Our adventure through Chihuahua began with a ride on the Chepe Express train. We crossed part of one of Mexico's most impressive mountain ranges, which offered us stunning views and beautiful landscapes, all captured in our photos. We visited Cerro del Gallego, a must-see that allowed us to enjoy a beautiful view of the town of Urique, the Huapalaina River, suspension bridges, and a glass viewpoint, making for a truly memorable experience. We inspected Cabañas San Isidro, an eco-friendly lodging option that also supports the local community and where we found regional handicrafts. Finally, we arrived at the Hotel Misión de Cerocahui, where we toured part of their vineyard and enjoyed the comfort of their facilities.
The second day began with a walk through the town square and a visit to the San Francisco Javier Mission in Cerocahui. As part of our community outreach, we visited the Cerocahui Mission "God Will Provide," an institution that provides children in the Sierra Tarahumara with education, food, and a safe place to grow. On this occasion, CONEXSTUR members supported the mission by purchasing handicrafts. Later, we experienced the aerial forest adventure at Copper Canyon National Park, where we crossed 12 suspension bridges among the trees, each with varying levels of difficulty, before finally zipping along a 36-meter-long zip line. Almost ready to end the day, we hiked to different viewpoints overlooking the Copper Canyon. Our guide was the inspiring Adelina, a young girl from the Tarahumara community who accompanied us on this tour. We concluded the day with a delicious dinner and fellowship among the participants at the Hotel El Mirador.
Our third day began with a tour of the Otero viewpoint, where we admired the incredible landscape and visited the community of Arareko. There, we explored the Cave of San Sebastián, the Valley of the Mushrooms, Frogs, and Monks, as well as the Jesuit Mission of San Ignacio de Arareko. At Lake Arareko, we delighted our senses thanks to the warm hospitality and culinary experience provided by Maribel Villalobos Ruiz, a traditional cook from the Rarámuri community, who allowed us to savor delicious local dishes. The day concluded with us discovering unique works of art displayed in local artisan shops and recharging our batteries at the Hotel Quinta Misión to continue enjoying the wonders of Chihuahua.
On our penultimate day of extraordinary experiences, we visited the city of Cuauhtémoc, renowned as Mexico's most important apple-growing region and recognized as the "Municipality of the Three Cultures" since 2014, thanks to the presence of inhabitants from the Mestizo, Mennonite, and Rarámuri cultures. We learned about one of the three cultures that coexist in the area: the Mennonites, who belong to a religious and cultural community of European origin and are known for their artisanal dairy production. We visited the Mennonite Museum and at "Los Arcos" enjoyed a delicious pizza made with products from the community. We ended our day with a site inspection of the facilities at the Hotel Vetta, Distrito Uno, Autograph Collection.
On the last day of our adventures, we held one-on-one meetings with regional tour operators. The goal was to update our knowledge, expand our offerings, and incorporate new experiences in the destination. Afterward, we visited Casa Chihuahua, a site that is part of the Hidalgo Route. Its basement contains the dungeon that served as prison for Father Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla from April to July 1811, during which time he was tried and executed by Spanish authorities. The site now houses the Hidalgo Dungeon Museum, which allows visitors to learn about the last days of the Father of the Mexican Nation through the exhibition of some of his belongings and two bronze reproductions of the verses he wrote in charcoal hours before his death. We also toured the "Oro de Coyame" sotol distillery, where we learned about its production process. The word "Sotol" comes from the Nahuatl word tzotollin, meaning "the sweetness of the head," and it stands out as the only Mexican distilled spirit not made from maguey or agave.
We thank the ¡Ah Chihuahua! Trust for allowing us to discover the wonders of their state and for their great hospitality.
See you soon!
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