Mexico
Sierra Madre Express: Mexico's Copper Canyon in Comfort and Style
Imagine watching the dramatic scenery of Mexico’s spectacular Copper Canyon region as you relax over cocktails in a vintage dome dining car or capturing that once-in-a-lifetime photo from the open-air platform car. Passengers on the Sierra Madre Express, a private rail journey to this remote region of North America, can do both as they relax in the classic comfort of 1940s and ‘50s refurbished rail cars.
This journey has been voted “world’s most exciting train journey” by the Society of American Travel Writers, as much for the scenery as for the railroad itself, one of the world’s great engineering marvels. It took nearly a century to build and winds through 87 tunnels and across 36 bridges as it makes its way through the heights and depth of the Sierra Madre Mountains. The region is home to the Tarahumara Indians, who have maintained their unique customs and traditions despite the modern-day pressures brought by the rail line.
The Sierra Madre Express was founded in 1981 by a Tucson entrepreneur and is the only private passenger train operating round-trip to the Copper Canyon. The train consists of six classic rail cars, including one of only 11 dome dining cars ever built. Cozy accommodations include single roomettes, double cabins with upper and lower berths as well as rooms with two lower beds. Many of the train crew members have worked for the company since its inception, providing personalized service and warm hospitality as the ever-changing landscape unfolds.
Included in the 8-day/7-night itinerary is a visit to Cerocahui, where passengers spend the night at the charming Hotel Mision surrounded by the vineyards of the former hacienda. After a morning tour to Urique Canyon, the deepest of the canyon system, there’s a visit to the local Tarahumara Girls’s School for a delightful introduction to the culture. Sierra Madre Express supports the school and helps provide a means for passengers to stay in touch through its affiliation with the non-profit Tewecado Trust, Inc. Next up is Divisadero and the Posada Barrancas Mirador Hotel, built on the rim of Copper Canyon. Every hotel room has a balcony that overlooks the awe-inspiring view. A day trip over the Continental Divide to Creel provides time for additional vistas, shopping and lunch in a remote lodge in the midst of a Tarahumara “rancho.”
Sierra Madre Express operates tours from September through May and may be one rail trip you might not want to miss.
Photo compliments of Sierra Madre Express
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