Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

Mexico's Awe-Inspiring Copper Canyon

Sierra Madres range, prior to ascent
Sierra Madres range, prior to ascent

The Copper Canyon region is 25,000 square miles across almost one-third of the state of Chihuahua in northern Mexico. The Chihuahua al Pacifico train route from Los Mochis passes through the farmland of Sinaloa and ascends into the Sierra Madres. The entire trip is 397 miles and can take as long as 20 hours. (It’s about three hours less on the first-class train.)

Many travelers rate this trip as one of the most spectacular train trips in the world. The region is a maze of over 200 gorges, which form six massive canyons (called barrancas in Spanish).

Sponsored
Sponsored

It’s quoted that the Copper Canyon is four times larger than the Grand Canyon. The Grand Canyon is stark and beautiful, while the Copper Canyon is lush with vegetation.

The railroad crosses 36 bridges, the longest being the bridge over the Rio Fuerte, with a length of 1,837 feet, followed by the Chinipas Bridge at 1,000 feet.

It also traverses a total of 87 tunnels. One of the most incredible is at Temoris, a small settlement 3,365 feet above sea level. This engineering work of art is called La Pera because of its shape – somewhat like a bulbous pear. The track makes a 180-degree inclined turn within the bowels of the mountain. The curve and change of altitude are barely perceptible, and only when the passenger emerges does he realize he's just been completely turned around.

I recommend that you obtain a seat on the southern side of the train, which has the most continuous view of the rivers and canyons. If you're a camera buff, you'll probably end up standing a good portion of the trip on the platforms between cars.

Perched at the canyon’s edge, the Posada Mirador Hotel is unique in architecture and décor, and each of its 48 rooms and suites has a private terrace where you can enjoy a bird watcher’s paradise and one of the most gorgeous views of the canyon. The hotel reflects the Tarahumara Indian influence and culture of the state of Chihuahua.

First-class and second-class train service is available daily through the Copper Canyon. Each train leaves Chihuahua and Los Mochis at around 6-7 a.m., arriving at the end of each route between 8 and 11 p.m.

Tickets can be purchased through a travel agent or aboard the train. First-class service costs about double that of second-class; however, first-class arrival and departure times are more dependable.

The latest copy of the Reader

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

The Art Of Dr. Seuss, Boarded: A New Pirate Adventure, Wild Horses Festival

Events December 26-December 30, 2024
Sierra Madres range, prior to ascent
Sierra Madres range, prior to ascent

The Copper Canyon region is 25,000 square miles across almost one-third of the state of Chihuahua in northern Mexico. The Chihuahua al Pacifico train route from Los Mochis passes through the farmland of Sinaloa and ascends into the Sierra Madres. The entire trip is 397 miles and can take as long as 20 hours. (It’s about three hours less on the first-class train.)

Many travelers rate this trip as one of the most spectacular train trips in the world. The region is a maze of over 200 gorges, which form six massive canyons (called barrancas in Spanish).

Sponsored
Sponsored

It’s quoted that the Copper Canyon is four times larger than the Grand Canyon. The Grand Canyon is stark and beautiful, while the Copper Canyon is lush with vegetation.

The railroad crosses 36 bridges, the longest being the bridge over the Rio Fuerte, with a length of 1,837 feet, followed by the Chinipas Bridge at 1,000 feet.

It also traverses a total of 87 tunnels. One of the most incredible is at Temoris, a small settlement 3,365 feet above sea level. This engineering work of art is called La Pera because of its shape – somewhat like a bulbous pear. The track makes a 180-degree inclined turn within the bowels of the mountain. The curve and change of altitude are barely perceptible, and only when the passenger emerges does he realize he's just been completely turned around.

I recommend that you obtain a seat on the southern side of the train, which has the most continuous view of the rivers and canyons. If you're a camera buff, you'll probably end up standing a good portion of the trip on the platforms between cars.

Perched at the canyon’s edge, the Posada Mirador Hotel is unique in architecture and décor, and each of its 48 rooms and suites has a private terrace where you can enjoy a bird watcher’s paradise and one of the most gorgeous views of the canyon. The hotel reflects the Tarahumara Indian influence and culture of the state of Chihuahua.

First-class and second-class train service is available daily through the Copper Canyon. Each train leaves Chihuahua and Los Mochis at around 6-7 a.m., arriving at the end of each route between 8 and 11 p.m.

Tickets can be purchased through a travel agent or aboard the train. First-class service costs about double that of second-class; however, first-class arrival and departure times are more dependable.

Comments
Sponsored

The latest copy of the Reader

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Roberto's Taco Shop celebrated 60 years in San Diego

Or is it really a Las Vegas taco shop chain with San Diego roots?
Next Article

Memories of bonfires amid the pits off Palm

Before it was Ocean View Hills, it was party central
Comments
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

This Week’s Reader This Week’s Reader