Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Copper Canyon Train Station, El Fuerte, Best For Scenic Ride

 Copper Canyon  Best Scenic Ride, El Fuerte Train Station



If you bus from the USA to visit Copper Canyon you can take Tufesa Bus from Tucson that runs a route to  Mazatlan and its resorts and beyond to Guadalajara.


On the way, stop at the town of Los Mochis, (Baja Ferry Terminal, Toplopampo)  the western terminus of the Copper Canyon train line. From Los Mochis head northeast by bus or auto to El Fuerte and the train station on the Copper Canyon train line.


     El Fuerte is 50 miles inland from the Pacific Coast start of the CHEPE train line and its western terminal, Los Mochis.
The rail line runs for 400 miles from the Pacific Coast through the Copper Canyon, and east to the City of Chihuahua in North Central Mexico.

     For those who want the longest possible train ride on Mexico’s last regularly-scheduled passenger train, Los Mochis is the place to start. For those who just want to reach the Canyon stops at Creel or Divisadero, the station at El Fuerte offers a better option. 




The train is scheduled to arrive at 8:55 am at El Fuerte. Good hotels in town and a great zocalo make El Fuerte interesting.

The first class train offers a dining car.

The later leaving train makes it more convenient. The first 50 miles of track from Los Mochis to El Fuerte is through flat farmland offering little to see. East of El Fuerte the train starts into the mountains and the scenery gets interesting.


The train leaves the Los Mochis Station at 6 am and reaches the center of the Copper Canyon area at the village of Creel at between 4:00 and 4:30 in the afternoon.






Creel offers plenty of lodging options and tours to the various Copper Canyon Villages and sights.
(See second class train and save)


The Tarahumara people live throughout the area and visit Creel
to sell their woven cloth and baskets to visitors. 

At El Fuerte find train station parking for the night in the “camp ground” beside the train station.   The family charges 100 peso per night for parking and they lock the gate after the evening train arrives from Chihuahua, about 7:30-9:30.
See Copper Canyon Train Schedule.  Copper Canyon Best Way


Beside the rail station in El Fuerte a family 

offers secure, long-term parking.   
They lock the gate after the evening train 
arrives from Chihuahua,


If you are driving south from the USA through Nogales to El Fuerte, watch for the turn-off , 1-14, for El Fuerte, just south of the Sonora border on Route 15.
If you bus south from Tucson or Nogales, go to Los Mochis and find the local bus for El Fuerte.

The Copper Canyon offers an Adventure Park with
 cable car (teleferico) a zip-line, and rapelling,
 about a mile from the  Divisadero train stop.
 A canyon rim trail reaches the teleferico from
the train stop.. 

Copper Canyon is a group of several 
canyons in the Tarahumara mountains 
reached by bus and train from the east 
and train from the west. 

The train station at the village of Creel

The Tarahumara people weave baskets 
of reed and pine needles in caves where 
they once lived

The town of creel offers hotels and tours from its  

location 7,640 feet above sea level  in 
the Sierra Tarahumara mountains.

The Tarahumara people weave cloth 
and baskets to sell to visitors. 


Copper Canyon Map 
     



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