Copper Canyon, Photo by Catherine Krantz
They say the Copper Canyon (Barranca del Cobre) is four times the size of America’s Grand Canyon. And if you judge the size by the length of the train ride through it, I’d put it at a good 10 times larger. Barranca del Cobre consists of 20 canyons and some of the most spectacular scenery in Mexico.
Perhaps the easiest way to see the dramatic shift from Pacific Coast flatlands to jagged mountain passes to arid, interior Northern Mexico is the Ferrocarril Chihuahua al Pacifico aka The Copper Canyon Railway. The railway crosses the canyon daily from either Chihuahua heading southwest to Los Mochis or from Los Mochis heading northeast to Chihuahua. Neither of these destinations are all that exciting in themselves, but as trains both depart extremely early and arrive extremely late, a stay over in one or both towns is almost a necessity. The train ride all the way through, lasts on average 13 hours, traversing 39 bridges, through 86 tunnels along 655km of rail line. A great feat of engineering that took decades to complete, winding its way around and over some of the most intimidating obstacles Mother Nature has ever thrown at a railway designer. I say, on average 13hrs, because the day we went it took over 20hrs. They were working on the line and the train was having to go at a much slower than usual pace. For this and many more reasons, I recommend breaking the trip up in two or more segments.
Perfect for as little as a weekend or as long as a month, Barranca del Cobre has more than just breathtaking scenery. There are numerous small mountain villages en route with lodging and excursions down into the canyons, Posada Barrancas (7.5hrs from Los Mochis), Divisadero (8hrs from Mochis – where the train makes its only lengthy stop, for 15 min, so passengers can race across the market stall dotted plateau for the truly amazing and fear of heights inspiring view of the Canyon stretching off for miles) and Creel (10hrs out of Los Mochis) are the main stops. Although all small villages, they all offer a range of lodging and a wide array of day trips. Day trips could include: Hiking or camping trips down into the canyon, bus trips to the surrounding villages, a visit to the Misión de Cerocahui Church in Cerocahui, founded in 1690 or guided tours by Tarahumara Indians. The Tarahumara, long time canyon residents, are famed for their great speed at long distance running across the rough canyon terrain.
Best times of the year to go are autumn or early spring when it is still very cool in the canyons. Summer makes it hotter on the train and with the summer rains there is always the risk of flash flooding down in the canyons. There are first class and second class trains, I recommend first class (about $40 US) unless you are planning on getting off along the way at towns the first class train doesn’t stop in. Second class leaves later, takes at least 3 hrs longer, has many more stops, is usually much more crowded, doesn’t have A/C and gets into the final destinations after dark, missing out on some great scenery. On the plus side, 2nd class is full to brimming with food and drink venders. We read in the guide book that 1st class had food service and thus brought only one coke and a small bottle of water. 21hrs later with nothing to eat or drink but one coke and a bean burrito purchased from a young boy through the open window at the one stop longer than 2 minutes…we were delirious, miserable and about to eat the straw hat I had bought as a gift for my Dad. Bring food, no matter what they tell you, and a camera!
A spectacular piece of Mexico, a natural wonder and a journey well worth taking.
-March 2000
