Did you know that Mexico is home to a canyon even bigger and deeper than the Grand Canyon
in the US?
Come with us on El Chepe train, as we take you through Mexico's Copper Canyon to discover
some of the most amazing things this region has to offer.
Let's get started.
We're here in the Copper Canyon, a canyon so big it's not only bigger, but also
deeper than the Grand Canyon in the United States.
Making it the biggest canyon in all of North America.
The Copper Canyon is actually a group of six canyons that run through northwestern Mexico.
Together they form what in Spanish is called “Las Barrancas del Cobre”.
Named after its copper/green colored walls, the Copper Canyon is four times bigger and
two times deeper than the Grand Canyon in the US.
We started our journey in Chihuahua, the capital of Chihuahua, and known for its abundance
of Chihuahuas.
We stayed the night to catch the train early the next morning.
All aboard!
¡Buenos días!
Good morning.
We are on the famous train El Chepe.
The first time I've ever been on a train.
Really?
Really.
Wow!
Yay!
So yeah, the train leaves every day at 6 in the morning, so you have to get up early.
The Ferrocarril Chihuahua-Pacifico, also known as “Chepe” started operating in 1961.
Since then, it has ran everyday taking locals and adventurers on a journey through the Sierra
Madre Occidental.
The railroad winds its way over 37 bridges and through 86 tunnels and spans a total of
405 miles.
El Chepe is the only passenger train in Mexico so we knew this would be the perfect
way to experience the canyon.
A one way trip on El Chepe takes about 15 hours, but stopping at the towns along the
way is at least half the fun.
Our first stop was in the town of Creel.
Creel is one of the 111 Pueblos Magicos in Mexico and it is one of the most visited towns
in the area surrounding the Copper Canyon.
Here you can find restaurants, corner stores, a museum, hotels, and anything else you might
need to have a comfortable stay.
Creel is also one of the first towns where you can get in touch with the Tarahumara culture.
Natively known as the Raramuri, this culture is known for their ultra-marathon running,
and can be found selling artisans in small towns where the Chepe stops.
We stayed at Hotel Plaza Mexicana Margaritas.
We really liked this hotel because it had everything we needed and it was just one block
away from the main street of Creel.
Friends, we have stopped in a town called Creel.
¡Sí!
And it's very comfortable here.
The weather's great, clear skies...
So what we're gonna do now is... we're gonna get ready because we have a tour to some hot springs
here in the area.
To get to the Recowata hot springs, we jumped on a cuatrimoto and followed our guide through
the forest.
The rush of cruising past horses and hugging the turns as we descended down the canyon
was awesome.
¡Lo logramos!
We made it!
Now we are gonna get ready, and we are gonna go for a swim.
The Recowata Hot Springs are fed by the water from the San Ignacio river and they maintain
a temperature of around 95 degrees fahrenheit all year round.
The warm water, cool breeze, and fresh smell of the woods make Recowata Hot Springs very
well worth the visit.
For us, it was the best way to relax after a long day of adventuring.
After the hot springs we headed back to the hotel to rest and continue our journey through
the Copper Canyon.
Good morning, good morning!
This is our first and last morning here in Creel before we head to our next stop.
We are going to Posada Barrancas where they have an adventure park with...
I don't know if it's the longest...zipline in Mexico...
Over 2,000 meters long, and it goes over the canyon, and I'm gonna get on it.
I'm not.
It's gonna be awesome.
Usually when the train stops it’s only for a few minutes to allow for people to get on
and off.
There is only one stop where passengers have between 20 to 30 minutes to get off the train
and admire the beauty of the canyon.
We are here in Divisadero and you can stop for only 20 minutes... yeah, so we're on a
hurry to try to get everything in that we want to.
We wanna get some food, take some pictures...
It is one of the coolest views as May said, look, look at this.
And we're gonna show you a lot more.
That's it.
Here in Divisadero you can enjoy some of the most mouth-watering food of the region, buy
arts and crafts made and sold by the Raramuri people, and appreciate one of the best views
of the barrancas.
You can buy food on the train, but it’s more expensive and not nearly as delicious
as these Chiles Rellenos.
I love me some chiles rellenos.
This is so good!
And it's made right here at the stop.
We're in such a hurry to try to get everything in.
I know I shouldn't talk with my mouth full, but if you come here... chiles rellenos.
After our stop at Divisadero, we hopped back on the train until we made it to Posada Barrancas
where we stayed at Cabañas La Esmeralda.
Once we settled into our room, the owner of the hotel took us to the Parque de Aventuras
Barrancas del Cobre where another incredible experience was awaiting us.
This adventure park is a must visit when you are in the area.
They offer tons of exciting activities for all ages, including hikes, cable cars, ziplines,
mini golf, bike rides, euro-bungee, and more.
The park has breathtaking views of the barrancas, which can also be admired from their glass
floor restaurant.
This zip line is the longest in Mexico, and one of the longest in the world at 8,350 ft.
I have to put down who gets all my stuff if I die.
Ayayay!
That's you May!
[laughs] but you won't!
I won't!
Okay, so they just told me it's the longest one...
Did you say it is the longest in the world?
Yes.
Really?
Wow!
The longest one in the world.
Here we go!
Stretch your legs and cross them.
One, two, three...
Woooohoooo!
I was dead set on riding it from the moment I learned it existed.
This is awesome!
¡Genial!
[laughs] Woooooo [laughs]
That was crazy!
[laughs] that was awesome!
What a rush!
It all happened so fast! [laughs]
So cool!
You have to check it out!
Now I've got a... a bit of a walk to find May.
She took the less crazy way.
After going on the zip-line, there is a 20 minute hike to get back to the top of the canyon.
Once on top, we took the teleférico to go back to the main area of the park.
We had a blast exploring the Parque de Aventuras Barrancas del Cobre.
The view of the Canyon is exceptional here, and it’s a great place to spend the day
if you like getting your adrenalin pumping.
After a long day of exploring the Barrancas we walked back to the hotel, sat around a
fire with some locals and drinks and spent the last night of our adventure exchanging
travel stories.
The grandness of the Copper Canyon has no comparison.
It is easy to feel small and insignificant surrounded by such a massive natural masterpiece.
We felt very lucky to be able to appreciate the beauty of this isolated piece of Mexico.
The next day we got on the train one last time to end our journey in Los Mochis.
Visiting the Copper Canyon was absolutely one of the funnest trips we've ever been on.
You have to go check it out for yourself.
And if you're planning on doing just that, we're gonna leave a link in the description
where you can go and find all kinds of tips and tricks to plan your adventure.
That's right, and if you liked this video, don't forget to like and subscribe for more
travel and Spanish tips.
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Thanks for watching!
Until next time!
See you soon!
There's a car coming, or I hear it somewhere.
You can do it!
A little more, a little more, a little more, a little more, a little more, a little more,
a little more!
Ahhh that's it!
One more, one more!
[laughs in Spanish]