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.

Bus Travel Mexico, Border Crossing, Douglas AZ, Agua Prieta

Agua Prieta/Douglas Arizona

     After the Douglas Shuttle from Tucson and the border crossing by foot, taxi to the bus station, and ticket purchase,  we pulled out of the Central de Autobus de Agua Prieta at 11:50, headed for Chihuahua.
We were soon on a straight, black road through the middle of a flat grassland with mountains in the distance. The road runs parallel to the US border for a long distance, then heads south over low mountains before entering another plain on its way to Chihuahua.
At Janos, we joined Caretera Federal 10 (Highway 10) which comes southwest from Juarez/El Paso, 90 miles south of White Sands NM.
      At 2:00 PM, we stopped at an Estrella Blanca station. ( Chihuahuenses is a division of Estrella Blanca) The driver made no announcement as he went in to have dinner. This is a twenty to thirty minute stop, I knew from previous trips.     

     Unfortunately the drivers rarely announce stops except on the ADO buses that run south of Mexico City. It is best to ask them how long a stop will be. Usually the stops are five minutes, (cinco minutos) and it will not do to leave the bus. It is best to get out and stretch the legs whenever possible, however; just stick close to the bus.
     Use the bathroom on board the bus.  It will usually be cleaner than what you will find in the station and you don't risk getting left behind. The driver might take a "headcount" but not with any list. Passengers do get left behind, including me on a trip to Catemaco when The driver said cinco minutos (5) and I thought he said quince. (15)

The bus route south from Agua Prieta runs through mountain and flat grasslands north of Chihuahua

     Lucky for me, on that occasion, it was the next to last stop and I quickly caught a local bus to Catemaco in time to reach the station just as my driver wolfed down his first bite of dinner. His jaw dropped when he saw me and I wondered if he pulled out of that station knowing that I was not on board.

     At 3:10 we reached Nuevo Casas Grandes for a ten minute stop. Outside of Nuevo Casas Grandes ($70 peso cab ride) there is a great ruin called Casa Grande or Paquime. This is a non-Mesoamerican site. (Mesoamerica's northern boundary is the Tropic of Cancer)   Casas Grandes more closely resembling a Southwest US Pueblo site. The ruin site has a great museum.

     Turquoise flowed through Paquime on its way south from Arizona and New Mexico to Teotihuacan and all the way south to Palenque and the Yucatan Maya.

From Casas Grandes we continued southeast on 15 and then joined Highway 45.  We then turned due south with a bead on Chihuahua., a place where you can book a train ride or bus ticket to the Copper Canyon. 

     These are great roads, as flat and straight as can be and we averaged about 50 miles an hour.  If you are figuring time between stops, the 50 MPH holds up in most cases, except in the steep mountains.

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