More On The Riverside Lodge

The Riverside Lodge in Batopilas is an 18th century restored hacienda. Batopilas, once a major supplier of silver worldwide during the late 19th century, was an opulent silver mining town. The shady courtyards invite relaxation after a day out on the trails. Guests can also relax and visit with friends in the elegantly appointed salon, filled with Victorian-inspired furnishings; crystal chandelier, hand painted wall stencils; gorgeous paintings and a huge ceiling mural are all reminiscent of a bygone Victorian era. Guest rooms are furnished with antique beds and claw foot tubs, and Moorish style windows look out into the cobbled street. Outside, senoras sweep the street in front of their houses each morning, burro trains arrive for supplies at Miguel’s store and children play marbles in the plaza. The Copper Canyon Riverside Lodge is an intimate part of village life.

Outsiders are relatively few here in the untouristed floor of the Copper Canyon. Both travelers and residents find each other mutually interesting. A tiny stairway leads to a hidden roof terrace. There, is a 360-degree view of three intersecting canyons. Deciding what to do the next day is as simple as selecting a canyon… will it be ruins, mines, or hiking in spectacular scenery. The part time guides include a former mayor, cattleman, muleskinner, storekeeper, and a cantina manager whose stories and insights are very real. According to local legend, a gypsy won a worthless mine in a card game. Working the mine, he discovered the famous “la Nevada” a solid inch thick silver vein. He purchased noble title and became “El Conde Bustamante”. He built the church, and across from it, his first home which is the oldest part of the Copper Canyon Riverside Lodge. Guests stay in his bedroom. Ninety-two townsmen worked from 1989 to 1992 without electric tools to restore the hacienda. They casually state it is haunted.