 
The Sierra Tarahumara in the Chihuahua region of the Western Sierra Madre is home to a variety of Mexican colonial villages, one of North America's few surviving primitive indigenous cultures, and one of the longest and deepest canyon systems in the world - the Copper Canyon.
 
Mexico's Copper Canyon is full of exhilarating sites - and only Vallarta Adventures gives you the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to explore this world-famous mountain territory on an exciting three-day tour that includes all meals, hotel accommodations, sightseeing tours by air, land, and a First-Class train ride on the Copper Canyon railroad!
 
Your adventure begins in Puerto Vallarta with a spectacular scenic flight over an incredible variety of ecosystems; snow-covered mountain peaks in the highlands feature sparkling lakes surrounded by pine forests, sub-tropical forests encompass the area's plunging gorges, and the eastern valleys burst with peach and apple orchards.
 
Our first stop is the town of Creel, known as the "Gateway to Copper Canyon," and home to one of Mexico's largest and most primitive tribes, the Tarahumara Indians, who have lived in Creel since long before the Spaniards arrived in the early part of the 16th century.
 
The Tarahumara produce a rich variety of handicrafts: pots, blankets, musical instruments and wooden items, which can be purchased at the Casa del Artesano Indigena (House of Indigenous Handicrafts) and the Artesanías Misíon (Mission Store) in Creel. The area boasts many natural attractions too, and we will spend some time exploring the rustic settlement of Cusárare and its majestic 98' waterfall, before returning to Creel for the night.
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Tour Dates: By reservation only. Tours depart at 8 am from the Aerotron Hangar at the Puerto Vallarta International Airport.
Length of Tour: 3 days
What's Included: Round-trip flight, hotel accommodations for 2 nights, all meals, sightseeing tours, and a First-Class train ride on the Copper Canyon railroad.
We recommend you bring a weekend bag, comfortable shoes, a light sweater and extra money for souvenirs. | |
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The next morning, a brief bus ride takes us to the town of Divisadero, which is located on the rim of the Urique Canyon. Here, you can take a leisurely walk along the canyon’s edge, hike down into the canyon itself, or just stand on this majestic canyon's rim and enjoy panoramic views of the canyon floor - an incredible 7000 feet below!
From here, you will be able to see the rustic dwellings of the Tarahumara Indians. Protected against outside influence by their rugged surroundings, the Tarahumara have managed to maintain their deep-rooted traditions and a distinct form of existence that is in harmony with nature.
Next, we'll take an unforgettable ride aboard a First Class luxury train on the famous Copper Canyon railway. Officially known as the Chihuahua al Pacifico, the Copper Canyon railroad is one of the most spectacular and awe-inspiring train trips in the Western Hemisphere.
The Copper Canyon train travels from an elevation of almost 8000 feet to the bottom of Copper Canyon in a little more than six hours. You will thrill to the incredible views of towering canyon walls, sheer drop-offs and flowing waterfalls as the train crosses numerous bridges and passes through more than 70 tunnels along the way.
In the late afternoon, the Copper Canyon train arrives in the small town of El Fuerte, Sinaloa, where we'll spend the night. Nestled in the foothills of the Sierra Madre Mountains, El Fuerte is surrounded by a tropical jungle where parrots roost in exotic foliage and chameleons crawl across jagged rocks. Offering a stunning contrast to the pine covered highlands above the canyons, El Fuerte is one of the most impressive stops in the Copper Canyon basin.
Founded in 1564, El Fuerte was an important commercial center throughout most of the colonial era due to the area's rich silver mines. We'll spend the third day exploring cobblestone streets lined by century old homes with carved stone facades, the "Sagrado Corazón de Jesús" cathedral and the Palacio Municipal on a guided tour of this quaint village.
Just a few blocks away, the crumbling ruins of a Spanish fort, built in 1610 to protect stores of silver from the local mines, overlooks the Rio Fuerte. This area offers some of Mexico's best bird watching, and you'll have some time to investigate the plentiful and diverse bird life that inhabits the verdant tropical forest before we break for lunch.
After lunch, we'll wrap up this fantastic scenic and cultural journey with a final scenic flight through the geographical splendor of the Copper Canyon and the Sierra Tarahumara region. You'll enjoy magnificent natural scenery as you relax aboard our ultramodern turbo prop Cessna Caravan on the return flight to Puerto Vallarta. Don't miss this unforgettable journey - Use our safe and easy online reservation form and we'll give you 10% off the regular price!
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