The natural beauty of the Barrancas del Cobre will enthrall you. Whether you'd rather see it from the comfort of a first-class train seat, on the back of a horse, or on foot, you'll find the area offers abundant opportunities for adventure on many levels.

Things to Do

One of the most enjoyable ways to experience Barrancas del Cobre is to stop at El Divisadero Barrancas (The Viewpoint), the stop before Creel traveling east. Here, the pure, crisp air, combined with the inspiring view that extends more than 100 miles across the Copper Canyon, makes for a fantasy come true. El Divisadero Barrancas, Copper Canyon's highest reachable point, rises more than 7,700 feet above the canyon floor, affording spectacular views of the Urique River and the Urique and Copper canyons from this natural overlook.

Upon disembarking from the train, you're catapulted into Divisadero's colorful open-air market. You'll be amazed at the abundance of handmade baskets, wooden dolls, jewelry, and even violins sold here. The vendors, including the local residents and the native Tarahumaras, swoop down in one great mass to set up their stands for approximately forty-five minutes each day before the scheduled train stops. Regateando, or bartering, is highly encouraged at the market. You'll only have fifteen minutes to perform a market sweep and see the view. The touristy market almost overpowers the view of the canyon — but not quite.

The Bahuichivo station is the stopping-off point for Cerocahui, a village of less than 1,000 set in a valley filled with apple orchards. Jesuit missionary Padre Juan Maria de Salvatierra built a mission church here in 1680, but it wasn't until 1940 that another Jesuit priest, Padre Andres Lara, actually founded the town. Across from his church, he built the Tarahumara Indian Boarding School for girls, which you can visit. From Cerocahui, it's an easy day trip to Barranca de Urique and a Tarahumara cave home, from which you buy baskets, on a dirt road 7,500 feet above the village. Nearby is the Cerro del Gallego Urique overlook, from which you'll get an almost 360-degree view of the canyons, as well as the village of Urique along the river below. If you travel further on, you can visit the church, cemetery, and old kiln in the silver-mining town of Urique, surrounded by coffee and fruit trees and fields of corn and peanuts.

Share a few words and break bread with a Mennonite family in Cuauhtémoc. Chihuahua al Pacifico Tours (614-437-0057) and Tarahumara Tours (635-456-0065) offer tours of the Campo Menonitas (Mennonite Camps) for about $35 per person, including stops at a cheese factory and the Mennonite Museum and Cultural Center, plus a family-style lunch in a Mennonite home.

Chihuahua has figured prominently in Mexico's history. The most popular historical attraction is the Museo de la Revolución (Museum of the Revolution), housed in the former home of hero/outlaw Pancho Villa. Formally known as Quinta Luz, in honor of his only legal wife, the museum contains the bullet-ridden car in which Villa died under fire in an ambush, plus cartridge belts, guns, and uniforms. Admission is $1 (open daily 9 A.M. to 1 P.M. and 3 to 7 P.M.). The Museo Regional de Chihuahua, one of the most beautiful museums in town, occupies a restored 1910 mansion, Quinta Gameros, furnished in the art nouveau style with stained glass windows. You'll enjoy the building, used for social gatherings, as well as the exhibits of art, Chihuahua history, and the Mennonites of Cuauhtémoc. Admission is $2. (Open Tuesday to Sunday, 10 A.M. to 2 P.M. and 4 to 7 P.M.)

For the Kids

Unlike other Mexico destinations, the Copper Canyon doesn't offer any activities just for kids.

But exploring together as a family is not only fun, it's safe and educational for your children.

Ecotourism

Tucked away within the Copper Canyon are some of the most isolated places you'll ever see. The canyons offer a multitude of hiking, rail, walking, climbing, and canyon trekking opportunities, all guaranteed to satisfy your family's desire for adventure.

More than any other region in Mexico, the Copper Canyon provides spectacular hiking. Much of the area remains true wilderness, so you shouldn't hike alone. Several operators offer three-to-six-day hiking tours, depending on the type of tour you desire. Typically, they cost from $300 to $750, including most meals, guides, lodging accommodations, and transfers to the point of origin. As with most excursions, the variety and level of challenge varies tremendously.

If you're a devoted hiker, you can take hiking tours into the most remote areas of the canyons where you can camp far from civilization. Or you may choose to leave on day excursions to different areas before returning each evening to the same lodge.

One of the most dramatic hikes is to Parque Cascada de Basaseachic, the only national park in the northern Sierras. Cascada de Basaseachic, falling 807 feet to the canyon floor, is Mexico's second-highest waterfall. You'll begin in the village of Basaseachi and follow a trail that takes you across sparkling streams, up steep slopes, and then down nearly 1,000 feet below to the base of the falls. It's best to see the falls at the end of the rainy season in September, when the volume of water is greatest.

From Cerocahui, you can take a three-and-a-half-hour hike to the old Sangre de Cristo gold mine. Or you can walk two miles roundtrip to Las Cascaditas (Little Waterfalls) in rainy season. You'll see a sawmill, an old cemetery, and some Tarahumara ranches. If you just want a view of the village, you can take another two-mile hike to El Valle del León (The Valley of the Lion).

From Creel, you can ride or hike to the Valle de los Monjes (Valley of the Monks), a series of unusual rock formations that look like hooded monks, or to the Valle de los Hongos (Valley of the Mushroom Rocks), an area of mushroom-shaped rock formations. Nearby lies Lago Arareco (Arareco Lake), a horseshoe-shaped lake ringed by pine woodland and boulders near the village of San Ignacio de Arareco, where you can visit La Misión de San Ignacio. Or you can hike to the bottom of Barranca de Tararécua and spend some time soaking in the ninety-degree waters of Balneario de Recowata (Recowata Hot Springs).

Some of the best mountain bike trails exist around Creel, with loose rock, breathtaking climbs, and dramatic descents, providing mile after mile of thrills. There are also plenty of old logging roads and tracks to bike within the canyons. If you're a beginner, the road through San Ignacio ejido will offer plenty of challenges. Or you may opt for a smoother ride along the road to Balneario de Recowata. The best local person for information on bike riding in the Barrancas del Cobre is Arturo Gutierrez (635-456-0248, www.umarike.com.mx). You can rent a bike from him for $15 for a half day, $20 for a full day, and can purchase area trail maps. He also rents climbing equipment.

Though made for rock climbing, there aren't many prepared bolted routes within the canyons. The area's volcanic topography offers interesting climbs ranging from overhung to vertical.

Experienced guides, contacted through local guesthouses, charge $15 to $25 per day plus the cost of food. If you're staying at a hotel, you could pay as much as $50 per day for a guide. The following are some of the most reputable outfitters:

• Copper Canyon Hiking Lodges: 800-776-3942 (U.S.), www.coppercanyonlodges.com

• Safari Aventura: 614-410-1338

• The 3 Amigos Canyon Expeditions: 635-456-0036, www.the3aamigoscanyonexpeditions.com

• Wilderness Outfitters: 602-882-5341 (U.S.)

If you'd rather go exploring by horseback, you can rent horses for $6 to $8 per hour through most of the canyon hotels.

Special Rail Tours

If you wish to travel the Copper Canyon route in luxury, you can spend two days and one night aboard the opulent South Orient Express, operated by DRC Rail Tours (800-659-7602, of Houston, Texas). The fully restored train runs seasonally from October to November and March to April and features lavish turn-of-the-century-style passenger cars, all-glass vista domes, elegant bars, and world-class gourmet cuisine, included in the price.

Still another option for luxury train travel is The Sierra Madre Express, offered by Tauck Tours (800-468-2825). Combining five Pullman cars, observation lounges, and deluxe staterooms, you'll spend two of seven nights of an all-inclusive eight-day package aboard the train.

Visit Botapilas

An overnight trip with local tour operators to Barranca de Batopilas from Creel will take you on a descent from cool pine forests to the semitropical zone, where tropical fruits grow, to the mining town of Batopilas at the bottom of the canyon. You can also take a bus, which takes six to eight hours, from Creel to Batopilas for about $7. Or you can hire a private car at your hotel in Creel.

Batopilas thrived between 1880 and 1910 and was the second town in Mexico after Mexico City and the third in North America to receive electricity. Ruins of the Hacienda de San Miguel provide evidence of the grandeur and mystery of this colonial mining village hidden in one of North America's deepest canyons. Swaying palm trees and whitewashed houses with tropical gardens line cobble-stoned streets. Daily temperatures can be as much as 30ºF warmer than on the canyon rim, so dress accordingly. You'll see ranchers on horseback and pigs and goats wandering the streets.