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Copper Canyon Hotels   arrow

Our Copper Canyon train trips are designed to give you an real taste of the local culture in Copper Canyon. The hotels we use are truly local, clean, hospitable and fun.

Below are a few that we use in areas listed roughly from the Texas/Chihuahua City end toward the Los Mochis and Baja end.

There are many hotels and this is not a complete guide to Copper Canyon hotels. For a better guide to all hotels see the Ah Chihuahua! site.

Dave with maria at Mansion Tarahumara in Arepo

Dave with Maria, the owner at Mansion Tarahumara in Areponapuchi.

El Paso

It is easy to fly into El Paso and the hotels are readily available.

We often use the Microtel at the El Paso airport because it is cheaper than the others and has breakfast very early. It is not the nicest, but is walkable from the front of the airport and is usually just a place to crash before a mroning departure for Copper Canyon.

We also use the Holiday Inn on the west side of El Paso at times because it is near the St Tereresa crossing and they have a good shuttle from the airport- 25 minutes.

Juarez

Usually our groups do not stop in Juarez–but occasionally we are there.

A very good option is the Best Western Plus Juarez at the Lincoln statue. This place has great food, clean secure rooms, protected parking, and a very hospitable staff. It is also close to the Cordova Bridge and downtown Juarez.

Another I have run across online but know nothing of is a boutique hotel called Posada Real de Juarez. If anyone has any info on this place or of any other special and local places in Ciudad Jaurez, I would appreciate the lead.

Casas Grandes

There are two good options in this little town very close to Nuevo Casas Grandes and site of the Paquime ruins.

One is Casa de Nopal- the rooms are generally rented by the month but a shorter stay is possible, Contact Spencer and Emi MacCallum at sm@look.net for info

A very good option is Las Guacamayas. A grand place built by the energetic Matye Lujan–the food is great, the rooms spacious and excellent and the location is perfect.

Mata Ortiz

Best way to check out rooms in this pottery mecca is to check out the authoritative site – Mata Ortiz Calendar.

Chihuahua City

Our hands down fave in Chihuahua is the lovely San Felipe el Real. Only six rooms and they are all unique. It is in the historic district. is reasonably priced and always special. Be sure to make reservations.

A standard and very good value is the Quality Inn Chihuahua San Francisco. The rooms are huge, clean, good priced and the food is very good. Parking is available. The cathedral is right next door as is the market.

Also at the cathedral is the newly opened Hotel Plaza Chihuahua. This place is the result of a decent rehab of an old building and one of the cool features is a cafe at the top overlooking Chihuahua (pictured below from their site).

Servicios Hotel Plaza Chihuahua

 

 

Cuauhtemoc

There is one place in this Menonnite surrounded overgrown ranching town that I like. It is not fancy but it is always clean, has secure parking, and most importantly has good hot water (solar). It is the Hotel Tarahumara Inn located on one of the main drags in town. Your host Armando is gracious and their cafe is a good breakfast at a decent price. A nice evening meal restaurant is a block away –Pueblo Viejo.

San Juanito

There is a serviceable hotel at the center of San Juanito but our hands down favorite here is Noritari just west of town on the road to Basasiachi. Chef Sol does it right here with solar cabins and food to die for.

 

 

Creel

There are many options in this town —on all ends of the spectrum except very nice. We often use Plaza Mexicana for a nicer hotel and Cabanas Bertis for a basic stay. Usually we try to avoid Creel to be honest.

Areponapuchi/ Divisadero area

There are several fine hotels as well as several lodges in this area.

Some are confused about which places are near which stop as there are two stops in the area. Best bet is to get off at Posada Barrancas and there are two options we use in this area.

-Higher end is Mansion Tarahumara. This place has good rooms and food- even a few view rooms not to be missed.

A recent guest at one of the view rooms at Mansion Tarahumara.

-A very serviceable lodge at a bargain price is run by Lola Mancinas. Her email is lolita_barrancas@hotmail.com and phone is (635) 293-8411. Website is  http://hotelarepobarrancas.mex.tl/. She is usually at the Divisadero train stop serving food- just ask for Lola. Another popular cabin option is Armando at Cabanas Diaz.

Lolas place on a cold January day- open year around and the food is tops.

Lolas place on a cold January day- open year around and the food is tops.

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Cerocahui

You get off at the Bahuichivo stop to visit this area. There is a decent little place on the plaza in Cerocahui called “Jade“. The hospitality is warm and the food and rooms are a bargain.

Another lodge style place we use is above town and nearer the gallego overlook. San Isidro Lodge is cozy and the food is tops.

Temoris

This little town is one of the ignored gems of the typical Copper Canyon train trip. I try to stop here as often as possible- especially in warmer months when the trip down to El Fuerte is just hot and long.

Anyway, there is not much going on here in Temoris. The Temoris station is where the Copper Canyon train does a 180 in the tunnel then stops in a “Yosmite-esque” valley. 3000 ft up and just a 20 minute drive is the little town of Temoris- and the cool thing about it is that there is nothing going on- and no tourists!

So Temoris sits way up above the train and is quiet, truly local, and a great place to relax- bur again, there is not much going on here, so expect to enjoy the food and get a good sleep. One nice treat is to visit the overlook outside of town. Here you can gaze down on the part of the CHEPE line that was most difficult to construct. An amazing view. Also you can hike down to the station from nearby the overlook- not an easy hike but a nice way to see the canyon. At one point you cross above the Copper Canyon train line near a tunnel entrance.

Hotels in Temoris

There are a number of good  little hotels- none are fancy. Two I like and use are:

Hotel Sol de Temoris- run by Koky at the new little tienda off the square- the “Super Remorachic”. Best way to find it is to ask for Koke or Rosaria. Contact info: Koke cell 635.108.3079, Uriel (son) cell- 635.105.9590, store land line- 635.457.4033, home land line- 635.457,4032, emailKNPU18@hotmail.com. They have 10 rooms and rates are reasonable.

Hotel Nuevo- Juan runs this place, he has a cell phone store below it and he is a maestro at the school. Good guy. Newer small rooms with IKEA like fittings- mas o menos! Juan cell- (635) 589-4160 and store landline 635) 457-4214, email juanrhz@gmail.com. Place is away from the plaza a few blocks and about the same price as the other one.

Food in Temoris

Good restaurant is PH- seafood and local stuff. Make sure to ask for a shot of the local hooch from the barrel on the counter- lechuguilla- wonderful as an after dinner refresher….bootleg.

Gabbys along the main drive is a good staple for any meal and on a cold morning she has a good fire going. This place is a hangout for gringo miners.

Also there is a birria place to the northeast of the square–it’s name escapes me but it is the name of the woman who runs it. Her soup is spicy and good.

I really like taking groups to this place for several reasons. The food is good, there are no tourists, the overlook closeby is amazing, and there is nothing going on. Oh also it is a good place to by local lechuguilla.

El Fuerte

This delightful little town has a flock of decent hotels. Birdwatchers will like Rio Vista above the river run by our friend Chal and his brothers –(698) 106-3233. Then take your pick of the nicer places that gather around the old plaza.

Don’t miss the taco stands and birrea dealers in the little market.

Huge amounts of rock and earth were excavated in the construction of this amazing railway. Don't miss the little towns as you travel the train.

Huge amounts of rock and earth were excavated in the construction of this amazing railway. Don’t miss the little towns as you travel the train.