Casa Margarita's Hotels

Welcome to Margarita's

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An amazing adventure touring the world's largest canyon system - the magnificent Copper Canyon in northern Mexico's Sierra Madre mountains. Touring the sites of the native Tarahumara, you will be able to appreciate the overwhelming beauty and grandeur of the winding rivers and towering peaks of the two deepest sections in the immense Copper Canyon network. Your journey begins with a dazzling train ride on the famous Pacifico railroad where you pass between the sparkling Sea of Cortez and the arid canyons of the Sierra Tarahumara. You will tour through quiet dwarf oak and subtropical thorn forests to alpine summits offering breathtaking views of the canyons beneath, wild camp near indigenous communities perched on the edge of the canyon walls far from any road access, overnight in remote ranches and historic haciendas and visit the colourful frontier settlements of Margarita's two world famous hotels beginning in Creel, Margarita's La Hacienda Rio Batopilas and Margarita's Wilderness Lodge at Cerocahui. And who could resist these trips which begin in the delightfully named town of Creel Chihuahua? Relax at Margarita's during sunset in the mountains of Mexico!

All hotels are owned and operated by Margarita Quintero, the first hotelier in Creel to the Copper Canyon. Margarita began over 25 years ago with the first hostel in Copper Canyon, making hand made tortillas and welcoming lone wanderers from their travels throughout the wild canyons.

What we refer to as "Copper Canyon" is really a series of canyons which drain the western side of the Sierra Tarahumara. The entire Copper Canyon region comprises almost a third of the state of Chihuahua, which is Mexico's largest state. The principal canyon is Urique Canyon, which is the one which is traversed by the Chihuahua al Pacifico Railroad. Eventually, all of the rivers which formed the Copper Canyons merge into the Rio Fuerte which continues across the adjacent state of Sinaloa, emerging near the City of Los Mochis on the Sea of Cortez.

Margarita's Hotels

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Casa de Margarita

Casa Margarita's, located in downtown Creel, Chihuahua in the Northwestern state of Chihuahua in Mexico is your choice for quality hotels without having to pay "quality" prices. Casa Margarita is world known as the "Backpackers Haven", and was the first hotel to offer breakfast and dinner included with each room or dormatory rental.

Breakfast & Dinner Included

Considering the already low price for room rentals, the addition of these two meals allows travelers to make better use of their expense account during their travels. The rooms at Casa Margarita's have all the commodities of a First Class hotel, but there are no frills or expensive decorations. Hand hewn stone decorates most of the Hotel.

Margarita's Plaza Mexicana

Hotel Plaza Mexicana is built around a Mexican Plaza courtyard and so its name. With 28 rooms on two levels, your price includes a modest but tasty dinner and filling breakfast. Margarita has long welcomed guests to the Copper Canyons and is noted in most travel guide books world wide.

Breakfast & Dinner Included

The guests regularly comment on the wonderful cooking. The rooms are adorn with marvelous mural works depicting local scenes. We offer tours, horse and bicycle rentals, camping and many other services which will allow you to organize your visit to the Sierra, all in one place.

La Hacienda Rio Batopilas

The Jewel of Margarita's Hotels that was made from one of the mine ruins and was originally built in the 1870's by a spanish colonial miner. It is located just 2 kilometers from the town of Batopilas. The building is an authentic colonial hacienda that overlooks the Batopilas River. All terraces and patios have a wonderful view of the river.

Breakfast & Dinner Included

The climate is tropical, and you'll see banana, papaya and mango trees growing at the Hacienda. The Hotel is full of antique items from the 1800's. After a day touring, what could be more relaxing than a bath in a beautifully decorated bathtub. The dining room is a return to old colonial days, with all the luxuries of modern living.

Cerocahui Wilderness Lodge

Perched on the edge of a canyon with fabulous views, Margarita's Cerocahui Wilderness Lodge sits on the rim of the Canyon. The view is simply breathtaking! The dining room lookout point offers a full 180 degree view of the San Isidro Canyon and also the rooms over look the Canyon, the perfect place to rest and watch the sunset.

Breakfast & Dinner Included

Every room has a fireplace and a gas heater, it is totally up to you which type of heat you prefer during winter nights. The bathroom area is large and spacious, there are no cramped bathrooms here. Remote and rustic yet with extraordinary attention to detail, Margarita's Cerocahui Wilderness Lodge is a highlight.

Margarita's Tours

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Cusarare

4 Hour Tour

This tour includes four stops, none of them very far from Creel:

The Cusarare Waterfall
The Mission in the town of Cusarare
Arareko Lake
The "Elephant" Rock formation

Cusarare is 22 kilometers from Creel. Once in Cusarare, the Waterfall is a short 10 minute walk during the dry season and a 40 minute walk during the rainy season. The walk to the Waterfall is easy and wonderful, you will be walking through a beautifully forested area with rock formations, with the Cusarare River to one side. The walk to the Falls is level with no steep slopes.

After your visit to the Waterfall your next stop will be the Old Mission town of Cusarare. In the center of town you will be able to visit the 300 year old Jesuit Mission Church. This Old Mission is one of the oldest churches in the area and was restored in the 1970's.

On the return trip your next stop will be Arareko Lake. Because the lake is shaped like a horseshoe, it was given the Tarahumara word for "horseshoe: "Arareko". Surrounding the Lake are gentle rolling pine covered hills, truly a site to remember.

The last stop is the "Elephant" Rock, which is an unusual natural rock formation in which you will clearly see the shape of an elephant.

Recowata Hot Springs

7 Hour Tour

This is one of our most popular tours.

On this tour, there is a strenuous two or three hour hike along with a short 15 kilometer van ride through woodlands and to the summit of the Tararecua Canyon. From atop this canyon you will be able to see south into the Copper Canyon. The trail down to the hot springs starts here, it is very steep and can be difficult for certain people. It is usually a 45 minute hike down to the springs to the bottom of the canyon but a guide will assist you.

At the bottom, there are 5 man-made pools, and some are quite large. There is also a spout pouring from the mountain side which is a wonderful natural warm spa. Among the man-made pools are cooler natural pools and a natural rock slide.

The canyon is a natural woodland filled with small wildlife, the perfect environment to be in while resting in the hot springs. You will spend a restful 2 to 2 1/2 hour stay in the canyon, during which lunch will be provided. The hike back up to the canyon top is about a 1 1/2 hour hike, but once at the top, your driver will be waiting to assist you and drive you back to Creel.

Divisadero Lookout

5 Hour Tour

This tour will offer you five stops with wonderful views of the Divisadero Canyon, plus an additional stop at the "Rock of Fertility" during your trip to Divisadero.

Your stay at Divisadero will be about 2 1/2 hours in which time you will be taken to different viewpoints of this fabulous canyon.

At the actual Divisadero viewpoint you will be allowed about 40 minutes, enough time to view the canyon and to eat at one of the many food stands offering delicious typical Mexican food. Also at this stop you will be able to purchase Tarahumara Arts and Crafts, the Tarahumaras from this area are expert basket weavers.

After the Divisadero stop, you will begin your trip back to Creel.

Basaseachi Waterfall

9 Hour Tour

This tour starts with a three hour drive through a beautiful scenic road to the north of Creel. During this drive you will be able to admire beautiful woodlands and Tarahumara settlements.

On your arrival to the Candameña Canyon you will be able to admire the Basaseachi Waterfall, the third largest waterfall in North America (340 meters, 1,115 feet).

You will first be taken to two viewpoints, just a short easy hike from the van. Next, after walking down through a steep trail you will get to the "Ventana" (window) viewpoint, a natural rock formation which is halfway down the canyon. You will be able to look up at the waterfall as it comes over the cliff and down toward you.

The Candameña Canyon is home to two of the highest waterfalls and the highest cliff (El Gigante) in North America. Though only the Basaseachi Waterfall will be visited on this tour.

Your visit to this waterfall will be memorable.

La Bufa Canyon

7-8 Hour Tour

This all-day tour will take you through immense and wild canyons and five lookout points where you will be able to spend 10 or 15 minutes to enjoy the view and take photographs.

The tour begins with a drive south on the Gran Vision Highway past Arareko Lake through beautiful rolling pine covered hills and mountain sides. You will be able to admire a large variety of rock formations along the way.

The first lookout point is at Basihuare Canyon, from here the road will wind round and round until you get to the second Canyon: Humira. Humira is the upper Canyon and headwater of the Urique River.

Our third stop is at the Urique River which is one of the rivers that runs through one of the deepest Canyons: Urique. The Urique Canyon actually begins a short distance downstream from this lookout point.

A few miles further we leave the Gran Vision Highway into a dirt road which will take us to the most important stop at the rim of the La Bufa Canyon. Here you will spend 1-1/2 hours in which time you will have time to have lunch and to enjoy the monumental sight of this wonderful canyon which is a few thousand feet deep. You will see many multicolored cliffs and side canyons.

On the way back there will be one more stop at the Mirador de Napuche lookout point.

Rock Formation Valleys

2 - 3 1/2 Hour

This tour features several valleys where very unusual rock formations can be found. All of these are near the Creel area. You have a choice of two options for this tour.

San Ignacio Mission: a Jesuit church which is over 300 years old. The church is the center for religious ceremonies of the Tarahumara Indians of the community of San Ignacio which is the surrounding area around church.

The Valley of the Mushrooms and the Valley of the Frogs: these are both located near the San Ignacio Mission church. These valleys contain many odd shaped rock formations which resemble, literally, mushrooms and frogs.

The Elephant Rock: as it's name implies is a rock that resembles an elephant as seen from the front.

Arareko Lake: is a beautiful lake located 8 kilometers from Creel.

Tarahumara Cave Dwelling: the San Sebastian Cave is a well known dwelling near Creel where four generations of Tarahumaras live.

Valley of the Monks: is a large valley filled with many large pillar formations as high as 200 feet. The size and shapes of these formations is incredible.

Recayna Lookout Point: located just a short 15 minute walk from the Valley of the Monks from this viewpoint you will be able to see north to the Conchos River headwater. This river ultimately empties into the Rio Bravo which in turn flows into the Gulf of Mexico.

2 Hour Tour

This tour includes the following stops: San Sebastian Cave, Valley of the Mushrooms, Valley of the Frogs, the Elephant Rock, San Ignacio community and Mission and Arareko Lake.

3 1/2 Hour Tour

This tour includes the following stops: San Sebastian Cave, Valley of the Mushrooms, Valley of the Frogs, San Ignacio community and Mission, Valley of the Monks and the excellent Recayna Lookout Point.

Batopilas

2 or 3 Days

This tour gives you a chance to visit the historic and truly unique 300 year old mining town of Batopilas.

You will have two options from which to choose from for your visit to Batopilas, you can opt for a one night or a two night stay.

On these two tours you will stop at the same stops as in tour # 5, although on this tour though you will wind down the zigzagging road to the bottom of the La Bufa Canyon. Once on the bottom of the canyon you will take a ride along one of the most beautiful roads around. The trees and shrubs will be totally different than that of the high sierras. You will see many tributaries leading to the Batopilas River.

At the old mining town of La Bufa we will take a brief stop then continue further on this deep canyon road to Batopilas. You will now be more than 6,000 feet below your starting point of Creel!

Batopilas is an enchanting town that was established in the early 1700's that hasn't lost it's charm despite the fact that technology is gradually creeping in.

As with most of the rock formations and cliffs of the Sierra Madre, the steep cliffs are of volcanic origin. You will be able to see an incredible amount of colors and shades, from: greys and browns, to yellows, whites, greens, orange, and reds. Many of these colors are lichens.

No matter which option you choose, you will definitely want to take a walk to the "Lost Cathedral" in the small town of Satevo, just a short distance down river from Batopilas.

The departure from Creel for these tours is 9:30 a.m., the arrival to Batopilas will be around 3 or 4 in the afternoon.

On the one night stay tour you will leave Batopilas at about 11:00 a.m. on the second day. This will put you back in Creel at about 5:00 o'clock in the afternoon.

If you have chosen the 2 night stay tour, you will leave Batopilas at 6:00 or 6:30 a.m. on the third day. You will arrive in Creel at about 11:30 a.m., just in time to catch a train to Los Mochis or Chihuahua City.

On the return trip, from Batopilas to Creel, you will be able to enjoy the same view of the cliffs and canyons, but from a different perspective.

Mennonite Community

7 Hours

This tour gives you a chance to visit Cuauhtemoc's Mennonite Community.

In the area around the City of Cuauhtemoc 100 kilometers from the state Capitol of Chihuahua City towards Creel are a group of Mennonite settlers who for over a century have been farming and working in the area. The Mennonites have become famous in all of Mexico for their delicious cheese and milk products. This tour includes a visit to their community, a Mennonite cheese factory, Museum, restaurant and a visit to Cuauhtemoc City.

Margarita's Other Services:

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Walking Tours

There are so many sites to see so close to Creel that we offer our guests Walking Tours.

These tours are available to all the nearby wonders, like the San Ignacio Mission, Valley of the Mushrooms, etc. An experienced Tarahumara boy will accompany you to these places. These walking tours are special in that you are able to walk through beautiful forests and interesting places.

Horse Rentals

Horseback ride across the natural landscapes of the Sierra Madre.

For an unforgettable experience, nothing beats visiting the area's points of interest on horseback. Of course, a guide will be provided for you and insure you with a safe and memorable ride. The horses are brought to us saddled and ready to go. This will truly be an experience that you will really enjoy.

Bicycle Rentals

Explore this complex land of beauty and moving history by bicycle.

If getting in a little exercise is what you're looking for, then biking around the area is for you. The bicycles we rent are mountain bikes that are in very good condition. Biking around the area offers you more choices than those of Walking Tours or Horseback. When you rent a bike we will give you a small map with all the roads to the different points of interest.

Camping

For the more adeventuresome we offer camping tours to many different areas around the Sierra.

We would transport you to the area of your choice and provide you with all the neccesary camping equipment. There will be a guide permanently with you to show you around and to help with the cooking of breakfast and supper. There are so many places in the Sierra that can only be admired to their fullest during a camping trip. We truly know that you will enjoy an experience such as this.

Laundry Service

One of the biggest headaches for travelers to small towns is finding a place to get their laundry done.

For this reason we offer this service right in the hotel, there will be no need to carry a bag of dirty laundry all over town. Our Laundry Service is exclusive for our guests at all Casa Margarita's Hotels. On your arrival if you need this service, ask our personnel about having your laundry done.

Tarahumara People of Creel

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The dignified and reclusive Tarahumara Indians are a tribe who have chosen to live apart from modern western culture. They live primitively, subsisting on corn, beans, and their livestock. In the winter they live in caves, moving into small log cabins in the summer. They are excellent weavers and produce fine wool blankets to provide warmth during the harsh winters of the canyon.

The Tarahumara "like most native American tribes" have suffered since the arrival of the conquistadors. Though they were not hit as hard as some other tribes by smallpox and other European diseases their lifespan is, on average, fairly short.

According to the legend of the ancient dwellers of the sierra, the world was created by Rayenari "Sun God" and Metzaka "Moon Goddess". In their honor, in the present times they dance, sacrifice animals and drink "tesguino".

There, where the western Sierra Madre becomes rough and uneven, the Tarahumara "who call themselves Raramuri (Light Feet)" live. The most important activity among them is growing corn and bean and some raise cattle. Due to the fragility of their economy some look for work in the wood mills.

At present, the Tarahumara constitute the largest indigenous group in the state of Chihuahua. The number varies from 50,000 to 75,000 although is difficult to determine precisely because of the inaccessibility of the mountains, and the deficient communication links.

The Tarahumara are spread in the municipalities of Guerrero, Bocoyna, Ocampo, Uruachi, Chinipas, Guazapares, Urique, Morelos, Batopilas, Guadalupe y Calvo, Balleza, Rosario, Nonoava, San Francisco de Borja and Carichi. The mountainous region is divided in two large regions called Alta and Baja Tarahumara, corresponding the first to the part dominated by the Sierra Madre Occidental and the second to the area west of the same sierra, including the zone of the canyons that forms the warm lands of the state.

The men are svelte, with strong muscles, recognized as the best long distance runners. The women are shorter, with oval faces, black and oblique eyes and straight nose.

The men wear a hairband known as "kowera", huaraches, and loose shirt. The women wear a wide skirt and loose blouse, the hair usually covered with a shawl, and a wool waistband known as "pukera". Their language is sweet and with abundance of words referring to customs and their environment, with polite words like: "I greet you, as the dove that warbles, I wish you health and happiness with your loved ones."

Each house has a hearth and in the bowls they make they cook maize and beans that were harvested during the season. Among the Tarahumaras everything belongs to everybody, private property does not exist, so they share food and housing.

They elect a governor "a man who distinguishes for his services to others and his intelligence" who in turn elect "gobernadorcillos": priests, shamans, and sages. These go all over their corresponding towns preaching the pride of being Raramuri, the customs and morals to uphold; function as judges in problems and are in charge of prayers.

There is always a great deal of reserve between the sexes, especially in the conservative groups. Among the Tarahumara, a man calling at the home of a friend will make his presence known before approaching the door of the house, and if the woman is alone he does not enter but remains at a distance. Unless there is a close relationship, men and women generally talk to one another only when necessary and then at a respectful distance with averted faces.

Better yet! Come see for yourself...

The Tarahumaras:
An Endangered Species.

Author: Shep Lenchek

Never conquered by the Aztecs and despite being defeated by Mexican armies, the Tarahumaras still consider themselves an independent nation. So strong is this conviction that in the Fifties they more than once took complaints directly to the United Nations. Perhaps the purest and most unmixed of any Indian tribe in Mexico, so little is known about them that their true name "Raramuri" was corrupted to "Tarahumara" by white men and never corrected.

Most of the world knows them only as long distance runners. Living in high altitudes, they have developed tremendous lung capacity and in more primitive times hunted deer and mountain goats, running them down on foot. In more modern times, they have run non-stop in relay teams from Chihuahua City to El Paso, a distance of 230 miles, to open the Pan-American Road Races.

However, this running ability is only one facet of their life style. The truly remarkable thing about them is an ancient religion which has bred into them a moral code so strict that they are unable to tell a lie.

Psychologists suggest that over the centuries this value system has actually caused physiological changes in their brain that preclude speaking anything but the truth. Nor can they cheat or fail to aid a fellow tribesman.

Luis G. Verplancken, a Jesuit priest who lived among them for many years and is probably the greatest authority on their history and culture, describes them as loyal to God, to their own traditions and their own culture. Although the majority of them have converted to Christianity, there are still some "gentile" groups who have refused baptism. Those converted have introduced their own ancient concepts into their new religion.

God is both Father and Mother. Respect for one another is of prime importance. They give greater value to persons than to things. In their eyes both the white man and the Mestizo are more pagan than their unbaptized fellow Raramuri because over the years these two groups have enslaved, lied, cheated and driven them off most of the fertile land they once inhabited.

Today the "People" (the translation of the name Raramuri) have been driven into the highest reaches of the Sierra Tarahumara, in the State of Chihuahua. There, even the valleys are over 5000 feet above sea level. Now, it appears their last bit of fertile land may be taken over by outsiders, forcing the Indians to retreat higher into the mountains.

Despite this, most Raramuri still ignore the blandishments of Mexican city living. They cling to native costume. The men wear a loin cloth, held together by a wool girdle wrapped twice around the waist. A long, loose, full sleeved shirt of cotton and a cloth head band complete the outfit. The women wear full multiple or layered skirts. Blouses are always worn loose at the waist. They have full sleeves, heavily pleated at the wrists and shoulders. Like the men, they wear cloth head-bands.

With some, however, western-style garb is making inroads and more and more, the colorful native dress is being worn only during festivals or in the more remote villages.

What has kept the "People" true to their ancient customs is a combination of a wilderness homeland and an inherited value system of obligation to fellow men, plus their devotion to ancient Gods they brought with them into Christianity.

In their culture, long established rituals and symbols replace things of a contemplative nature. Thus, they prefer to pray in ritual dances rather than verbal forms. Their ancient theology was not based on dogma or abstract concepts; nor is their new Christianity. Rather it is a day by day practice of living in harmony with nature and their fellow man.

Thus, they still look on the moon and stars as religious symbols. To pay homage to the Cross and Saints they sign across the face and turn their body to the left, the same way they saluted their ancient God. This sign of the cross, according to Father Verplancken, is not of Christian origin but was part of their ancient dance, "Yumari," in which they offered food to the four points of the compass and their traditional God to insure rain and ward off evil.

Recognizing this indigenous dance-oriented method of prayer, the Jesuits introduced the "Dance of the Matachines." It originated in the northern province of Venice in Italy, and is still performed there during Carnival. The Raramuri perform it on all the Holy Days of the Catholic church. Costumed, masked dancers move to the beat of drums and the wailing of flutes. Other dances are performed to solicit rain, heal the sick, bury the dead. All blend the new Christianity with ancient practices.

The first missionaries in the area were the Jesuits who arrived in 1607. However in 1767 King Charles III of Spain expelled them from New Spain. Although the Franciscans continued to work in the area, lack of funds and personnel made it impossible to fill the role the Jesuits had played. Also, the 19th Century Mexican Wars of Independence hampered their efforts.

It was not until the start of the 20th century that missionaries were able to return. During this almost 150 years of freedom from outside influence, what developed was a unique Raramuri Christianity.

One of the strange results of the expulsion of the Jesuits was the assumption of duties normally reserved for priests by the "Siriames," the traditional headmen or governors. Marriages, baptisms, and other church services such as continued instruction and spiritual guidance were now in their hands.

Whether the departing Jesuits delegated these rites or whether this was simply a return to traditional roles, we do not know. Nevertheless, the old ways were so close to Christian practice that the new religion survived the absence of priests. What developed was a set of practices acceptable to both the Church and the "Peoples" life style. Thus healers, rainmakers and other keepers of the tribal heritage exist side by side with Catholic priests. Living conditions among the Raramuri today are still primitive. They continue to barter rather than use pesos, and speak little Spanish.

In 1965 the Jesuits founded a hospital in Creel, the largest city in the area. There, Father Verplancken made his home. There are two other hospitals in the area, free to all who need them. Despite this, the future of the Raramuri is bleak. Malnutrition and disease go hand in hand with the loss of fertile, food-producing land. Through all of this, the Mexican government has stood silent.

Yet, these remarkable people have maintained themselves, enduring hardships that would have sent a group with less inner strength fleeing to urban centers, abandoning their tribal culture. But the time has come for the government to intervene. Stop the land-grabbers. Permit "The People" to live in their own villages, own their land, perserve their own ways.

With the rapprochement between Mexico and the Vatican, hopefully the Church can offer more material aid, while allowing the Raramuri to pray in their own way, understanding that they worship the same Father who they preach sent his Son to bring salvation to all mankind.

Margarita's Maps and Travel Info

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Creel Map
Chihuahua State Map
Sierra Tarahumara Map
Chepe Train Map
3 Ways To Get To Creel
The Most Dramatic Train Ride
First Class Train
Train Riding Tips
Baja Ferries

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Three ways to travel to Creel:

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By Plane
By Car
By Bus or Train

For now, all means to get to Creel have to go by way of the State Capitol of Chihuahua City unless you come up from Los Mochis via Baja or come south from Nogales. You can also fly in to Chuhuahua City International Airport. Once in Chihuahua by any means, you can drive to Creel, take a bus or train. The Chihuahua al Pacifico railroad, the Noroeste Bus Lines and the Estrella Blanca Bus Lines all offer good service to and from Creel daily. In the future, the Creel International Airport will eventually be completed, thus offering a quicker route to Creel.

If you're driving to Creel, the Gran Vision Highway is fully paved and it's in good condition from Chihuahua City to Creel. It is only a 3-1/2 to 4 hour drive.

Chihuahua International Airport (Code: CUU): Located on Blvd. Juan Pablo II at Km 14, in the city of Chihuahua.
Airport / Tel. (614) 420 0916 /420 0676.

Chihuahua Bus Terminal: Located at 4107 Blvd. Juan Pablo II, Colonia Aeropuerto.
Tel. (614) 420-2286 and (614) 420-5184.

Chihuahua-Pacifico Train: Departs from Los Mochis, in Sinaloa, and arrives at the city of Chihuahua. There are two classes: primera express (a first-class ride that departs at 6:00 a.m) and clase economica (an economy class train that departs at 7:00 a.m.)
Tels. (614) 439-7212 or for the toll-free number dial 01 (800) 122-4373

If you take the train, We recommend riding from the west (Los Mochis) towards the east (Creel and Chihuahua City). This takes advantage of daylight hours and provides the best views.

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The most dramatic train ride...

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by Scott & Kathleen Seegers

Past towering peaks and over dizzying gorges, you roll across the backbone of the continent — surrounded by the treasures of Mexico's Sierra Madre.

Standing on the brink of the precipice, we stared down into a rift in the earth's crust — part of a system of gorges so huge that it could swallow four Grand Canyons. Some 3000 feet below, the Urique River, which had carved out the gigantic canyon, seemed a tiny silver thread.

We were 7500 feet up at Divisadero, Mexico, on the Continental Divide. Our train had stopped to give passengers time to see and photograph the cosmic landcape —an infinity of buttes, mesas and many-stepped canyons writhing toward the blue haze of the horizon.

"Great snakes! Now I know why it took a hundred years to build this railroad," said a tall Arizonan at our side. He was one of the 250,000 tourists a year like us, mostly from the United States, who take this journey — the most dramatic train ride in the Western Hemisphere.

It is the spectacular 17-hour, 400 mile trip from Chihuahua — southwest across the fearsome ranges of the Sierra Madre — to Los Mochis, 13 miles from the Sea of Cortez. The line is the Chihuahua-Pacific, opened in 1961.

Along the route, we saw vast upland ranches, temperate-zone orchards and tropical valleys, lakes full of trophy fish, boomtowns new and old, and almost unexplored mountain chains inhabited by Indians of such speed and endurance that they traditionally hunted deer by running them down on foot. And we did all of this in one week, at un-inflated prices!

Fleet of Foot

We are at Creel — a jumping-off place for explorers, hunters, mining prospectors, anthropologists and geologists — where we planned to stop for a few days. For years this was the end of the line. Creel is a fascinating mixture of the cosmopolitan and the primitive.

From our cosy hotel we made half-day hikes into the mountains. We walked noiselessly through cathedral aisles of enormous pines, cliffs towering above us on every side, some chiseled by wind and weather into free-standing columns 100 feet high. Here and there in a cliff we saw natural caves, many with a low stone wall across the entrance, the overhanging roof black with the smoke of generations of cooking fires.

These are the abodes of the Tarahumara Indians. Semi-nomadic, they prefer the solitary existence - one family per cave — to living together in neighborhoods. There are about 50,000 Tarahumaras. The government has decreed that they are the collective owners of some 26,000 square miles of the Tarahumara Range.

Over the Top

We left Creel in the glass-domed sightseeing coach of the passenger train. Ahead lay the wildest, most rugged part of the Tarahumara Range. Mile after mile of ridges and vertiginous abysses rolled past our window. We vaulted through the very sky, it seemed, from one razor-backed pinnacle to the next, on soaring spans of bridges (37 of them) anchored in the rock hundreds of feet below. We plunged into tunnels so frequently that often the locomotive was entering a new one before the rear car had come through the last.

The train labored up to the line's highest point — just over 8000 feet — at Ojitos, where the grim backdrop of the Sierra rose another 5000 feet above us. An hour later, we paused for the splendor of Divisadero.

Standing at that chilly height, surrounded by oaks and pines, we could see — through field glasses— oranges and mangoes growing in the tropics more than half a mile beneath us.

End of The Line

The line spills down the Pacific palisade, 7000 feet, in 94 miles of fantastic loops and serpentines. Much of the descent is along the valley of the Fuerte River, first glimpsed as a raging, rock studded mountain stream.

As we dropped, the valleys grew wider and the river more benign and meandering. Then —as the great mountain loomed purple behind us in the sunset— the track made a beeline across the hot, fertile floodplain.

The plain was covered with broad fields of cotton, wheat, soybeans, safflower, sugar cane —and mile upon mile of marigolds, whose dried blossoms are exported to the United States as a component of chicken feed.

We broke our journey —again— at the little town of El Fuerte and we visited some of the thick-walled, one-story houses, with broad, open inner passages surrounding a spacious central patio.

Many are occupied by descendants of the families that built them centuries ago. Others, have been bought by perceptive "yanquis" and refurbished into handsome winter homes.

The railway's passenger service ends at Los Mochis, a clean, bustling city of 50,000, an hour and a half beyond El Fuerte. From there, we took a bus to the end of the line at Topolobampo on the Sea of Cortez.

Topolobampo is a lovely little fishing port dreaming beside a blue, deep-water bay ringed by mountains.

The closing of the Tarahumara gap has opened to the traveler a primitive world of stark beauty and awesome grandeur almost unchanged since the beginning of time.

'Copper Canyon' is generally used by travelers to define the total canyon system, which covers 25,000 square miles. Six of the major canyons in the system are:

Urique Canyon:    6136 ft. deep

Sinforosa Canyon:    5904 ft. deep

Copper Canyon:    5770 ft. deep

Tararecua Canyon:    4674 ft. deep

Batopilas Canyon:    5904 ft. deep

Oteros Canyon:    3225 ft. deep

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First Class Train

^Top^

It leaves everyday from Chihuahua to Los Mochis and from Los Mochis to Chihuahua at 6:00 a.m.
It stops only at the tourist destinations of Cuauhtémoc, Creel, Divisadero (a 15 minute stop to admire the Copper Canyon), Posada Barrancas, Bahuichivo/Cerocahui, Temoris, El Fuerte and Los Mochis.
The train features a Dining Cara, a Smoking Bar Car and runs with 2 to 4, 68 passenger-cars. Fully carpeted, a/c and heaters, reclining seats, panoramic windows and restrooms for men and women.
The Dining Car opens from 7:30 am to 8:00 pm serving breakfast, lunch and dinner with menu a la carte. No food and beverages are allowed in the passenger cars.
Bar is open from 10:00 am serving different cocktails and liquors. Cards and domino games available.
Both trains operate with an ecological disposal of water. The running water doesn't flush to the ground, but it is taken to special sewage in Chihuahua or Los Mochis.
In every car a helpful Porter travels helping passengers with their luggage and to assign seats.
If you have time, it is advisable to stop at least in the stations of Creel and Divisadero to spend a night there.
From May to the end of June everything is very dry and you might find some mountain fires.
Rainy season is between June and late October. It is the best season for traveling because the landscapes have brighter colors.
From November through February the temperatures are low and you might have some snow.

^Top^

Train Riding Tips:

^Top^

When the trains run on time, it really doesn't matter whether you travel westbound or eastbound, as the most spectacular points (Divisadero, Témoris) are reached in mid-afternoon in either direction. If the westbound train (No. 74) is running late, however, you risk not seeing Témoris – which is scheduled for a 4:30 p.m. arrival going west, 11:11 a.m. going east – in the winter when the sun sets early. Hence if your main objective is the train ride itself (as opposed to stopping over in the Sierra Tarahumara for a few days), the journey is best taken from the western end. Although many people start the trip in Los Mochis, it is just as well begun in El Fuerte since the scenery isn't that spectacular until well east of El Fuerte.

Overall, the best views are seen from the south side of the train, i.e., the left side westbound or the right side eastbound. Since the train windows are rarely kept clean enough for an unobstructed view, passengers often crowd onto the small platforms between cars for a look at the passing scenery.

Wear clothes you don't mind getting dirty if you anticipate standing between cars – the dust and diesel soot outside may not be noticeable at first but they have a definite cumulative effect.

There is no checked baggage for personal items (unless you're dealing with FNM's cargo department), but overhead space is ample for most bags. Seats – arranged four across in pairs – usually recline in first-class cars and there's plenty of leg room. If the train isn't full, you can easily change cars when necessary (e.g., when the a/c or heating system in your car isn't working properly).

Food service is available in the dining cars on the first-class express trains. Drink are served in the bar cars. Snacks are for sale on the second-class trains.

The Chihuahua al Pacífico train suffered several armed robberies in 1993, but by early 1994 state judicial police working with federales and the Mexican army managed to bring all such incidents to a halt. Since then armed guards – either police or soldiers, sometimes uniformed, sometimes in civilian clothes – have accompanied every train trip, both first- and second-class.

^Top^

Baja Ferries:

^Top^

Baja Ferries offers comfortable ferry service between Topolobampo
(near Los Mochis airport) and
La Paz, by way of the Sea of Cortez. Baja Ferries modern and faster ferry replaced the Sematur operated ferries in 2003. This well maintained ferry built in 2002 features a restaurant, a cafeteria area, bar and club salon.

Ferry travel across the gulf is now truly comfortable. Enjoy your time on board in the roomy seating salon or stroll on the deck and take in the wind and sea. To really make your passage first class, invest a little more for a private cabin (sleeps 1 to 4 people) for night time crossings.

Daily Service: West to East (La Paz to Topolobampo)

Schedule Time: Monday thru Sunday
Check-in: 13:00h (1PM)
Departs: 15:00h (3PM)
Arrival: Topolobampo 21:30h (9:30PM)

Daily Service: East to West (Topolobampo to La Paz)

Schedule Time: Monday thru Sunday
Check-in: 21:00h (9PM)
Departs: 23:00h (11PM)
Arrival: La Paz 05:30h (5:30AM)

For Reservations call (800) 884-3107 or visit their
website: Baja Ferries

Contact Us

2007-03-07T04:30:00.000-07:00

Casa de Margarita
(Country Code: 52):

Location: Ave Lopez Mateos 11 - Creel, Chihuahua
(635) 456-0045

Margarita's Plaza Mexicana
(Country Code: 52):

Location: Elsido Batista - Creel, Chihuahua
(635) 456-0538

Fax us in Mexico
(Country Code: 52):

(635) 456-0245

We would like to advise you that Casa Margarita's Hotels are not connected or a part of any other organization, business or person. Any reservations, tours or services can only be solicited through our telephone and fax numbers. Thank you, and welcome to Creel.

Disclaimer

2007-03-06T03:30:00.000-07:00

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United States Code: Title 17, Section 106 Chapter 1 - Subject Matter And Scope of Copyright http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/unframed/17/106.html

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TO: Members of the Faculty, Hoover Institution Fellows,: Academic Staff, and Library Directors
FROM: Condoleezza Rice, Provost
RE: Copyright Reminder
October 30, 1998

This memorandum provides a general description of the applicability of the copyright law and the so-called "fair use" exemptions to the copyright law's general prohibition on copying. It also describes "safe harbor" guidelines applicable to classroom copying.

The federal copyright statute governs the reproduction of works of authorship. In general, works governed by copyright law include such traditional works of authorship as books, photographs, music, drama, video and sculpture, and also software, multimedia, and databases. Copyrighted works are protected regardless of the medium in which they are created or reproduced; thus, copyright extends to digital works and works transformed into a digital format. Copyrighted works are not limited to those that bear a copyright notice. As a result of changes in copyright law, works published since March 1, 1989 need not bear a copyright notice to be protected under the statute.

Two provisions of the copyright statute are of particular importance to teachers and researchers:

* a provision that codifies the doctrine of "fair use," under which limited copying of copyrighted works without the permission of the owner is allowed for certain teaching and research purposes; and

* a provision that establishes special limitations and exemptions for the reproduction of copyrighted works by libraries and archives.

The concept of fair use is necessarily somewhat vague when discussed in the abstract. Its application depends critically on the particular facts of the individual situation. Neither the case law nor the statutory law provides bright lines concerning which uses are fair and which are not. However, you may find it helpful to refer to certain third party source materials. Guidelines for classroom copying by not-for-profit educational institutions have been prepared by a group consisting of the Authors League of America, the Association of American Publishers, and an ad hoc committee of educational institutions and organizations. In addition, fair use guidelines for educational multimedia have been prepared by a group coordinated by the consortium of College and University Multimedia Centers (CCUMC). These guidelines describe safe harbor conditions, but do not purport to define the full extent of "fair use."

The guidelines, as well as other source material, are available through a variety of resources, including through the world wide web site http://fairuse.stanford.edu. Stanford University Libraries & Academic Information Resources, in collaboration with the Council on Library Resources and FindLaw Internet Legal Resources, are sponsors of this web site. The site assembles a wide range of materials related to the use of copyrighted material by individuals, libraries, and educational institutions.

I hope that the discussion below helps to clarify further the nature of "fair use."

I. Fair Use for Teaching and Research

The "fair use" doctrine allows limited reproduction of copyrighted works for educational and research purposes. The relevant portion of the copyright statue provides that the "fair use" of a copyrighted work, including reproduction "for purposes such as criticism, news reporting, teaching (including multiple copies for classroom use), scholarship, or research" is not an infringement of copyright. The law lists the following factors as the ones to be evaluated in determining whether a particular use of a copyrighted work is a permitted "fair use," rather than an infringement of the copyright:

* the purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of a commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes;

* the nature of the copyrighted work;

* the amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole, and

* the effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work.

Although all of these factors will be considered, the last factor is the most important in determining whether a particular use is "fair." Where a work is available for purchase or license from the copyright owner in the medium or format desired, copying of all or a significant portion of the work in lieu of purchasing or licensing a sufficient number of "authorized" copies would be presumptively unfair. Where only a small portion of a work is to be copied and the work would not be used if purchase or licensing of a sufficient number of authorized copies were required, the intended use is more likely to be found to be fair.

A federal appeals court recently decided an important copyright fair use case involving coursepacks. In Princeton University Press, et.al. v. Michigan Document Services, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit concluded that the copying of excerpts from books and other publications by a commercial copy service without the payment of fees to the copyright holders to create coursepacks for university students was not fair use. The size of the offending excerpts varied from 30 percent to as little as 5 percent of the original publications. Although the opinion in this case is not binding in California, it is consistent with prior cases from other courts, and there is a reasonable likelihood that the California federal courts would reach a similar conclusion on similar facts.

Where questions arise, we suggest that you consult the guidelines for classroom copying and other available source material available on the fair use web site, cited above. Please note that the guidelines are intended to state the minimum, not the maximum, extent of the fair use doctrine. Thus, just because your use is not within the guidelines, it is it not necessarily outside the scope of fair use. In the absence of a definitive conclusion, however, if the proposed use deviates from the guidelines, you should consider obtaining permission to use the work from the copyright owner. In instances where the fair use question is important and permission would be difficult or expensive to obtain, a member of the Fair Use Advisory Group (described below) or the Legal Office can assist in analyzing whether a particular proposed use would constitute "fair use."

Some photocopying services will obtain copyright permission and add the price of the royalties, if any, to the price of the materials. A request to copy a copyrighted work should generally be sent to the permission department of the publisher of the work. Permission requests should contain the following:

* Title, author, and/or editor, and edition

* Exact material to be used, giving page numbers or chapters

* Number of copies to be made

* Use to be made of the copied materials

* Form of distribution (classroom, newsletter, etc.)

* Whether the material is to be sold

Draft form letters can be obtained from or reviewed by a member of the Fair Use Advisory Group or the Legal Office.

For certain works, permission may also be sought from the Copyright Clearance Center (CCC) which will quote a charge for works for which they are able to give permission. The Copyright Clearance Center can be contacted at www.copyright.com or (978) 750-8400, but it may be easier to go through a copying service that deals regularly with the CCC.

II. Course Reserves

Some libraries at Stanford will refuse to accept multiple photocopies or to make photocopies of copyrighted materials needed for course reserves without first having permission from the copyright holder. Other libraries on campus will accept a limited number of photocopies for course reserves. Consult individual libraries for clarification of their policies.

While the libraries have blanket permission from dozens of journals, obtaining permission sometimes takes a good deal of time. Experience in obtaining permission has shown that an inquiry addressed to a journal publisher frequently produces information that the copyright is actually held by the author, and four weeks is often inadequate to obtain such permission. Four to six weeks is considered the norm.

Permission may be obtained in a number of ways:

* Upon request, some libraries on campus will obtain materials for course reserve. In these cases, the librarian will write to obtain permission to photocopy or to purchase reprints. However, most libraries do not provide this service.

* Written permission may be obtained by the academic department.

* Oral permission may be obtained by faculty members, departmental secretaries, or library staff, in which case a written record is needed of that action.

Note that filling course reserve requirements may require two to three months before the quarter begins if the library does not already have a copy of the publication, if the publication is out of print, or if the copyright holder is not readily available.

III. Resources

Additional information on copyright issues may be found on the world wide web site http://fairuse.stanford.edu.

Questions about the copyright law as it affects faculty and staff in their University capacities should be directed to a member of the Fair Use Advisory Group (see attachment) or to Linda Woodward in the Legal Office (3-9751), who can put you in touch with the appropriate lawyer to respond to your specific question. Questions about library policy and course reserves should be addressed to Assunta Pisani, Associate Director, University Libraries (apisani@sulmail or 3-5553). Information concerning the application of copyright law to computer software can be found in the memorandum "Copying of Computer Software" distributed by the Library and Information Resources and in Administrative Guide Memorandum 62.

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