Copper Canyon Mexico

Copper Canyon: Bigger Than the Grand Canyon

The Barrancas del Cobre system in Chihuahua state covers around 65,000 square kilometres. It comprises six interconnected canyons, four of which are deeper than the Grand Canyon. The Grand Canyon is deeper at its maximum; the Copper Canyon system covers about four times the area. The comparison is usually made in favour of the Grand Canyon because the Copper Canyon is harder to reach and has fewer visitors, which is an argument for going there rather than against it.

The canyon walls are streaked with green and copper-coloured minerals after rainfall, which is the origin of the name. The Rarámuri (Tarahumara) people have lived in the canyon system for centuries and an estimated 100,000 still do, some in cave dwellings on the cliff faces.

The Train

The Chihuahua al Pacifico (ChePe) railway runs 650 kilometres from Chihuahua city on the eastern plains to Los Mochis on the Pacific coast. The route crosses 37 bridges and passes through 86 tunnels, climbing from sea level to 2,400 metres. The full journey takes around fifteen hours.

Most visitors do not ride it in one stretch. The standard approach: board at Chihuahua or Los Mochis, stop overnight at Creel or Divisadero, and continue or return. Two classes operate: Primera Express (air-conditioned, reserved seats, three times weekly each direction) and Chepe Regional (slower, more stops, cheaper, daily). Primera Express tickets must be booked in advance through the Ferromex website; Regional tickets are available at stations. One-way Primera from Chihuahua to Creel costs around MXN 700.

October is peak season; book ahead.

Creel

The main tourist hub at 2,338 metres altitude, cold at night year-round. The town itself is unremarkable but functional as a base. Jeep and horse tours into the canyon, visits to Rarámuri communities, and access to Cusárare waterfall (22 kilometres south) and the Valle de los Hongos (Valley of the Mushrooms) with its eroded volcanic formations are all reachable from Creel.

The canyon descent from Creel into Urique takes four hours by road: a switchback dirt road descending 1,500 metres to the canyon floor. Urique at the bottom has warm climate, mango trees, and a completely different world from the pine-forested rim. Worth doing if you have two days in the area.

Divisadero

The Primera Express stops at Divisadero for approximately fifteen minutes, which is enough time to walk to the canyon rim and look into a 1,900-metre drop. If fifteen minutes feels inadequate, it does. Staying overnight at one of the rim hotels gives you the canyon at dawn and dusk, which is when the light is right and the tourists are absent.

Hotel Mansion Tarahumara at Divisadero has the best canyon-edge position, rooms from around MXN 1,800 per night. The zip-line on the property runs 2.5 kilometres above the canyon.

The Rarámuri

The Rarámuri are known internationally for distance running: their tradition of long-distance races while kicking a wooden ball was documented in Christopher McDougall’s Born to Run. The culture maintains substantial autonomy from the Mexican state.

If you visit a Rarámuri village, do so through a community-run tour rather than independently. Purchasing craft items (woven baskets, wooden figures) directly from community sellers is the most direct economic benefit you can provide. Photography requires permission and is often declined; respect this.

The relationship between the Rarámuri and the tourist economy is complicated by the cartel activity that affects parts of Chihuahua state. Ask specifically about current safety conditions before travelling to remote canyon areas. The main tourist routes (Creel, Divisadero, the train itself) have been consistently safe for foreign visitors in recent years, but conditions change.

Where to Eat

Rarámuri cooking is corn-based. Gorditas (stuffed thick corn cakes) and atole (corn gruel, served sweet or savoury) are the staples. In Creel, Restaurant Lupita near the town centre does reliable set lunch (comida corrida) for around MXN 80. Bacanora, the local agave spirit, is available at local shops.

When to Go

October and November: post-rainy season greenery, cooling temperatures, peak wildflower blooms. March and April: dry and pleasant. Summer is rainy season; waterfalls impressive, some trails impassable. Winter is cold at elevation with below-freezing nights in Creel.

Chihuahua city has an international airport with flights from Mexico City and several US cities. It is the more interesting city to spend a day in before boarding the train westward.