How long should you spend in Urique?

⏰ We spent three nights in Urique. While we definitely enjoyed ourselves, if you have less time than we did in the Copper Canyon, this could be a perfect day trip from Cerochaui. We had actually planned to spend five nights there but when we arrived the first thing the owner of the hotel said to us was, ‘I really don’t know what you think you’re going to do here for five nights. You’re welcome to stay fewer if you prefer’. She was right.

Urique is not like other parts of the Copper Canyon where they’re completely set up for tourists. Urique, in the word of our hotel owner, is ‘basically a small ranch’ and this is the way the residents like it.

⭐️ I know it’s meant to be a bit more lively around Semana Santa (Easter) when locals get together for a big celebration but the rest of year, it’s quite quiet unless the ultra-marathon is happening.

Urique: what we expected and what we got

We expected Urique to kind of be like Creel, if I’m honest. We figured we’d do some exploring, sort out a couple of tours and spend time hanging out.

What we discovered is that Urique is way smaller than Creel (Creel has a population of around 7,000 and Urique around 1,000) and deliberately not really set up for tourism. Even when the ultra-marathon runners come, they run, they eat and sleep and then leave.

This doesn’t mean we didn’t enjoy our time in Urique. We truly did. We felt incredibly welcomed by the village. Everyone was extremely kind without being intrusive. People stopped to chat, everyone said hello and our kids were extremely well-received too. I’m pretty sure we were the only foreigners in town for the three days we were there.

Is it safe to visit Urique?

🐴 Apart from a creepy horse randomly following us we always felt safe in Urique. We saw no suggestion of anything unwelcoming or scary and again just like everywhere else in the Copper Canyon, locals with whom we spoke were lamenting the bad reputation of their area.

My 2016 Lonely Planet specifically says that the local economy is marijuana-fueled though so either things have changed or it’s well enough hidden not to matter too much. We did ask in Cerochaui about the safety of Urique and were assured it was perfectly fine to visit.

How to get to Urique

The journey down to Urique is nothing short of spectacular. The road is not paved all the way, in fact, most of it remains unpaved. You drive over the highest pass on some extremely narrow roads. I spent quite a lot of time with my heart in my mouth and holding my breath trying very hard to put my trust in our unknown driver (we survived, he was fine).

It’s well worth stopping off at Mirador De Cerro De Gallego, one of the most astounding viewpoints you’ll probably ever find.

🚂 If you fancy Urique as an interesting stop along your Copper Canyon route then Chepe riders will need to alight at Bahuichivo and get either the local bus or a private car down into the valley.

🚌 The local bus meets the train and then takes around four hours to descend into the valley.

🚗 A private car will take around three hours but won’t be cheap because you’re at the mercy of anyone with transport.

🏨 Do note that if you are staying in Urique you’ll need to ask if your hotel can arrange transport if you don’t fancy the elderly public bus. Our hotel wasn’t actually planning on picking us up until I explained about my small and carsick children. It certainly isn’t a free transfer as it is in other parts of the Copper Canyon. If you’ve first stayed in Cerochaui then you’ll need to either arrange with one of your hotels to transport you there, or get someone to confirm bus times for you.

🚗 Alternatively, you can drive to Urique via Creel, keeping in mind that the last part of the road is not paved and you will need a pick-up or SUV, ideally with a manual transmission. It’s a beautiful drive but not for the faint of heart. If you go for it, make sure to avoid driving at night.

What are the best things to do in Urique?

That’s a good question! Truthfully, the list of things to do in Urique is quite small. This is not a village people visit to DO but rather just be.

Nevertheless, here are a few of the things we found to do during our three nights in Urique.

Stroll through the village

A good time to do this is either early morning or late afternoon/early evening. We went out around 3 pm on our first day and I swear I could feel my shoes melting on the road.

👧🏽 Our kids very much enjoyed being able to walk in the road. They also loved heading to the tiny plaza where, every night we were there, they played for an hour or so. They thought seeing local kids riding horses and driving quad bikes through the village was absolutely incredible.

Head to the river behind Urique

💦 People swim and wash their clothes in it. We did neither but we did enjoy crossing the two bridges, playing pooh-sticks, clambering over the rocks and walking through the sand on the far river bank. It didn’t particularly look like somewhere we would want to swim.

Walk out of town to the swimming pool

💦 This collection of three pools is about a twenty-minute walk out of the village straight along the road. There’s no sign but basically on the right-hand side before the road turns to the left you can enter the compound. I imagine if you’re there at the weekend it would be pretty busy but we went twice during the week and had all three pools to ourselves. When we visited, it cost $50 pesos per person and was open daily 11am to 8pm but I recommend checking with your hotel before making the walk.

Although the pools won’t be winning any ‘cleanest water awards’, they were clean enough and it was nice to sit around the pool having a drink and snacking (on food we took with us) whilst enjoying the magnificent views.

Where to eat in Urique

🍽 You won’t find anything that isn’t typical Mexican fare in Urique. It’s such a small place there’s no need for recommendations – you eat in the few restaurants there are!

🛍 There are a couple of small food shops along the main street where you can get basics such as pasta, rice, bananas, bread, jam and biscuits. You’ll be fine looking for snacks as long as you’re not after anything too out of the ordinary.

Other useful Urique facts

Expect slow internet. Not everywhere has internet and the places that do…well, remember you’re at the bottom of a valley in a very tiny town. Be prepared for slow, spotty internet access and you may find yourself pleasantly surprised if it’s working at a normal speed.

Be prepared for power outages. We experienced a large storm whilst in Urique. The storm itself was exciting but it knocked out the electricity in the whole village for a good 18 hours. When the electricity goes in the valley life gets hot and hard. With no aircon and no ceiling fans, everyone hits the streets in the hope of a slight breeze. Our hotel room was pretty unbearable and we had a difficult and sweaty night. Of course, power cuts are no one’s fault and are absolutely to be expected, but it still doesn’t make them easy in such a tropical place.

If you have any specific questions about Urique, Mexico, feel free to get in touch in the comments section or by email. I’ll always try to answer anything I can.