Mexico's Copper Canyon is located in the north-west desert region of Mexico and offers visitors some of the country's most spectacular and stunning scenery as well as one of the world's most famous rail journeys. The Copper Canyon region is actually a series of 20 canyons, right in the middle of Mexico's wilderness and is home to the Tarahumara people who continue to live the simple life of a bygone era. The best way to see the Canyon is to ride the Copper Canyon Railway, also called the "Chepe" train, which runs from Los Mochis to Chihuahua and vice versa on a daily basis. It is a stunning feat of engineering, opened in 1961 to connect the Pacific coast with Mexico's central desert region. The train features a dining car and comfortable seats and the views from the cars are simply spectacular.
You can take the train ride in one day for the view alone, or you could spend up to a week in the region, using the train line as your main route through the canyons, stopping overnight to explore and discover different local areas such as Creel, Posada Barrancas, Cerocahui and El Fuerte to visit Tarahumara villages, stunning Canyon lookout points, old Missions and take short treks along the canyon ridges.
