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    Creel
    Foto Eule / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0

    Mexico

    Creel

    TownCulture

    Creel, at over 2,200 m in the Sierra Tarahumara, is the main gateway to the Barrancas del Cobre. The town began in 1907 as a rail station on the Chihuahua al Pacífico line, and is now the Chepe Express terminus.

    by Felix Gillen

    1. Home
    3. Destinations
    5. Mexico
    7. Barrancas del Cobre (Copper Canyon)
    9. Creel
    Creel, at over 2,200 m in the Sierra Tarahumara, is the main gateway to the Barrancas del Cobre. The town began in 1907 as a rail station on the Chihuahua al Pacífico line, and is now the Chepe Express terminus. Nearby are rock valleys, Lago Arareko, and the Cusárare waterfall.

    Sehenswürdigkeiten

    Discover the most important sights and attractions

    Attraction

    1The Stone of the Breasts

    A rounded, water-eroded rock formation southeast of Creel, in the area of the Rarámuri community San Ignacio Arareko. It lies near the rock valleys that are visited on most tours from Creel.
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    Attraction

    2Mural La Monnalisa de Creel

    Mural on Avenida Adolfo López Mateos downtown, with a local version of the Mona Lisa. A popular photo stop between the Plaza and the station.
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    Attraction

    3Guardian Rarámuri

    Sculpture in honor of the Rarámuri on the southern outskirts of Creel.
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    Museum

    4Museo de Arte Popular / Casa de las Artesanías

    Small museum on Avenida Ferrocarril opposite the train station. It displays Rarámuri handicrafts such as basketry, masks, musical instruments, and ceramics; you can buy works in the shop.
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    Attraction

    5Valle de los Hongos

    Valley with mushroom-shaped rocks near the community of San Ignacio Arareko, a few kilometers southeast of Creel. Other formations resemble frogs; in the neighboring Valle de los Monjes, rock spires rise over 30 m.
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    Cascada de Cusárare
    Park

    6Cascada de Cusárare

    Over 30m high waterfall south of Creel, near the Rarámuri community of Cusárare. A hiking trail leads through pine forest to the falls, which flows strongest during the rainy season.
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    City walks in Creel

    Curated walking tours through the city's highlights, handpicked by experienced travel journalists.

    Creel: Kultureller Spaziergang im Herzen der Sierra Tarahumara

    Entdecken Sie auf diesem zweistündigen Spaziergang das charmante Städtchen Creel, das Tor zur beeindruckenden Kupfer-Schlucht. Tauchen Sie ein in die reiche Kultur der Raramuri-Indianer, bewundern Sie lokale Handwerkskunst und erkunden Sie historische Sehenswürdigkeiten. Ein perfekter Einblick in das Herz der Sierra Tarahumara.

    ~2 Std.
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    Stops (6)

    Essen & Trinken

    1

    Restaurant Verónica

    Family restaurant in the center of Creel with Mexican cuisine.
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    2

    Restaurante Josber

    Restaurant with Mexican home-style cooking downtown Creel, near the Plaza and train station.
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    3

    Breakfast & Burritos with House-made Stews

    Simple spot in the center with breakfast and burritos, filled with homemade braised dishes.
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    4

    Los Caprichos del Chef

    Restaurant in the center of Creel, a few minutes' walk from the Plaza.
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    5

    El Jacalito

    Restaurant on the southern edge of Creel's center with Northern Mexican cuisine.
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    Dining and Drinks

    In Creel, you eat simply and heartily: Northern Mexican food with meat, beans, and cheese.

    Gorditas

    Filled corn flatbreads, freshly baked at stalls and in small local eateries.

    Burritos with Guisados

    Wheat tortillas with stews like Chile colorado, typical for Chihuahua.

    Mennonite cheese

    Mild cheese from the Mennonite communities in Chihuahua.

    History and Culture

    Railway Station in the SierraCreel was founded in 1907 as Estación Creel on the railway line and long thrived on timber and the railway. Today, tourism and the Rarámuri shape the town: women sell pine-needle baskets, dolls, and textiles on the street. In the community of San Ignacio Arareko, there is a simple stone church, accessible on foot from Creel.ExcursionsLago Arareko: Lake nestled between pine forests and rocks, a few kilometers south.Cascada de Cusárare: Waterfall with a hiking trail near the community of Cusárare.Divisadero: Viewpoint overlooking the canyon with a cable car, reachable by Chepe train or car.Batopilas: Former silver mining town at the bottom of the canyon, several hours' drive via a mountain road.

    Exploring Locally

    You can explore the center with its Plaza, station, and museum on foot. Tours to the rock valleys, Lago Arareko, and Cusárare depart from Creel; many hotels arrange them. You can also rent bicycles.Creel is the terminus of the Chepe Express from Los Mochis; the Chepe Regional connects Creel with Chihuahua. Buses run to Chihuahua too. Before your trip, check the current UK FCDO Travel Advice for Mexico and do not drive overland at night.

    Accommodations in Creel

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    Nearby

    Barrancas del Cobre (Copper Canyon)

    Barrancas del Cobre (Copper Canyon)

    The Barrancas del Cobre are a system of deep canyons in the Sierra Tarahumara in the southwest of the state of Chihuahua; the deepest, the Barranca de Urique, drops more than 1,800 m. You travel there for the Chepe train ride through the Sierra, the views from the rim at Divisadero, and hikes to waterfalls, rock valleys, and down into the warm valley of Batopilas. The region is home to the Rarámuri, and gateway towns are Creel and Divisadero along the Chihuahua al Pacífico railway line.
    Divisadero / Posada Barrancas

    Divisadero / Posada Barrancas

    Divisadero and the nearby Posada Barrancas are on the edge of the Copper Canyon, 2,400 m high on the Chepe railway line. From the viewpoint at the station, you see into several of the main canyons. Next to it: the Parque de Aventura with cable car, ZipRider, and zip lines.
    Batopilas

    Batopilas

    Batopilas is located at just 580m altitude at the bottom of the gorge of the Río Batopilas, about five bus hours from Creel. From the 18th to the early 20th century, the town was a center of silver mining. Since 2012, the village has been a Pueblo Mágico.
    Loreto

    Loreto

    Located on the Gulf Coast of Baja California Sur, Loreto was founded in 1697 as the peninsula's first permanent Spanish settlement. The Mission Church and Mission Museum form the heart of its small downtown. Off the coast is the Bahía de Loreto National Park, home to five larger islands.
    Baja California Sur

    Baja California Sur

    Baja California Sur encompasses the southern half of the Baja California peninsula, a desert land between the Pacific and the Gulf of California. You go for the resorts of Los Cabos on the southern tip, for boat trips from La Paz to Espíritu Santo Island with the sea lion colony of Los Islotes, and for the artist town Todos Santos near the Pacific coast. Further north lies the mission town Loreto on the Gulf. The islands and protected areas in the Gulf of California have been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2005.

    Sources & method

    • Photos: Wikimedia Commons, Google Maps. Each photo carries its credit.
    • Place data such as addresses and ratings comes from Google Maps.
    • The content is based on web research from public, traceable sources. How the content is made · The role of AI