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The Copper Canyon, or Barranca del Cobre as it is known in Mexico, is a set of canyons found in the Sierra Madre mountains, many of them are even deeper than the Grand Canyon in Arizona, USA. The Copper Canyon covers a total area of about 100 000 square miles and is situated in the northern parts of Mexico, with most it being in the state of Chihuahua.
The best way to see the Copper Canyon is with the Chihuahua al Pacifico Railway system, or El Chepe for short. The El Chepe train system runs two trains per day, one for each direction, east to west and west to east. These trains make regular stops along the way for passengers to get on and off. The climatic conditions found around the Copper Canyon is pretty average all year long. The top parts of the Canyon is usually cold and even covered by snow during the winter months while at the bottom of the Canyon it gets pretty hot and humid. The valleys around Copper Canyon is very fertile and when traveling through the Copper Canyon by train, people can see a wide variety of beautiful flowers as well as fruits growing freely. As you travel through here, you might also see the Raramuri people. The Rarumari tribe are the largest native American tribe still in existence today in North America and they are native to the Sierra Madre region. This tribe lives in the caves of the Copper Canyon and the Tarahumara women from the Raramuri tribe can also be found here dressed up in their very colorful attire as they try and sell you their cultural souvenirs such as blankets, baskets and carved wooden figurines.
The El Chepe train runs a distance over well over 400 miles, starting from Chihuahua City in the north east of Mexico to the Mexican town Los Mochis which is on the western Pacific coastline.
The landscapes you will see when traveling through the Copper Canyon will include many breathtaking things which can include a variety of spectacular scenery such as rivers as well as various lakes, almost 40 different bridges, a small segment of the Pacific coastline, about 90 different tunnels, right past large sections of the profound steep and somewhat terrifying drops of the Copper Canyon and a number of modern as well as old Mexican cities and towns. These are all truly astonishing to witness firsthand and will guarantee to be an unforgettable experience that you will enjoy and remember for years to come.
The Balancing Rock: The balancing rock, or Peña del Gigante as it is known by the Mexican people, is the actual tallest rock face found in Mexico. This vertical rock which is located in Copper Canyon stands at a height of 900m and it has a river that flows right past it’s base, the Candameña river. This rock face is also very popular for rock climbing and people from all over the world come here to climb it.
The Basaseachic Waterfalls: This waterfall has a drop of just over 800 feet which makes it the second tallest waterfall found in Mexico and can be found in the Basaseachi National Park at Candameña Canyon. This waterfall is a very popular tourist destination so expect it to get pretty busy. Fortunately though, the El Chepe train makes regular stops here as it passes through this region of the Copper Canyon.
The Valley of the Mushrooms: The valley of the mushrooms, or Valle de Ongos as it is called in Mexico, is found in the Mexican town of Creel. The valley got it’s name because of the really massive rock formations found in this area that looks exactly like mushrooms.
The Recowata Hot Springs: Just over 20km from the valley of the mushrooms in Creel you will find the Recowata Hot Springs. It can be reached by vehicle, bicycle, on foot or even by donkey. The water from the actual spring reaches a very very hot temperature in excess of 120 degrees celcius, however it cools down as it runs down into the nearby river.
Chihuahua City: Chihuahua City is a very big city found close to the Copper Canyon. It also happens to be the most important city in the Northern regions of Mexico due to the rich history and important historical Mexican events that took place in this city. The main attractions of Chihuahua is the Museum of the Revolution and a very large Cathedral that took over an astonishing 100 years to build.
Creel: Positioned at a height of around 7000 feet above sea level. Creel can be described as a little lumber village based in the Sierras mountain range in close proximity to Copper Canyon. The town of Creel was once the starting point where the El Chepe train left from but is now the halfway stopping point where people traveling through the Copper Canyon can stop and explore the numerous native Indian communities found in and all around Creel. Tourists can visit many Tarahumara caverns in this area and even a few very gorgeous lakes, rapids, woodlands as well as unusual desert rock structures.
Cerocahui: A smaller and tranquil agricultural community which has somewhere around 600 locals. Cerocahui can be found at a height of close to 5000 feet above the actual sea level. The valleys around this region has many peach orchards and a few apple orchards scattered around and is also enclosed by the Sierra mountain range. This town mainly consists of narrow little dirt roads, some of which leads to the very bottom of the Copper Canyon..
Cuahtemoc: One of the more modern day and sophisticated Mexican cities found in the Copper Canyon region. The city of Cuauhtemoc is situated on the way to the other Mexican city of Chihuahua. This city has been named after the famous Aztec chief. The local people of Cuauhtemoc are mainly Mennonites that arrived in this region right after the actual Mexican Revolution and settled on the farm lands. The Mennonites people still maintain their exact same way of life as they have for hundreds of years. They’re really productive farmers and also promote and sell their particular crops all through Mexico together with their renowned dairy products.
When traveling on the El Chepe train I would highly suggest that travelers try and find a seat somewhere on the southern parts of the El Chepe train, as sitting here will provide people with the most uninterrupted scenery of all the wonderful sights that the Copper Canyon has to offer.