Crossing the north of Mexico and travel with the Chepe Train through the Copper Canyon. Five days of wild west. That was our plan, just before the second semester in Mexico was about to start.From Los Mochis, up to Chihuahua or vice versa, the old railway runs right through the breathtaking Barrancas del Cobre, one of the deepest canyons on earth, past marijuana fields and gold-digger sites. The ride is considered the most spectacular railway journey in the world. In between you can get off at any of the seven stations as often as you like and explore the different areas for several days. I will show you which stops are worthwhile and what you can experience on the way.
Copper Canyon
Depending on whether you start your journey in the south, in Los Mochis, or in Chihuahua in the north, you will drive the 650-kilometer route either up or down. In doing so, you will reach a total altitude of up to 2400 meters. You can get off where and when you want. It is also possible to do a part of the way by bus or not to do the whole trip from the beginning to the end. But I think it is worth it, because the train ride itself is the real attraction. We decided to start in Los Mochis and booked our return flight to Mexico City from Chihuahua. Unfortunately the cheaper second class in Los Mochis only starts every second day and that was of course not the day we wanted to start. So we allowed ourselves a day in the luxury class until our first stop in Bahuichivo.
El Chepe: the stations
We had five days for our trip, so we did not want to make more than two stops. With a mandatory one-hour photo stop at Divisadero we had three stops in the end. At the beginning we spent an additional day in Los Mochis and at the end two days in Chihuahua. For me it was the optimal time to take advantage of every stop.
1. Los Mochis
We spent the day before our first train ride in the small town of Los Mochis. One day is more than enough here as there is not much to see. I was surprised how American the north of Mexico is already in Los Mochis. The town reminded me of an ugly American small town surrounded by desert. Geographically, it is located just off the south coast of Baja California. Even in January, our travel season, it is over forty degrees in the shadow here.
At six o'clock in the morning the Chepe already leaves the train station in Los Mochis. In complete darkness. But there is not much to see on this part of the track anyway.
2. El Fuerte
The closer you get to the canyon and the famous Copper Gorge, the more the Wild West feeling increases. We did not stop in El Fuerte, but from this station on we only sat on the small balcony between the train compartments and enjoyed the view. The train drives through five climate zones, partly through pine forests, then again through a gorge, snow-covered mountains and hot small towns. Through the winding route we always saw the rear part of our steam locomotive, which meandered past rivers and through mountains.
3. Bahuichivo: By bus to Urique
Our first stop with the Copper Canyon train, we made in Bahuichivo. Firstly, because the name sounded very exotic and secondly, because we wanted to continue from there to Urique and spend the night there. From Los Mochis to Bahuichivo it took us about five hours and we reached the station around noon. If you want, you can also drive the whole 16-hour distance from Los Mochis to Chihuahua in one day.
In Bahuichivo itself there was nothing, as expected. Since the bus to Urique left four hours later, we had enough time to walk through each of the three streets of the town. It was supposed to take five hours to Urique, which none of us could explain, since the distance was not even 100 kilometers, but it was true. We went once around the canyon, extremely steeply downhill and always with two tires on the precipice. The first few times a car came towards us, I was firmly convinced that we were going to crash. But screaming would have been embarrassing. There were only Mexicans sitting in the bus who had already driven the route a hundred times and I didn't want to confirm every tourist cliché. Instead, we preferred to concentrate on the view, which was spectacular as always.
From below, arriving in Urique, the view was almost even better. We were right at the bottom of the canyon. There was only the river, a few houses and one of the most beautiful starry skies, framed in the canyon. We found only one hostel, just outside the village, where we were the only guests. The owner didn't look as if he expected anyone to ever show up here. Urique is probably not a main attraction in the travel guide. It is best known for its ultramarathons, which take place every year in January, in honour of the Tarahumaras (indigenous people in the north of Mexico) and in which up to 800 international athletes and Tarahumaras participate.
4. Divisadero / Posada Barrancas: The Copper Gorge
We had already decided before to leave again the next morning to have more time at our second stop in Creel. So we went up the canyon again and got into the train.
Divisadero is the only stop where you can get off for an hour without having an actual stop. At any other stop you will only be able to continue your journey the next day, once you are outside. But at Divisadero there is a photo stop where everyone on the train can have a look at Copper Gorge from the viewing platform. From this point you supposedly have the best view of the most beautiful part of the gorge.
For those who want to stay longer, there is a cable car across the gorge, ziplining and a kind of amusement park right at Copper Canyon. But the whole thing is very touristical and for Mexican standards completely overpriced.
5. Creel: Horse riding in the mushroom valley
The "Pueblo mágico" Creel lived up to its name. The cosy little town was completely snowed in. It was the first time I saw snow in Mexico. In wise foresight, we had booked a room with a fireplace , as we were not prepared at all for that kind of weather.
Nevertheless we did not want to miss a ride through the Valle de Hongos, the valley of mushrooms. Our hotel owner had a small stable himself and offered us rain capes for the four hour ride. Even though I couldn't feel any part of my body after a few minutes of cold, the barren landscape on horseback made up for everything.
6. Cuauhtémoc: Meeting with Mennonites
Actually the plan was to stop in Cuathémoc to visit a special kind of blond, blue-eyed people who have lived there for centuries in a kind of Amish community and speak a mix of Low German and Dutch, but it turned out better.
On the train, one of these Mennonites sat and spoke to us, because he wanted to practice his German. However, it was only later in the conversation that we realized that he came from exactly where we wanted to go. He told us his whole life story, that the Mennonites originally immigrated to America from Germany and Eastern Europe and still live in a strictly Protestant community, quite isolated from their outside world. They speak the low German of the 18th century. Unfortunately he also told us that it would not be worthwhile to go to the village on a Sunday, because everything would be closed there. But since we had already talked to one of them anyway now, we spontaneously decided to drive on directly to Chihuahua.
7. Chihuahua: Superbowl and Couchsurfing
In Chihuahua I noticed once again how little the cities in the north have in common with the rest of Mexico. But the fact that our host, where we spent the next two days surfing couch, hosted a house party for the Superbowl in the evening probably added to the impression.
Chihuahua is a great place to simply stroll through the city, shop and admire the architecture. In the city's large park you can rent pedal boats to cruise around the lake or get your strength up on the trim trail.
Useful information about the Copper Canyon adventure
Los Mochis or Chihuahua, the two end points of the Chepe Train, are easily reached by plane from Mexico City. Domestic flights, for example with the Mexican airline Volaris, are relatively cheap in Mexico and a trip usually costs around fifty euros. You can get the tickets for the train ride the day before at the respective train station and make sure, when the train leaves exactly. Trains run daily, but second class only departs from Los Mochis every two days. You can get on and off as often as you like. Remember, however, that you must wait at least 24 hours for the next train.
