COPPER CANYON LODGES

Towns to Visit

Travel - Getting to the Copper Canyon

TOWNS AND CITIES OF THE COPPER CANYON AREA

Los Mochis: Los Mochis is on the coast of the Sea of Cortez in Sinaloa, Mexico. This important transportation hub is the western terminus of the Copper Canyon Railroad, the airport is nearby and the Port of Topolobampo Copper Canyon map provides ferry service across the Sea of Cortez. Los Mochis is also an agricultural center producing sugar cane, cotton, rice, flowers and mangos. For more information about Los Mochis - Visit Wikipedia

Things to do in and around Los Mochis: City tour and visit to Bahia Topolobampo for $35 / person (min. 4)

El Fuerte: El Fuerte is a small colonial town and a convenient point to access the Copper Canyon Railway. It is fun to explore on foot and there is a calm water river to investigate by raft or kayak. The town was founded in 1564 by aSpanish conquistador named Don Francisco de Ibarra and its name was changed to El Fuerte in 1610 when the fort was built. El Fuerte was an historical center for the silver mining industry in the region. For more information about El Fuerte - Visit Wikipedia

Things to do in and around El Fuerte: town and river tours, bike and kayak rentals available

Guided Raft trip (2 hours): $41 / person (min. 2)

Tour of El Fuerte: $15 / person (min. 2)

Guided half day kayak tour on calm water; No experience required - $46/ person (min. 2)
Guided full day kayak tour with rapids: Experience required - $70/ person (min 2)

Cerocahui: The pueblo of Cerocahui is located in a pristine region bordering the Copper Canyon. Although frequently overlooked by fast-moving tourists, Cerocahui offers a chance to step back in time and experience the true Copper Canyon. Rustic accommodations, horse back riding, dramatic mountains and over 200 species of birds await your visit.

Things to do in and around Cerocahui : Vehicle, horseback riding and hiking tours available on the canyon rim and down to Urique, the bottom of the canyon.

Tour to Cerro Gallegos (canyon rim): $31/person (min. 2) add $10/p to include hike back to hotel.

Tour to Urique (bottom of canyon): $71/person (min. 2)

Divisadero: The 15 minute stop in Divisadero is the best place along your rail trip get off the train, stretch and enjoy an unforgettable view of the Copper Canyon right from the rim. For overnight lodging we recommend Barrancas which is adjacent to Divisadero and has a wonderful lodge right on the rim of the canyon.

Things to do in and around Divisadero: Tour to Creel/Arareko/Valleys/Misions (7 hrs) $165 / pers (min. 2). You can also hike along the canyon rim on your own.

Creel: Creel is an “old west-style” Mexican logging town with enough creature comforts to let you enjoy its rustic charm. Whether you arrive by car, bus or train, Creel is a great place to enjoy the pine-scented air on day hikes, bike rides or a driving tour to nearby lakes, waterfalls, Tarahumara cave dwellings and hot springs. From Creel, you can Batopilas Canyon access Batopillas in the inner Copper Canyon.

Things to do in and around Creel: Tours to all valleys, Cusarare Mision, Lake Arareko, Basaseachi falls (3.5 hrs each direction), etc.

Batopilas: Batopolias is a semi-tropical gem in the heart of the Copper Canyon, and it is well worth a few day’s visit. In 1632 Spanish soldiers found native silver near the bank of the Batopilas river, and at one time there were over 300 mining claims. With all that wealth, Batopilas became the second city in Mexico to have electric power and the first to have telephones.

Things to do in and around Batopilas: Guests can explore on their own if they don’t wish to take a ‘tour’. It’s possible to take a short hike across the river to visit the Shepard mansion ruins, or a longer hike to some of the misions in the area, including Mision Satevo – the ‘Lost Cathedral’. There are also many other places to explore – just ask!

Chihuahua: Chihuahua, the capitol of the Mexican state of Chihuahua, is the perfect city to begin or end your Copper Canyon tour. This historical city has a number of interesting museums and cultural sites and a wide range of hotels and restaurants. There is an airport, bus station and rail station take care of your transportation needs. For more information about Chihuahua - Visit Wikipedia

We are the booking agents for some of the loveliest lodges in the Copper Canyon. We can assist you with all of your travel plans including train reservations to the Copper Canyon, local transportation once you have arrived in the area and truck rentals in the Copper Canyon.

800-648-8488

TRAVEL INFORMATION - GETTING TO THE COPPER CANYON
Visitors from the U.S. need a valid passport to enter Mexico.

Getting to Los Mochis:

By Plane - Aeromexico/Aerolitoral (800-237-6639) and Mexicana Airlines (800-531-7921) have service from many US cities to Los Mochis. Check out the following websites for other carriers and airfare: http://www.kayak.com or http://www.orbitz.com. The Los Mochis airport is 21km (13 miles) north of town; transportation is by combi (collective minivan) or airport taxi (around $25). We can make hotel reservations for you in either Los Mochis or El Fuerte and we can make train reservations for you the following day to the Copper Canyon.

Bus Service: Tufesa offers bus service from Phoenix, Tucson and Los Angeles to Los Mochis. The ride from Tucson to Los Mochis is 12 hours and costs around $60/each way.

Getting to Chihuahua City:

By Plane - Continental Airlines (tel. 800-525-0280) has nonstop service to and from Houston on a 50-seat jet. Aeromexico/Aerolitoral (tel. 800-237-6639) flies direct from El Paso, Phoenix, Guadalajara, Hermosillo, Mexico City, Monterrey, Torreón, Tijuana, Culiacán, La Paz, and Los Mochis, with connecting flights from Los Angeles and San Antonio. We can make hotel reservations for you in Chihuahuah and we can make train reservations for you the following day to the Copper Canyon.

Getting to Creel by Bus or Van Service

Van Service: There is a van shuttle service from El Paso, Texas to Creel. Drive time is about 7 hours around is $700 / one way for up to 10 people. You can arrange to be picked up at the airport or a hotel in El Paso.

Bus Service: For travel to Creel, look for the Estrella Blanca or Noroeste buses at the Chihuahua bus terminal. Buses leave for Creel every 2 hours from 6am to 6pm. Direct buses make the trip in 4 hours and cost around $20. It is possible to make connections in one day departing El Paso in the morning and arriving in Creel in the late afternoon.

Truck Rentals in Creel

2005-2007 Nissan crew cab, standard transmission trucks can be rented for $130 / 24 hour day, picnic lunch included. The truck is available in Creel and will give you the flexibility to explore the canyon at your leisure. Advance reservations are crucial.

Driving to the Copper Canyon

Folks who are accustomed to driving in Mexico, be sure to check with US State Department for their recommendations. It’s a full day’s drive (8 - 10 hours) from Arizona and Texas borders. We can give you driving directions from Creel to the Sierra Lodge (all paved roads). The road going down to Batopilas is a gravel and dirt road that 2 wheel drive vehicles with good clearance can handle when the road conditions are dry.

Important Information about crossing the border into Mexico with your car:

1. Documents: Bring with you the original and one photocopy of each of the following documents: passport, completed Mexican tourist card, vehicle registration certificate or other document that certifies the legal owner of the vehicle - this document must be in the name of the person who will be driving the vehicle into Mexico, leasing contract, if the vehicle is leased or rented, in the name of the person who will be driving the vehicle into Mexico, valid drivers license, issued outside Mexico.
2. International Credit Card: Also bring with you an international credit, such as Visa or Mastercard, issued in the name of the vehicle owner. If you do not have an international credit card, you will be required to post a bond or make a large cash deposit, as described below.
3. Temporary Vehicle Importation Permit & Fee: At the border entry point, present the originals and photocopies of these documents to Customs to process the temporary vehicle import permit. The original of this permit will be given to you once processed. Your international credit card will be charged an amount of about US$15 as a fee for the processing of the import permit. If you do not have such a credit card, you will have to post a bond or make a cash deposit in an amount equal to the estimated value of your vehicle. Most of your deposit will be returned to you when you leave Mexico with the vehicle. The temporary vehicle import permit is valid for a period of up to six months. The vehicle to which the permit relates may be driven across the border multiple times during this authorized period.
4. Departing Mexico: Upon your departure from Mexico, the temporary vehicle import permit must be surrendered to Customs for cancellation - unless the vehicle is going to be driven back into Mexico and the authorized time period of the permit has not yet expired.
5. Other Considerations: (a) When driving in Mexico make sure that you always carry the import permit with you.
(b) If your vehicle is found in Mexico beyond the authorized time period in the permit, or without the appropriate documents, it may be confiscated. (c) The sale or commercial use of the vehicle while in Mexico may also result in its seizure and confiscation. (d) The temporarily imported vehicle may be driven in Mexico by the owner and by his spouse or adult children, provided that they all have valid drivers licenses. Other persons are prohibited from driving the vehicle unless the owner is a passenger in the vehicle at the time. (e) Your automobile insurance is unlikely to be valid once you cross the border into Mexico. Mexican automobile insurance covering the duration of your intended stay in Mexico can be easily purchased in border towns on the U.S. side of the border.
6. Additional Information: For additional information, or to ensure that the relevant requirements have not changed, individuals traveling to Mexico by vehicle should, before commencing their trip, contact the Mexican Consulate nearest their home.

COPPER CANYON TRAIN INFORMATION

In 1872 Albert K. Owen, an American engineer, was asked to find a rail route from the American midwest to the Pacific coast. With the financial support of people like Porfirio Diaz, Enrique Creel, and Ulysses S. Grant, the project was started in 1898. By 1907 the construction reached from Ojinaga, across the border from Presidio, TX, to what is now the town of Creel. The construction was stopped by the Mexican revolution in 1912. It was not until World War II that the government took on this major task. Fifty-four years later, and only after the Mexican Government became involved, the train reached its goal.

It took twenty years and all the contemporary engineering knowledge available to complete the last 120 miles with a more than 7,000 foot elevation drop from the high Sierra Tarahumara to El Fuerte, Sinaloa. The train route features 37 bridges and 86 tunnels and is one of the 20th Century’s most noted railroad engineering marvels, the Chihuahua al Pacifico. Some engineering highlights are a bridge that carries the train from the mouth of a long tunnel over the La Laja Canyon, 200 feet above the bottom or the switchbacks near Temoris, where the train follows a 180 degree turn while in a tunnel. Also of note is the Lazo, a 360 degree turn using bridges and tunnels where you actually cross over part of the tracks you arrived on.

The railroad is now owned by the investment group Grupo Mexicano under the name FerroMex (Ferrocarriles Mexicano). The railroad is still a favorite of tourists and area residents alike, as a means of travel through the Sierra Tarahumara. Copper Canyon train

CHIHUAHUA - LOS MOCHIS	SCHEDULE	LOS MOCHIS - CHIHUAHUA	SCHEDULE
CHIHUAHUA	6:00	LOS MOCHIS	6:00
CUAUHTEMOC	8:15	EL FUERTE	8:30
SAN JUANITO	10:38	TEMORIS	11:26
CREEL	11:15	BAHUICHIVO	12:27
PITORREAL	12:06	CUITECO	12:39
DIVISADERO	12:34	SAN RAFAEL	13:20
P.BARRANCAS	13:00	P.BARRANCAS	13:40
SAN RAFAEL	13:18	DIVISADERO	13:45
CUITECO	14:05	PITORREAL	14:31
BAHUICHIVO	14:17	CREEL	15:24
TEMORIS	15:15	SAN JUANITO	16:01
EL FUERTE	18:10	CUAUHTEMOC	18:23
LOS MOCHIS	20:50	CHIHUAHUA	20:45

Call us for train reservations, availability and prices: 800-648-8488

Nichols Expeditions

www.coppercanyonlodges.com * 800-648-8488 * info@coppercanyonlodges.com