Luxury Trains Tour Mexico's Copper Canyon
by Paris Permenter and John Bigley

Recommended for romantics who want to combine an off the beaten path adventure with luxury comforts

Four times larger and 300 feet deeper than the Grand Canyon, Mexico’s remote Copper Canyon was once a destination visited primarily by adventurers and experienced travelers to Mexico. Today, however, this region in the Sierra Madre mountains is a favorite with travelers new to Mexico thanks to luxury excursions offered by several train companies.

“Copper Canyon and the rail route is one of the best routes in the world, and it was the right fit for us,” says Peter A. Boese, American Orient Express Executive Vice President. “As a destination, the region has a colorful atmosphere and feels like the Mexico of the old movies. It’s very refreshing and not commercialized which is what a lot of people want to see. There’s a lot of history and romance to that part of Mexico.” The luxury train joins the Sierra Madre Express and the Chihuahua al Pacifico on the railway some said could never be built.

With 87 tunnels and 35 bridges, construction of Mexico's Copper Canyon railway through some of the most rugged terrain on the continent took 91 years. This canyon is not a park, but is home to over 50,000 Tarahumara Indians who live in caves along the canyon rim. The largest nomadic tribe in the Americas, the Tarahumara spend their winters in the interior of the canyon, amid lush vegetation including domestic orange groves.

The first railway excursions through the canyon were aboard Mexico’s Chihuahua al Pacifico. Although the canyon can be traveled in about 15 hours (the eastbound route is preferable to see the canyon during best light), most travelers opt for tours that overnight at various stops along the canyon. Tour routes vary by operators but most choose to overnight at various points in the canyon including Divisidero, a small village on the canyon rim, El Fuerte, a 16th century colonial settlement, and Creel, at 8000 feet the highest elevation in the canyon.

Today, guided and independent tours aboard Mexico’s trains are still available although many luxury travelers opt for private, American-owned trains. The Sierra Madre Express and the American Orient Express each offer all-inclusive, guided trips aboard restored vintage railcars, featuring gourmet meals and elegant sleeper cars.

AMERICAN ORIENT EXPRESS

The newest entry into the Copper Canyon scene is American Orient Express (800-320-4206, www.AmericanOrientExpress.com), operators of Seattle’s American West Steamboat Company. Owned and operated by Oregon Rail Holdings since 1997, this company is well-known for its deluxe tours through the US and Canada, launching its Copper Canyon tour in January 2003.

“Historically we have been a company successfully operating during the season of March through Thanksgiving but we had not had a strong route in the first quarter of the year,” says Peter A. Boese. “There was the blueprint of other rail companies who had operated successfully there for years. We had the chance to take a train ride on the Sierra Madre Express, we met with the Chihuahua Al Pacifico people, and thought the destination had a lot of potential for us.”

The AOE client profile--primarily travelers age 50 and over--remains much the same on the Copper Canyon trip. “We are seeing a lot of past travelers, people who have taken trips on our West excursions, taking the Copper Canyon trip,” notes Boese. “American Orient Express has the cultured traveler and people who love the outdoors. This excursion has both culture and the beauty of the canyon.”

Tour packages include hotels indicated on the itinerary, a first night private welcome reception and dinner, full American breakfast at hotels, hotel gratuities and taxes, nights onboard as indicated in the itinerary, all meals, soft drinks, bottled water, house wine with dinner onboard, all excursions, lectures and presentations, baggage handling, gratuities for local guides, live entertainment onboard, and more.

SIERRA MADRE EXPRESS

The largest number of tours is offered by Tucson-based Sierra Madre Express (800-666-0346, 520-747-0346, fax 520-747-0378, adventure@sierramadreexpress.com, www.sierramadreexpress.com), founded in 1986 by Peter M. Robbins. The American-owned train consists of restored 1940's Pullman cars, including sleepers, a two-story, glass-topped observation car, and a dining car. Touches from etched glass panels in the Arizona car to loungers that swivel 360 degrees in the observation car recall the days when trains were the epitome of luxury travel.

Sleepers are large by train standards. Some rooms include double beds; others have a fold away upper bunk and a lower twin bed that serves as a couch in the day. Most rooms also include a small closet and a sink/toilet combination, although there are no shower facilities onboard.

The eight-day excursion packages include all meals and drinks, tours, accommodations in Tucson before and after the trip, two nights on the train, and three nights in excellent Mexican hotels: the Posada Mirador in Divisadero and Hotel Mision in Cerocahui.

OTHER OPTIONS

Another option for travelers are fully guided excursions aboard Mexico’s trains; from El Paso, Caravan Tours (800-227-2826 or 312-321-9800, www.caravantours.com) provides guided trips on private railcars aboard the Ferrocaril Mexicano. The all-inclusive eight-day tours begin in El Paso; coaches transfer visitors to Creel to board private railcars refurbished in 1999. With overnights in El Fuerte (including a float trip), Barracas, and Chihuahua, the Copper Canyon tours includes all meals, bottled water and purified ice on coach and train, as well as accommodations overlooking the canyon. “A lot of Copper Canyon trips are one way and involve coach travel through desert country,” notes spokesperson Tom Duffy. “This involves the canyon, and guests have the entire railcar.”

One of the most unique private railcars serving Copper Canyon is operated by Bananafish Tours (508-264-5078, banafish@znet.com, http://sd.znet.com/~banafish), touring Copper Canyon since 1983. The private lounge car offers a 25-foot outdoor viewing platform. “It makes such a difference because the other regular trains are so closed in,” notes Bananafish founder Bill Wallace. “My guests like the idea of the outdoors and adventure. I don’t stress luxury; I stress the beauty of the location.” The fully escorted Bananafish Tours, most one week in length, operate as day train tours, overnighting in tourist hotels.

Seattle-based Great Train Escapes (888-544-RAIL, 206-935-6848, fax 206-935-1931, reservations@greattrainescapes.com, www.greattrainescapes.com) offers nine-day, eight-night packages including motorcoach transfers from Tucson, a reserved railcar on the Chihuahua Al Pacifico, a yacht excursion on the Sea of Cortez, folkloric and educational programs, one night hotel accommodations in El Fuerte, two nights in Copper Canyon, one night in Los Mochis, seven breakfasts, seven lunches, and six dinners. Price is $1849 per person.

Arizona-based S&S Tours (800-499-5685 or 520-803-1352, Fax 520-803-1355, ss@ss-tours.com, www.ss-tours.com) offers both guided and independent train excursions to Copper Canyon aboard the First class train. Independent package tours can be arranged for varying lengths and prices.

Group tours through S&S Tours range from six to nine days. Six- and seven-day tours travel round trip from Los Mochis through Divisadero with an optional extra day in El Fuerte; eight- and nine-day trips also depart from Los Mochis and travel as far as Creel. Packages include all meals (except the last breakfast), train station transfers, tours, hotels and tips except naturalist guides.