules change with changing demand but the six am starting time has remained constant.

• Continued, Copper Canyon Villages

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

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.            
                                                                                                                             Visit Us On Facebook

·        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.