Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The Spectacular Copper Canyon Train Ride
This is the only scenic rail route still operating for passengers in
Mexico, but it's one of the truly great ones—and I mean in all the
world. The real attraction of this rail journey is, of course, the
terrain it traverses. As the train heads southwest from Chihua-
hua en route to the Pacific, there are fields and farms. They soon
give way to pine forests; then for miles and miles, the train winds
through gorges, hugs canyon walls, burrows into mountains, and
crosses rivers (meandering or rushing, according to the time of
year).
The locals call this route El Chepe, an affectionate abbre-
viation for the name of the Chihuahua al Pacifico Railroad that
connects Chihuahua and Los Mochis. It's referred to as the Cop-
per Canyon route, but it actually runs through a series of inter-
locking gorges, of which the Copper Canyon, or Las Barrancas
del Cobre, is but one. Together, though, they offer an incredible
experience. These canyons are more than four times larger and,
in several areas, a full mile deeper than the Grand Canyon in
Arizona.
You can take this trip pretty much year-round, but the best
time is in the fall, with October being the prime month. The
weather should be sunny but not too hot. Because it's just after
the rainy season, you should see some spectacular waterfalls. The
foliage will be at its best too.
El Primero
This first-class train runs daily in both directions. The westbound
train leaves Los Mochis at 6:00 A.M. and arrives in Chihuahua
just before 9:00 P.M. The train running east to west departs Chi-
huahua and arrives in Los Mochis at those same times.
If it's most convenient for you to take the westbound train,
you can fly direct to Chihuahua or get there by bus, which is a
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