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Where can you find a country with the largest city in the world, fantastic beaches, mountains, deserts, rain forests, ruins of ancient civilizations, a canyon twice the size of the Grand Canyon, floating gardens, primitive Indian tribes, pyramids, cities with European flair and architecture, migrating butterflies and whales, active volcanoes, mummies, castles, world class museums, affordable hotels, incredible cuisine, and much more?
The answer of course is Mexico!
For US and Canadian residents, even better news is that all of this is within driving distance (even though you may wish to fly), very affordable, and you don't even need a passport to visit.
Everyone knows about Mexico's great beach resorts. Many of these have been government sponsored and draw thousands of English, French, German, and Japanese speaking visitors every year. The fact is that Mexico's beaches (both Pacific and Caribbean) are some of the finest.
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100 Million Monarch butterflies can't be wrong. Winter in
Mexico!
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Mexico has something for
everyone.
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We would encourage anyone looking for a Winter vacation spot to visit any of Mexico's beach resorts. Unfortunately, this is often all that many tourists ever see of this country of marvels.
It is impossible to extol all the virtues of this great country in this forum. All that we can do here is to give you a little insight into a few of our favorite places that are within easy driving range of Juarez. Should you wish to explore more of Mexico, be sure to go to the next page, Other Places to Go on the Web, and order one of the recommended travel guides from Amazon.com.
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La Valenciana built by the Spanish Count near Guanajuato
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Near Ciudad Juarez
Samalayuca Sand Dunes
Only 32 miles south of Juarez is the Samalayuca sand dunes . Though only a small part of the Chihuahua Desert, the dunes cover an area of 94 square miles. The area is believed to have been first settled by the Nahuatl Indians from whom the name comes.
The area is known for its' marine fossils and petroglyps drawn on rocks. The blowing winds constantly move these white sand dunes around the area and create a real show as the curtains of sand turn golden in the sun.
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The Samalayuca Sand Dunes
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Casas Grandes
About 170 from Juarez are the villages of Nuevo Casas Grandes and Casas Grandes. The area is well known for its' famous Paquime Archeological Site as well as the many Mennonite farms in the area. The Mennonites arrived in Mexico in the 1920's and their cheese is sold throughout the country.
The Paquime area flourished for about 300 years between 900 and 1200 AD. The site is known for its' T-shaped doors, water distribution system, and building style some with as many as 5 floors. The area was, and still is, known for its' beautiful pottery production.
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The ruins of Paquime at Casas Grandes
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Chihuahua and The Copper Canyon
In the center of the State, about 235 miles South of the border, is the State Capital of Chihuahua. This is also the starting point for the Chihuahua-Pacifico Railway that runs through the Copper Canyon on to the Pacific coast town of Los Mochis.
We highly recommend spending a day in Chihuahua seeing the sights such as the former home of Pancho Villa, the State Capital Building, and others. A must see is Copper Canyon. The first class train departs daily at 6 am from the station behind the old State Prison.
The train spends the morning climbing into the mountains arriving in the small village of Creel about 11 am. This is the land of the Tarahumara Indians, the most primitive in North America. Many still live in cave dwellings and speak their own unique language.
The next stop is Divisadero on the rim of the Canyon. Though not as famous as its' sister in Arizona, the Copper Canyon is twice the size and nearly twice as deep as the Grand Canyon. Be sure to buy a few of the delicious gorditas sold by the Indian cooks in Divisadero, then sit back for the incredible ride along the rim of the canyon until you arrive in Los Mochis late that evening. This has got to be one of the most remarkable rail trips in the world going from desert, to mountain, traversing the rim of the canyon, through 86 tunnels, across 37 bridges, and finally arriving on the Pacific coast in somewhat more than half a day.
If you have a few extra days, catch the ferry boat from the harbor just a few miles from Los Mochis and go to La Paz, Baja California Sur. If you're here in Winter, be sure to watch for the migrating Gray Whales or catch one of the tour boats in La Paz for that purpose.
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