A 300-year-old Jesuit Mission is the center of the Copper Canyon valley town of Cerocahui. Seen to the left of the mission: Hotel Mision.
However, where Cerocahui offers pristine tranquility, the higher altitude region of Divisadero offers a thrill – not the kind where a family gets lost on a hike and must be (luckily) saved by a well-oriented Tarahumara, but the kind engineered by mechanics and marketed by professionals. A few years ago the state of Chihuahua installed an adventure park near Divisadero, taking advantage of the region’s natural valleys and plateaus to create the third-longest zip line course in the world. In the coming months a line will be added that will be the single longest zip line in the world. Families couldn’t ask for a more exhilarating way to experience the Copper Canyon than to soar over it, a fact to which my 10-year-old can attest (her zip line held after all). Overlooking the entire scene is the Hotel Mirador, the most dramatically located hotel in the entire canyon system and the Balderrama’s flagship property. Perched on a canyon rim, Hotel Mirador was designed to furnish every room an unobstructed view of the canyons. Facing south, our balcony (and every balcony) provided a breathtaking view of both sunrise and sunset. Innumerable hiking and mountain biking trails surround the hotel, The author and her family.
Those who live close to the “mestizo” villages such as Cerocahui sometimes come to town to sell their pine-woven baskets, beaded jewelry and wooden carvings. Some make money as guides to visitors like us. We wanted to see the Cerocahui waterfall (a magnificent five-mile roundtrip hike from the village), and it was a 75-year-old Tarahumara man who led us nimbly through the river and into the forest to gift us an experience that we’ll never forget. Sue Stilwell, who has been frequenting Cerocahui for years, has developed relationships with nearby Tarahumara. She took us to meet a sweet family at their small “ranch” on a steep hillside. At the edge of their property we waited to be invited in, per the Tarahumara custom. While we visited, small Tarahumara children peeked shyly around corners of stone doorways, apparently as bemused by us as we by them.
while Tarahumara women and girls sit on its steps, quietly weaving baskets to sell to tourists who have sought out the Mirador as the most desirable hotel in the region.
Not far from Cerocahui is the most expansive view of the entire canyon system. Standing on the rim and looking right, the river carves its way west and the view is unobstructed for miles; looking left, the eastern canyons go on endlessly; looking down… well, you wouldn’t want to look down. Cerocahui is difficult to leave. It’s so idyllic, you wonder what better experiences could await you, gringo that you are, in the Copper Canyon.
There are many things to see in Mexico, and there are many ways to see them. In the remote canyons of the Sierra Madre, particularly in the care of the Balderramas, families get that rare combination of true adventure and real comfort. It’s where children and parents can have an authentic experience with natural wonders and local people, but still get to eat and sleep like kings as they make memories that will last a lifetime.
To learn more about learning adventures to Mexico’s Copper Canyon, connect with Sue Stilwell of S&S Tours by visiting www.ss-tours.com or call 866-780-2813. To find out more about the Balderrama family of hotels, visit www.hotelesbalderrama.com. Marmalade • 40 • January 2014