How to book your trip to the Copper Canyon, Mexico

Where is the Copper Canyon?

🗺 The Copper Canyon stretches across the northwestern state of Chihuahua. Notice that in English we refer to ONE canyon but in Spanish, it’s a plural – “las Barrancas” – that’s because this is actually a group of six separate canyons all located in the Sierra Madre Occidental.

What airport should you use to visit the Copper Canyon?

✈️ There are 2 useful airports here: one in Los Mochis and one in Chihuahua. An ideal option is to book to fly into one and out of the other.

What is the Copper Canyon?

The Copper Canyon, so named for its distinctive greenish colouring, is made up of six enormous canyons covering an area four times larger than the Grand Canyon in the USA. The canyons are, in many places, also far deeper than the Grand Canyon. The canyons were formed by rivers draining off from the Sierra Tarahumara. These rivers eventually merge to become the Rio Fuerte and then empty off into the Gulf of California.

The Sierra Tarahumara, of which the Copper Canyon is a part, was so named by the Spanish in the 17th century, creating the name from the word the local population for themselves – Raramuri. The Raramuri still live in the region today, moving between the highlands and lowlands as the seasons change. 

One of the reasons that the region has not become more touristy is that not all the Raramui are keen on developing their lands. While some areas, therefore, have decent infrastructure, others remain fairly inaccessible by local choice.

How many days do you need in the Copper Canyon?

Honestly? As many or as few as you want. We spent a month exploring and while we could’ve done with a day less in a stop or two, it really gave us a chance to learn about the region and do pretty much everything we wanted.

That said, I’d say most people need about 7 to 10 days for this journey. You can certainly do it in less time, if your goal is just to experience the train ride and not explore each individual town. 

When should you visit the Copper Canyon?

My first reply to this question is, “pretty much whenever you like,” because each season has something to recommend it.

My family and I visited in the summer and experienced pleasantly cool weather up high and uncomfortably hot temperatures when we went deep into the Urique Valley. Although it was officially the rainy season we rarely had rain during the day.

My parents went at the end of November/early December and were regularly cold because they hadn’t believed me when I told them how chilly it could get.

✅  High season is when you’ll find the most moderate temperatures. This is March – April, and October – November.

☔️ Rainy season is July – September.

❌ Avoid late April – June because there can be severe water shortages in the region during these months.

How to travel through the Copper Canyon

There are several different ways to travel along Las Barrancas del Cobre, Mexico. We chose the train and were very happy with the decision!

By Train – El Chepe

🚂 The most famous method of travel through the Copper Canyon is, of course, the train, El Chepe. In fact, the famous train journey is a strong part of what attracts people to the region.

→ You can book the train directly through the website. We’ll discuss the various train options in more detail below.

By Car

🚗 You can rent a car and drive through the Copper Canyon as well, though you should note that some of the roads aren’t in the best of condition and it can be a little nerve-wracking to drive along the edge of the canyon. A car will provide more freedom to venture to other towns and partake in activities that require a bit of driving.

Organised tours

👣 I loved the freedom of planning this trip on our own but if you’re not up for the logistics of it, there are organised tours available. They typically begin in Los Mochis or Creel and will take you through the canyon route over the course of a week or so.

The best stops in the Copper Canyon

We made a point to stop and explore as many towns as possible along the route and stayed for at least a few nights in each one. 

Creel

Creel is a wonderful small town on the edge of The Copper Canyon where there are many natural wonders to explore and day trips to take

⏰ How many days do you need: 2 – 5

⭐️ Highlights: Cascadas de Cusarare, Lago de Arereko, Valle de los Hongos, Valle de las Ranas, Valle de los Monjes, Recowata Hot Springs

🏨 MexicoCassie recommended hotel: The Lodge at Creel, Eco-Spa

👣 MexicoCassie recommended tour: this full day tour of the main highlights

📖 Read the full MexicoCassie Creel article

Divisadero

Divisadero is the main stop for the Adventure Park, one of the most incredible adventure parks you can imagine. The main draw of this park is the numerous zip lines over jaw-dropping canyons. If you’re not into adrenaline then the Copper Canyon cable car is the option for you.

⏰ How many days do you need: 1 – 2

⭐️ Highlights: The Copper Canyon Adventure park with its 7 zip-lines, via ferrata, suspension bridges, and amazing cable car, astounding views all around you

🏨 MexicoCassie recommended hotel: Hotel Divisadero Barrancas

👣 MexicoCassie recommended tour: if you’re staying here then your hotel will be able to arrange transport to and from the park.

📖 Read the full MexicoCassie Divisadero article

Bahuichivo

Bahuichivo is not a stop on the radar of many tourists or travellers but if you wish to head down to into the Urique canyon then this is a good option. People generally move straight from the train station to Cerocahui or into Urique.

⏰ How many days do you need: 1 – 3

⭐️ Highlights: Miradaor de Gallego, Urique Valley, day trip or overnight in Urique

🏨 MexicoCassie recommended hotel: Hotel Paraiso del Oso

👣 MexicoCassie recommended tour: your hotel will arrange tours for you

📖 Read MexicoCassie articles about exploring around Cerocahui and Urique

​El Fuerte

El Fuerte, like Creel, is a pueblo magico, also like Creel, it is not deep inside the canyon but rather on the gentle edge of it. It’s a small town, where you’ll find good food and great hotels.

⏰ How many days do you need: 1 – 2

⭐️ Highlights: El Fuerte fortress museum, Cerro de la Mascara (one of northern Mexico’s most important historical sites)

🏨 MexicoCassie recommended hotel: Hotel Posada del Hidalgo

👣 MexicoCassie recommended tour: ask in your hotel if you feel you need a guide around this small town

📖 Read the full MexicoCassie El Fuerte article

Travelling the Copper Canyon with kids?

👧🏽 Kids under four go free on the train but you don’t get a seat for them. Children over 5 pay approximately half price.

👦🏽 Be realistic about what children can manage, both in terms of walking and enduring.

👧🏽 Buy them their own kit (day-pack, hiking shoes, water bottle, flashlight, even a knife)

👦🏽 Take games or books for the train if you’re going with small kids. Ours couldn’t manage the views for more than a few minutes at a time. By having toys for them, we could enjoy the experience at our leisure.

📖 Read the full MexicoCassie article about travelling the Copper Canyon with kids now!

What to pack for the Copper Canyon

I made a full Copper Canyon packing list that gives a full rundown of items you’ll need but please, don’t forget the following: