March 12, 2007

We hadn't heard of the Cooper Canyon (Barranca del Cobre) until about three weeks ago, but the travel guides say that it is far larger than the Grand Canyon, and more spectacular.

So, on the recommendation of more seasoned Canadian travelers we had met a few weeks earlier, we decided to fit the four-day, round-trip excursion into our exacting schedule.

Getting to the Copper Canyon first involved driving about 90 minutes northeast from Topolabampo to the small town of El Fuerte.

After spending the night in El Fuerte at the Hotel Bugambrillias camspite, we left the van and caught the 10 am "Chepe" (Chihuahua al Pacifico) train that would take us through the Copper Canyon, and up to Creel, (farther northeast still) in the state of Chihuahua. (Another 175 kilometers to the northeast is the capital city of Chihuahua).

It took about seven hours to reach Creel , as the train snaked through 86 tunnels and various other engineering feats.

The train stopped briefly at El Divisadero along the way so that we could purchase lunch from the hard-working street vendors and admire the expansive view of the canyon from the lounge at the upscale Hotel Divisadero Barrancas.

Creel is a smallish logging town at an elevation of about 7,550 ft and while the days were warm with bright sun and blue sky the nights were crisp, to cold.

We stayed there for two nights at Casa Maragritas, a comfortable hotel with a 1970s feel that served breakfast and dinner inclusive with the room price, before catching a bus to El Divasadero and then the train back to El Fuerte.

Key Facts & Figures:

-Hotel Bugambillias campsite: $10/night
-Chepe train tickets (round-trip): $55/person
-Casa Maragritas hotel: $35/night
-Bus from Creel to El Divasadero: 1 hour