Attractions of Mexico

The whale sanctuary of El Vizcaino is located on the Pacific coast of central Baja California. The coastal lagoons of Ojo de Liebre and San Ignacio are important reproduction and wintering sites for the grey whale, harbour seal, California sea lion, northern elephant-seal and blue whale. The ecosystems here are also important refuges for wintering wildfowl and a habitat for some 20 threatened animal species including four species of endangered marine turtle. The whale watching season is between late December and mid March and tours from La Paz offer the chance to see the 18 metre grey whale with its newborn offspring.

UNESCO World Heritage Site: Whale Sanctuary of El Vizcaino

This site is located in the Gulf of California between Baja and the Mexican mainland and comprises 244 islands, islets and coastal areas. The area is a natural laboratory for speciation and oceanographic processes. Species diversity is enormous with almost 700 vascular plant species, almost 900 fish species, 39% of the world’s total number of species of marine mammals and a third of the world’s marine cetacean species. The site is one of exceptional beauty with rugged islands, high cliffs and sandy beaches. The clear water and diversity of marine life make the region an excellent spot for diving.

UNESCO World Heritage Site: Islands and Protected Areas of the Gulf of California

Sumidero Canyon

The Sumidero Canyon is a spectacular gorge 41km long and up 1,000 metres deep formed by the Rio Grijalva. The best way to experience the canyon is by boat ride through the narrow gorge between kilometre high vertical cliff faces. You're likely to spot crocodiles and other wildlife on the banks of the river. In the 16th century 1000 Chiapa Indians committed suicide by jumping off these cliffs to avoid capture and submission to Spanish rule.

Sian Ka'an

Meaning 'Origin of the Sky' in the Mayan language, Sian Ka'an is the world's second largest biosphere reserve after the Amazon. Covering over 5,000 km², the reserve contains tropical forests, mangroves, marshes, coastal dunes and a large marine section intersected by a barrier reef. It is home to a rich diversity of flora and fauna, with 1,200 plant species, 300 bird species and over 100 mammals including jaguar, puma, ocelot, spider and howler monkeys, kinkajou, collared anteater and Caribbean manatee.

UNESCO World Heritage Site: Sian Ka'an

Copper Canyon

The Copper Canyon, or Barranca del Cobre, is located in the Sierra Madre Mountains in the state of Chihuahua in northern Mexico. Dwarfing the more famous Grand Canyon of Arizona in both length and depth, it is over 50km long and consists of a series of gorges which are up to 2,000 metres deep. The canyons form a breathtaking spectacle with some of the most impressive being Urique, Batopilas, Sinforosa and Cobre. The Copper Canyon can be explored on its famous railway (see separate entry) or by exploring on foot from some of the towns and villages on route. Creel is a popular town from which to explore the canyons and some spectacular rock formations and waterfalls nearby. Dividadero and Cerocahui provide probably the best single viewpoints into Urique Canyon where you can stand right on the edge of the precipice and stare up to 2,000 metres into the valley below.

El Chepe - Copper Canyon Railway

The Ferrocarril Chihuahua al Pacifico, or El Chepe for short, is one of the world's most spectacular rail journeys. Connecting Chihuahua in north-central Mexico to Los Mochis on the Pacific coast, the railway runs for 655km south-west through the Sierra Madre Mountains and skirting the spectacular Copper Canyon (Barranca del Cobre). The railroad was originally conceived to establish the shortest rail link between Kansas City and a Pacific port, but delays in construction meant it took almost 100 years to complete. Today it is the only functioning railway left in Mexico but has become a major tourist attraction. Leaving Chihuahua, the train gradually ascends through the territories of the Mennonites and Tarahumara Indians before reaching the high point after Creel. At Divisadero, the train stops for 15 minutes to allow passengers to walk to the edge of the Urique Canyon, one of the most spectacular of the canyons with a breathtaking view 1200 metres to the valley below. The Copper Canyon is larger and sometimes deeper than its famous northern neighbour, the Grand Canyon, being 50km long and up to 2,000 metres deep. After Divisadero, the train rides along the most spectacular part of the railway, gradually descending for 100km passing over and through the majority of the 39 bridges and 86 tunnels constructed for the track, including a 180 degree turn within a mountain tunnel that descends 100 feet. In this section, the journey is best experienced leaning out the doors at the end of each carriage and soaking up the wind-swept vistas as the train clings to the cliff edges. Returning to lower altitudes, its worth disembarking at El Fuerte, a sleepy and attractive colonial town, rather than going all the way to Los Mochis after dark. The total journey takes 13 hours, but can be broken up at a number of stops along the way to further explore the canyons.

This biosphere reserve comprises the dormant volcanic Pinacate Shield of black and red lava flows and the Gran Altar Desert with its islands of linear, star and dome sand dunes that can reach a height of 200 metres. The reserve is home to distinct plant and wildlife species including endemic freshwater fish species and the endemic Sonoran Pronghorn, found only in northwestern Sonora and in southwestern Arizona. The site is also notable for the ten enormous, deep and almost perfectly circular craters formed by a combination of eruptions and collapses.

UNESCO World Heritage Site: El Pinacate and Gran Desierto de Altar Biosphere Reserve