The Copper Canyon Railway

The Chihuahua al Pacífico took most of the twentieth century to build and climbs from sea level at Los Mochis to around two and a half thousand metres in the Sierra Madre, crossing thirty-seven bridges and passing through eighty-six tunnels, at one point looping over itself to gain height. It runs along the rim of the Copper Canyon system, a set of gorges deeper and collectively larger than the Grand Canyon, and the ride is the point: fourteen hours end to end, or better, broken over several days with stops at Divisadero for the viewpoints and cable car, at Creel for the Rarámuri villages and rock formations, and at Bahuichivo for the descent to Batopilas. The Rarámuri, known for long-distance running, live throughout the canyons.

What you actually see

• The rail journey - bridges, tunnels and the loop where the line crosses itself.
• Divisadero - the canyon viewpoints and the cable car over the gorge.
• Creel - the highland town, rock formations and Rarámuri communities.
• Batopilas - the old silver town at the bottom of a canyon road.

When to go

October to April is the dry season with clear views; summer brings rain and haze. The first-class train runs on a fixed schedule several days a week and books out, so reserve ahead. Winter nights in the sierra are genuinely cold and snow falls at Creel.

Honest expectations

Breaking the journey is essential to get anything from it, and doing so means booking accommodation in small mountain towns with limited options. Trains run to a schedule that can slip by hours. The descent to Batopilas is a long, rough mountain road. Some parts of the sierra have security concerns that shift, so take current local advice on routes beyond the main corridor.

Nearby

Creel and Divisadero are the main stops; Los Mochis and Chihuahua bracket the line.