State is home to awe-inspiring Copper Canyon

Some truly high times await those visiting the Mexican state of Chihuahua.

The northern, U.S. border-fronting state is home to the dramatic Copper Canyon, much deeper than the famed Grand Canyon of the southwestern United States, reaching a depth of up to 1,400 meters, and home to Barrancas Park, whose Lizbeth Molina Rodriguez, reports that park visitors will find plenty of adventurous activities suited for adrenaline seekers.

Awaiting the adrenaline crowd is a restaurant with a glass floor well above the canyon floor where “you can can see all the way down”; ziplines, one 3,651 feet long and over 1,313 deep; rappelling; and a lofty suspension bridge people can walk along.

“Don’t worry about it,” she assured those attending a recent Toronto event. “When you are there you know what freedom is. We can combine adventure with nature.”

The Copper Canyon can be viewed from the CHEPE train, which takes people on journeys of hundreds of miles that cross 37 bridges and go through 86 tunnels, and was over 100 years in the making.

Chihuahua is also home to Indigenous groups, with Monica Obregon of the Chihuahua Tourism Board telling the Toronto audience, “Once you get to Chihuahua you’re going to discover culture and nature and adventure.”

Visitors can also visit Magical Towns, which receive that designation from the Mexican government because they’re seen as particularly interesting for tourists. Among those towns is Creel, home to numerous arts and crafts shops. Also on hand for the event was Mexican ambassador Porfirio Munoz Ledo, who suggested Chihuahua offers a different type of Mexican vacation than Canadians are generally familiar with.

“The current choices are between sun and beach or culture and city travel,” he said. “Chihuahua offers a third option that combines adventure, discovery, tradition and culinary attractions.”

Among carriers serving the state capital of Chihuahua City is Aeromexico, with the airline’s Cesar Alvarenga reporting that that carrier is marking its 90th anniversary.

Aeromexico — which links Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver with Mexico City — serves 52 cities throughout Mexico.

Those travelling between this country and Mexico City with Aeromexico can choose from different classes of service, including what Alvarenga labelled “super comfortable” business class. “You’ll get what you expect when you fly business class,” he added.

Alvarenga said Aeromexico is the only carrier now operating between Canada and Mexico that “still offers complimentary meals.”

Complimentary drinks are also included, including tequila-based drinks.

The evening also saw Ontario photographer Randy VanDerSterren and his son Spencer — who recently visited Chihuahua and are displaying some of their photos of the state in Toronto’s Pearson International Airport — praise the destination, with Randy pronouncing it an “incredible part of the world.”

Some of the VanDerSterrens Chihuahua’s pictures were on display during the event.

Among others who attended the presentation was Gonz Moreno of Toronto-based Mexico specialist Moreno Travel, who has visited Chihuahua and gave the train trip the thumbs up.

“It hasn’t been promoted (in Canada) much but it’s spectacular, one of the most spectacular in the world,” he said. Moreno said Chihuahua is well-suited for FIT travel and is a “very different destination (for Canadians) not far from home.”

Meanwhile, Munoz Ledo said Mexican tourism is on a roll.

“Mexico ranks sixth worldwide in the number of tourist arrivals,” he said. “In 2023, that number was 42.2 million — roughly 4 million more people than the entire population of Canada. This remarkable achievement speaks to Mexico’s enduring appeal as a destination for travellers worldwide. Canadians were the second [biggest] nationality to visit Mexico in 2023. A stunning 2.4 million Canadians travelled to Mexico — one for every 16 people in this country. This shows not only the warmth and hospitality of the Mexican people and our rich culture but also our world-class infrastructure and services that cater to all types of tourists. For Canadian tourists, Mexico attracts beach-goers, mountain climbers, adventure-seekers and city explorers.”