El Chepe: An epic way to see northern Mexico’s Copper Canyon

The northbound of Mexico doesn’t often get the tourer emotion it deserves. Maybe it’s the deficiency of flashy landmarks, oregon the information that galore parts of it are distant and rugged, hard to entree without a agelong thrust oregon an adjacent longer detour. I’m reasoning of states similar Chihuahua, Coahuila, Sonora and my native Durango — the quieter, often-overlooked corners of the state that seldom marque the question postcards.

But possibly that’s starting to change. The Copper Canyon, oregon Barranca del Cobre, was precocious named 1 of Mexico’s apical tourism destinations for 2025. As a arrogant Norteña, I’ll gladly instrumentality the win, adjacent if the canyon straddles Sinaloa and Chihuahua much than my location state. It inactive feels similar a shared treasure.

Yes, this is simply a existent bid and, yes, it is that luxurious. (Tren Chepe)

The Copper Canyon is 1 of the astir breathtaking regions successful northwest Mexico, a melodramatic scenery of desert, mountains and heavy gorges. And the champion mode to acquisition it is by train: the Ferrocarril Chihuahua al Pacífico, much affectionately known arsenic El Chepe.

A little past of El Chepe

Tucked heavy wrong the Sierra Madre Occidental, the Copper Canyon is 1 of Mexico’s top earthy wonders, a immense strategy of 20 interconnected canyons carved implicit millions of years by six rivers. In scale, it surpasses adjacent the Grand Canyon, stretching much than 4 times its size and plunging deeper successful definite spots. Despite the name, the canyon isn’t named for copper mining but for the greenish, copper-like sheen of its steep walls.

Constructing a railway done this distant terrain was nary tiny feat. While galore infrastructure projects instrumentality longer than expected, El Chepe took it to different level. Construction began successful 1898 and faced hold aft delay, including during the Mexican Revolution. When the railway was yet completed successful 1961, it had taken implicit six decades and astir US $90 cardinal to build, a immense effort for the time.

The finished railway is an engineering marvel. The railway stretches implicit 650 kilometers, winding done terrain that remains inaccessible by road. It spans 39 bridges, passes done 86 tunnels and climbs to elevations of astir 2,500 meters supra oversea level, linking Mexico’s bluish interior with the Pacific coast.

The Rarámuri people, whose Spanish sanction — Tarahumara — graces the surrounding mountains, proceed to unrecorded successful the canyons overmuch arsenic they person for generations. Along the bid route, immoderate present stock their traditions, crafts and nutrient with travelers, offering a glimpse into a mode of beingness shaped by the rhythms of the land.

What to expect

El Chepe connects the Pacific larboard municipality of Los Mochis, Sinaloa, to the inland superior of Chihuahua. But the travel isn’t linear. The astir fashionable and scenic information runs from Los Mochis to the upland municipality of Creel, a nine-hour agelong known arsenic the Chepe Express route. This conception offers the astir melodramatic canyon views: sweeping cliffs, plunging ravines and hairpin turns done jagged mountains.

To proceed onward to Chihuahua city, travelers indispensable transportation to the Chepe Regional, which adds astir six much hours to the trip. While it’s little picturesque than the earlier stretch, it completes the historical way done bluish Mexico.

The bid stops successful respective towns on the way, including El Fuerte, Bahuichivo, Posada Barrancas, Divisadero and Creel earlier reaching Chihuahua city. Many travelers take to disembark successful Creel and research the surrounding country for a fewer days earlier making the instrumentality travel west. El Chepe makes this benignant of itinerary imaginable with a flexible ticketing strategy that allows up to 3 stopovers astatine nary other cost, arsenic agelong arsenic they’re selected successful advance.

This flexibility turns the travel into a slow-travel experience. You tin hop disconnected to research canyon towns, enactment overnight and proceed connected a aboriginal bid — immoderate travelers walk a afloat week soaking successful the sights.

There’s nary shortage of reasons to linger. In Cerocahui, a 17th-century Jesuit municipality perched adjacent the rim of Barranca de Urique, the canyon’s deepest gorge, you tin stroll done vineyards oregon instrumentality successful panoramic views. Near the Divisadero station, thrill seekers volition find 1 of the world’s longest zip lines astatine the Copper Canyon Adventure Park, wherever the Urique and Tararecua rivers converge. Others similar to kayak on the forest-lined Fuerte River, surrounded by soundlessness and pine.

El Chepe takes you past immoderate of Mexico’s astir unforgettable landscapes. (Eugenio Barrios)

For the astir comfy ride, galore travelers urge booking first-class tickets. While much expensive, these see entree to panoramic reflection cars and amended eating options. As for timing, the champion months to spell are July done September, erstwhile the rainy play has painted the canyons successful lush greens. In the adust season, the scenery tin look dusty and sparse, and immoderate of its ocular magic fades.

Riding El Chepe done the Copper Canyon is inactive precocious connected my question list, and I anticipation to yet marque the travel successful 2026. Beyond the stunning views, it feels similar an indispensable measurement successful getting to cognize the northbound — this vast, rugged portion that’s truthful often overlooked. And erstwhile I bash go, I’ll beryllium reasoning of my grandfather, who erstwhile dreamed of taking this precise trip. I’ll beryllium definite to stock the experience.

Ready for the ride?

Whether you’re drawn by the canyon’s immense beauty, Indigenous past oregon the elemental romance of bid travel, El Chepe is 1 of Mexico’s astir unforgettable journeys, a model into a lesser-known broadside of the country. So if you’ve ne'er explored the north, see this your invitation.

The Copper Canyon is waiting.

Rocio is based successful Mexico City and is the creator of CDMX iykyk, a newsletter designed to support expats, integer nomads and the Mexican diaspora successful the loop. The monthly dispatches diagnostic apical news, taste highlights, upcoming CDMX events & section recommendations. For your dose of must-know quality astir Mexico, subscribe here.