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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.
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