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Copper Canyon & Northern Mexico

Northern Mexico is the ultimate frontier land: vast cactus-strewn deserts, craggy mountains and breathtaking canyons define this most iconic of regions, which is familiar to almost anyone from its role in countless Wild West movies. If the landscape is diverse, then the people of the north are equally so: cowboys, revolutionaries and bandits have, over the centuries, left their mark on the region, while the varied and still deeply traditional indigenous peoples remain some of Mexico’s least Westernized.

Though the narco wars have impacted the north terribly in recent years, it remains a safe place to visit for anyone taking a few sensible precautions, and these days you’ll find you have it pretty much to yourself. The Ferrocarril Chihuahua Pacífico (Copper Canyon Railway), Mexico’s only remaining long-distance passenger train ride, is the region’s most outstanding sight, but its colonial towns, superb beaches and diverse wildlife are other strong lures.

Explore Copper Canyon & Northern Mexico

  • Parque Ecológico Chipinque

    This stunning mountainside reserve is just 12km from downtown Monterrey. There's great hiking and mountain-biking on over 60km of well-marked trails…

  • P
    Paquimé

    These ruins, in a broad valley with panoramas to distant mountains, contain the mazelike adobe remnants of northern Mexico’s most important trading…

  • H
    Horno3

    Blast Furnace No 3 in the former industrial site of the Parque Fundidora has been converted into Horno3, an exceptionally impressive high-tech, hands-on…

  • C
    Casa Chihuahua

    Chihuahua’s former Palacio Federal (built 1908–10) has been used as a mint, a monastery, a military hospital and a post office, but is now a beautifully…

  • B
    Bosque Secreto

    Five hundred years ago, over 550,000 sq km of dry tropical forest stretched down the coast from northern Mexico to Panama. Today only 2% of virgin forest…

  • P
    Paseo Santa Lucía

    The stunning 2.3km promenade of Paseo Santa Lucía is a world-class example of urban regeneration. This (artificial) river forms a turquoise ribbon through…

  • M
    Museo de Historia Mexicana

    This sleek modernist museum on the Plaza 400 Años presents an extensive but easily manageable chronological history of Mexico. In the heart of the museum…

Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Copper Canyon & Northern Mexico.

  • See

    Parque Ecológico Chipinque

    This stunning mountainside reserve is just 12km from downtown Monterrey. There's great hiking and mountain-biking on over 60km of well-marked trails…

  • See

    Paquimé

    These ruins, in a broad valley with panoramas to distant mountains, contain the mazelike adobe remnants of northern Mexico’s most important trading…

  • See

    Horno3

    Blast Furnace No 3 in the former industrial site of the Parque Fundidora has been converted into Horno3, an exceptionally impressive high-tech, hands-on…

  • See

    Casa Chihuahua

    Chihuahua’s former Palacio Federal (built 1908–10) has been used as a mint, a monastery, a military hospital and a post office, but is now a beautifully…

  • See

    Bosque Secreto

    Five hundred years ago, over 550,000 sq km of dry tropical forest stretched down the coast from northern Mexico to Panama. Today only 2% of virgin forest…

  • See

    Paseo Santa Lucía

    The stunning 2.3km promenade of Paseo Santa Lucía is a world-class example of urban regeneration. This (artificial) river forms a turquoise ribbon through…

  • See

    Museo de Historia Mexicana

    This sleek modernist museum on the Plaza 400 Años presents an extensive but easily manageable chronological history of Mexico. In the heart of the museum…

Guidebooks

Purchase our award-winning guidebooks

Get to the heart of Copper Canyon & Northern Mexico with one of our in-depth, award-winning guidebooks, covering maps, itineraries, and expert guidance.