Mexico's Copper Canyon is a unique natural treasure located about 400 miles from El Paso. The area is actually seven canyons with a total area larger than the Grand Canyon in the U.S. The typical way to see the canyon is on the Chihuahua Pacific Railroad, but there is a more adventurous way to go. Here is a description of a driving trip from El Paso to the Copper Canyon.

What do you do before you leave El Paso? You can get auto insurance in advance from several reputable El Paso companies including Palms Mexico Insurance, 2120 E. Paisano, 533-0062. Travel agents can also arrange bus and train tickets and hotel accomodations for the trip.

Pack as you would for a trip in the U.S. with a few additions. Most hotels we stayed in had bottled water available, but this still leaves plenty of places where, to be safe, it's best to bring your own. I recommend 1-2 gallons per person per week. Also, bringing stomach medicine such as Pepto Bismol is a good precautionary measure.

Although you can plan all of the details of your own trip to the Copper Canyon area, this is the kind of trip where an experienced travel agent is invaluable. They can tell you which hotels fit your needs, which transportation company will get you safely to the bottom of the canyon, and they can contact that hard-to-reach person in one of the small Chihuahuan villages.

Here are two recommendations:

Pan American Tours - Bryan Ruiz

Bryan and the staff at Pan American have years of experience arranging trips to the region. They were also very helpful with the small details such as arranging to have our lunch prepared for us at the most photographed lookout into Urique Canyon.

www.PanAmericanTours.com
5959 Gateway Blvd. West
Suite 240

El Paso, TX 79925
(915) 778-5395
1-800-876-3942

Palms Mexico Insurance - Martin Beltran

Palms Mexico Insurance acts as an agency for those needing auto insurance to drive anywhere in Mexico and also has experience making travel plans to Copper Canyon.

www.PalmsMexicoInsurance.com
2120 E. Paisano
El Paso, TX 79905
(915) 533-0062

You can only buy gas from stations run by the national petroleum company, PEMEX. You'll see a lot fewer stations than you would in the U.S. because of the government monopoly. Unleaded gasoline is sold under the brand name, MAGNA, and is available at most stations, but not necessarily those in the small towns. Since some small towns, such as Divisidero, don't even have gas stations, and since small town stations sometimes run out of fuel, it's best to fill your tank when the gas gauge reaches 1/2 full to avoid the possibility of running out of gas.

An additional fear of mine on the trip was getting a flat tire. I would recommend making sure your car is equipped with a full-size spare if you're going to travel away from major cities. I wouldn't want to be stuck on a mountainous gravel road with only a "doughnut" as a spare.

Juarez

There are several ports-of-entry into Juarez from El Paso.  The Bridge of the Americas (also known as the Cordova Bridge or the Free Bridge) connects central El Paso with central Juarez.  This is the most travelled route where you will see more of Juarez (and have to deal with more traffic).

On a recent trip we took the Santa Teresa, New Mexico entrance into Mexico just west of El Paso and Juarez.  It’s a much small port-of-entry so the hassles are minimized.  It does close at night however, while the crossings inside El Paso are open 24 hours a day.  Once you cross into Mexico from Santa Teresa you can bypass all of Juarez and join Mexico Highway 45 south of the city at Samalayuca.

Whichever border crossing you choose you will have one or two stops waiting for you.  You may have to stop at the crossing for a customs check if the random “red light” comes up. 

If you are travelling into the interior of Mexico you definitely need to stop at the “30 kilometer” checkpoint to obtain a visa for each person and vehicle importation permit.  The permit to drive into Mexico costs about $15 and must be charged on a credit card (presumably to prove financial wherewithal).  It is good for six months and should be turned in at a checkpoint when leaving Mexico.  The documentation needed to get your car into Mexico includes the car title (or a letter from the lienholder, if the car is being financed, that provides authorization to take the car into Mexico), the car registration, proof of Mexico auto insurance, driver’s license and a major credit card.

It’s best to take photcopies along with the originals of all of your documentation because sometimes they will want to keep a copy.  Be prepared for little nuisances, but the entire process shouldn’t take more than an hour and a half if you’ve got the required documentation.

That's all you'll need unless you're traveling farther than Ciudad Juarez. Beyond Juarez, you'll need a passport, voter's registration card or birth certificate for each U.S. citizen traveling to obtain a visa. If minor children are in your group and one or both parents are not along, you'll need notarized, written permission from the missing parent(s) for the kids to enter the country. Requirements vary for citizens of other countries.

It's best to secure automobile insurance from a company in the U.S. before entering Mexico. We recommend Palms Mexico Insurance , 2120 E. Paisano, phone 915-533-0062. After leaving the border checkpoint you may want to spend some time visiting Juarez. To continue to Chihuahua and the Copper Canyon, travel south on Highway 45 past the airport.

Bus service in Mexico is rapidly improving. There is an Aduana office at the Juarez bus station. A round trip bus ticket between El Paso and Chihuahua is about $40. Most buses are very new and clean and a bus departs about every 30 minutes each way. Buses are available from the El Paso bus terminal to the Juarez station for a nominal charge.

Chihuahua City is about 230 miles from El Paso. To reach Chihuahua City by road from El Paso, take Mexico Highway 45. The road is well marked and resembles a U.S. interstate except that there is almost no shoulder on either side of the road. Expect the trip to take about four hours. There are two toll booths along the way and the total toll each way is about $15. There are several small towns along the way where you can buy gas, drinks and food. Scenery is sparse (as in much of West Texas), but there is a large area of sand dunes known as Samalayuca and a lake, frequently dry,  called Laguna Encinillas along the way.

Chihuahua is a city of at least one million people. If you've spent much time in Juarez or any other non-beach city in Mexico, you'll probably know what to expect. Several tour companies are available to give guided tours of the city. Some of the highlights are the city hall area, the cathedral and the Pancho Villa Museum. This museum is in what used to be Villa's hacienda. After Villa died in 1923, his wife continued to live there until her death in 1981. The government then turned the property into a museum. It's well worth a stop of 1-2 hours to see the house, photos, maps, memorabilia and even the car in which Villa was riding when he was assassinated.

Cuauhtemoc is the first major town on the highway from Chihuahua City toward the Copper Canyon and the spot where the toll roads end. We saw lots of differing information, but the population appears to be between 50,000 and 100,000 people. The town has a similar look to a midwestern U.S. farming town. You'll begin to see more Tarahumara Indians here and a large group of Mennonites also live in the area. The Mennonitas arrived in the area in the 1920s from the U.S. They still run farms and related agricultural businesses around Cuauhtemoc. Most of them speak both German and Spanish, but little English.

Just west of Cuauhtemoc you'll find a road heading north toward Gomez Frias and Obregon. Go north about 20 km on this road and you'll pass several Mennonite camps before reaching Camp 6 off to the left. Take the road about one mile to the camp and you'll find a cheese factory where you can sample and purchase Mennonite cheese.

This is the village where you change roads and head toward the canyon. Take a left turn just before you reach La Junta on the road to Basaseachi and San Pedro. This is the road that will take you toward Creel. There's a PEMEX station just after the turn and it's wise to gas up there.

You'll need to make another turn in San Pedro and you'll be on the road to Creel. Between San Pedro and Creel you'll pass through San Juanito. A few years ago the government paved over the old cobblesone road through town. The pavement is already falling apart so the charm is returning to the old town.

Creel

Creel, known as the gateway to the Copper Canyon, is about a five hour drive from Chihuahua. From here, there are a few different directions you can travel depending on wether you are traveling toward the canyon floor or staying on the rim. If you're driving it may be the place you want to switch to the train to continue toward Los Mochis.

In Creel you'll find lots of places to purchase local crafts. The largest store is the Artesanias Mission, located near the train station. The prices are reasonable and the profits go to a Mission Hospital serving the Tarahumara Indians.

There are many lodging optioins in Creel ranging from inexpensively to moderately priced.

For a day trip you can visit an indian reservation containing a rock formation called Valley of the Mushrooms (because the rocks resemble mushrooms), the tiny village of San Ignacio with a 400-year-old mission and Lake Arereco. There is a gate at the entrance to the reservation where you'll be charged a nominal admission fee. Beyond that point information is limited and there are no facilities so I recommend this only if you have extra time before heading on to your next stop.

If you continue on the main road west out of Creel you'll quickly find a road to the right which leads to San Rafael and Divisadero. A few years back the road to Divisadero from Creel was paved making this section of the drive much faster and more pleasant.

Stay on the paved road west out of Creel and you're on your way to the bottom of the canyon in Batopilas. Although Batopilas is only about 80 miles from Creel part of the distance is on a dirt road that is very steep and windy. You should allow a full day to or from Batopilas from Creel .

Divisadero

This "town" was a highlight of the trip. Divisadero is a tiny settlement located on the rim of the Copper Canyon. You can reach Divisadero either by driving 30 miles of dirt road from Creel or by taking the train. The train ride is about an hour and a half from Creel and travels through nine tunnels.

From Divisadero you'll have spectacular views into the canyon. The elevation in Divisadero is 9,000 ft., and the canyon floor is five thousand feet below! Tarahumara Indians live all through the area. Women and children can be found at the train station fixing gorditas and burritos on steel drum stoves and selling handicrafts at the station and the hotels.

In the canyon are a maze of footpaths that can best be seen with a good pair of binoculars. You'll also notice clearings with small houses and sometimes barns and fenced pastures throughout the canyon.

Night brings a spectacular show. On clear evenings the number of stars that can be seen is simply amazing. Plus, if you closely study the walls of the canyon you see lights from distant Indian campfires. The lights will slowly fade away, then sudddenly become brighter presumably when another log gets thrown on the fire. We were told by a guide that these fires mark the camps of the more primitive Indians who avoid contact with civilization.

There are two hotels in the area that are both perched right on the rim of the canyon and offer fabulous views, food adn service. We had been advised to spend just one day in Divisadero because there isn't much to do. Next time I'll stay longer. For solitude, great hiking and breathtaking views, Divisadero is the place.

For us, one of the true highlights of a trip to Copper Canyon is the village of Batopilas.  Just an 80 mile drive south of Creel, Batopilas is a world away. 

The first half of the drive from Creel to Batopilas is on a two-lane paved road.  Traveling through two smaller canyons, this is just the warmup for the ride to come.  The last half of the road is on a single-lane, narrow and steep road to the bottom of Batopilas Canyon. 

We rode down on a tour bus (really just an old school bus) with a driver who really knew what he was doing.  Riders really appreciate the experience of the drivers when the time comes to pass another vehicle with just inches seperating the vehicles and inches between the outside bus and the drop to the bottom of the canyon.  At times the canyon floor is 3,000 feet lower than the road and you can see the road at the bottom.

The area is inhabited by Tarahumara indians living in small cabins and caves in the surrounding mountains.  Cows and goats can be seen in the hills along with the wreckage of cars and trucks that failed to negotiate the treacherous road.

The difficulty of the road along with most riders’ wishes to stop and see some of the vistas make the trip to Batopilas a full day’s drive from Creel.  We strongly suggest hiring transportation from Creel because expereince is important and you’ll want to enjoy the views.  When you finally reach Batopilas you’ll find yourself in a different climate and, seemingly, a different age. 

Just over 1,000 people live in the town along with many more cows, chickens, goats and horses.  With the Rio Batopilas flowing right through town and steep mountains along both sides of the river, there’s room for just one small road through most of Batopilas.  The narrow street is made of cobblestones and lined with old stores and houses.  The climate is much different than at the rim of the canyon.  At about 2,000 feet above sea level, we saw orange and banana trees among the vegetation growing in the village.

Sighseeing highlights include a five mile trip to to the small town and lost mission in Satevo, the ruins of the silver mining operation that dominated the region before the Mexican Revolution and the chance to walk deep into the mountains through old mind shafts nearly 100 years old.

There are several small hotels in town along with a few restaurants.  If Batopilas doesn’t slow down your pace, nowhere will.

Batopilas
Real de minas	(1)456-0632
Mary	(1)456-0632
Cerocahui
Mision	(68)18-70-46
Creel
Best Western Pension Creel	6-00-71
Parador de la Montana	6-00-75
Motel Cascada Inn	-6-02-53
Estacion Divisadero
Posada Barrancas Mirador	(68)18-70-46
Cabanas Divisadero Barrancas	(1)415-1199

City	Kms.	Mi.
Chihuahua	375	234
Cuauhtemoc	460	288
Creel	614	384
Divisadero	657	411

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