Copper Canyon Family Adventure

Copper Canyon Family Adventure Itinerary:

• Day 1

  Your trip begins today in Los Mochis, Mexico. Arrive in Los Mochis by 1:30 p.m. and take a taxi to the Santa Anita Hotel in the downtown area (20 minutes). Your REI Adventures guide will meet the entire group in the lobby of the hotel at 3:00 p.m.  We will then transfer by private vehicle to the colonial town of El Fuerte (a two hour drive).  Enjoy an evening of comfort at a beautiful colonial mansion built in 1890. You have time to relax or explore this quaint town before our evening dinner and general trip orientation.  Your exact air itinerary can be worked out with a member of the REI Adventures air department.  Dinner included.

• Day 2

  Early morning board the first-class train the Chihuahua al Pacifico. “El Chepe” is an awe-inspiring rail journey through incredible scenery.  In less than 180 miles we gain nearly 8,000 feet while passing through coastal shrub, pine forest, and high desert.  Midday we arrive at Bahuichivo and transfer (30 minutes) to the village of Cerocahui (elevation 5,478 ft.) for the next two evenings. Built around the Jesuit church of San Francisco Javier, Cerocahui dates back to the pre-colonial era and is a quiet, typical Mexican village. After settling in we saddle up our horses for a ride to a lovely waterfall and refreshing dip in the sparkling pools. This evening enjoy the comfort of a rustic but elegant mountain lodge, delicious family-styled meals and a campfire (marshmallows included!) under the, starlit Mexican skies. All meals included.
  
  Horseback ride: 2-3 hours. Swimming.

• Day 3

  The Copper Canyon is the deepest canyon in North America, and the Urique Canyon (one of six canyons that compose the Barrancas comples) is the deepest of the deep.  Strap on your boots for a full day of eye-popping gorgeous canyon scenery as we hike along the rim of the canyon with views into Urique. Vistas in every direction are postcard perfect but none are as spectacular as from Cerro del Gallego, the singularly most beautiful lookout in all of the Copper Canyon. You want your camera and binoculars ready today! All meals included.
  
  Hiking: 3+ hours through rugged terrain and pine forest.

• Day 4

  Before transferring back to the Bahuichivo train station we visit a local boarding school for a brief look into the lives of modern day Tarahumaran kids (see below for more details about this indigenous tribe). We then continue our train ride to the cliffside town of Divisadero where we enjoy stretching our legs on a 2 hour afternoon hike along the rim of the Copper Canyon overlooking the Tararecua Canyon and the great bend of the Rio Urique. We transfer then by private vehicle to Creel (7668’), the “Gateway to the Copper Canyon.” Here we check into our simple log-cabin lodging for the next two evenings and enjoy a Mexican meal in a wild-west mountain town atmosphere. All meals included.
  
  Hiking: 2 hours rim hike.
  
  A Word About the Tarahumara Indians:  The Copper Canyon is the traditional homeland of the Tarahumara Indians or, as they call themselves, the Raramuri – “the foot runners.” In the 1500s as the Spanish encroached on their civilization, the Tarahumara retreated deeper into the most inaccessible and inhospitable parts of the Canyon. Today some 60,000 Tarahumara live in scattered homesteads and small working ranches while many still practice a traditional lifestyle, inhabiting cliff overhangs and small cave shelters and growing their basic crops of corn and beans. These people live a simple life undisturbed by much of modern technologies. They represent remarkable adaptation to a beautiful but harsh environment and have managed to preserve their native culture perhaps better than any other tribe in North America. Intrinsic to the Tarahumara philosophy and due in part to their communal needs, the Tarahumara are well-known for their mutual respect and gentle, obliging nature.

• Day 5

  Today we jump on our mountain bikes and cycle out from our lodge to explore the breathtaking countryside of the high plateau surrounding Creel. The riding is delightful with various options available for different levels of riders (van supported). This dramatic landscape of wind-sculpted rocks, sparkling streams and open meadows is known as the Valley of the Monks.  En route we visit an old Spanish mission and Tarahumara cave dwellings. A short midday hike takes us to an awesome overlook of the Rio Conchos and a perfect site for our picnic lunch. Enjoy a bar-b-que dinner this evening back in Creel. All meals included.
  
  Cycling: 15-18 miles. Terrain: Dirt roads, some single track.

• Day 6

  Not far from Creel but in a completely different setting is the rushing Rio Cusarare with its lovely falls and boulder (huge boulders!) ridden meadows. Our lodge this evening is a comfortable wilderness hideaway located in a pine scented valley near the river and devoid of electricity, phones and television. Each room is heated by a wood stove, and the light from kerosene lamps casts a warm ambience on the varnished log walls and tiled floors. It feels like a step back in time. Our hike this afternoon is along the river through fragrant pine forest to the Cusarare Waterfall- some of the most beautiful landscape in the Copper Canyon. We visit a cave with polychromatic pictographs of ancient Tarahumara origin as well as the 300 year old Tarahumara mission built under the guidance of the Jesuits. Late in the day kids enjoy an afternoon party complete with piñata breaking while parents have time to relax and soak it all up. A delicious lodge dinner served family style awaits us. All meals included.
  
  Hiking: 5 miles with some elevation gain or loss.

• Day 7

  Enjoy an early, full lodge breakfast before our long transfer (4 hours) to the spectacular Basaseachi Falls.  At the head of Candameña Canyon, Basaseachi Falls has an incredible freefall of over 800’, the second highest in Mexico.  Depending upon our time we hike one of the several trails located within Basaseachic National Park stopping at overlooks offering views of the tumbling falls and outstanding vistas of the surrounding canyons. These trails tend to be rugged and steep. All meals included.

• Day 8

  This morning we transfer to Chihuahua by private van stopping along the way to visit the Mennonite museum.  Once in Chihuahua enjoy a short walking tour of the historical town center and a visit to the Pancho Villa museum.  A final dinner with our guides wraps up an unforgettable week of exploring the many faces of the Barrancas del Cobre.  All meals included.

• Day 9

  Transfer on your own to the Chihuahua airport. Breakfast included.

Although we do our very best to adhere to the schedule listed above, this itinerary is subject to change for numerous reasons beyond our control.

If you are traveling alone and specifically request single accommodations, you will be asked to pay the full single supplement noted above.  If you wish to share accommodations, we will assign a roommate if one is available.  If a roommate cannot be found, you will be asked to pay a reduced single fee, which is one-half of the full single supplement.  Please be advised that there are a limited number of single rooms available.

All meals from dinner on Day 1 through breakfast on Day 9 (depending upon departure times); all hotel accommodations; bi-lingual guide / leadership; bicycles; horseback riding; private ground transportation; 1^st class train El Fuerte – Divisadero; private transfer Creel to Chihuahua.

Airfare to Los Mochis; cost of insurance of any kind; airport taxes (if any); alcoholic beverages; optional gratuities to your guides; items of a personal nature; airport transfer on Day 9.

This trip is rated Moderate [3] and contains a variety of activities including moderate mountain biking and hiking.  Participants should have some mountain biking experience and be comfortable riding on uneven, dirt roads. Hiking is not particularly difficult but trails can be rugged and are generally not well maintained.

The canyon area ranges in elevation from several hundred feet in El Fuerte to over 7800’ in Creel; therefore weather and temperature conditions vary accordingly.  While it will be much warmer in El Fuerte most of our time is spent on the high plateau of Cerocahui – Divisadero – Creel – Basaseachi where daytime temperatures in the summer months are in the mid-70s to mid-80s … generally, very enjoyable.  During the summer months short and refreshing afternoon showers are not uncommon.

This trip is subject to the booking information set forth in the current REI Adventures Reservation Information. Please read this information carefully and call us if you have any questions. A full gear list and pre-departure information is sent upon sign-up. We highly recommend the purchase of travel insurance through REI Adventures. If coverage is purchased within 21 days of your initial trip deposit, the 'Pre-existing Conditions Exclusion' is waived (certain exclusions apply).

We look forward to having you join us for the trip of a lifetime! Why wait? Space is limited, reserve your adventure today.

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