Beach Escape
Maviri Beach You can either take a 45-minute boat ride or a half-hour drive from Topolobampo to Maviri Beach, the beach where the locals hang out on their weekends. There is excellent bird watching on the road from Topolobampo; you'll see an amazing variety and number of birds, including cranes, white and brown pelicans, scissor birds and other waterfowl nesting in the area. While you'll find many seafood restaurants on the beach, the famous El Maviri Restaurant is where the locals go. (See restaurant listing above.)
Birding Tours
Torres Travel Tours & Expeditions can arrange a customized Copper Canyon Birding Expedition. Torres Travel is an agency headquartered in El Fuerte. You'd have to make the hoof from Topolobampo to El Fuerte, but you'll have a productive birding expedition with Torres Travel. They can be reached at (602) 774-1797
Copper Canyon & Train
Copper Canyon The Copper Canyon (Barranca del Cobre in Spanish) is a region in northwestern Mexico desert that hosts some of the most spectacular and stunning natural scenery in Mexico's inland territory. The Copper Canyon is actually a series of 20 canyons, formed over the years by six rivers. While often compared to Arizona's Grand Canyon, the Copper Canyon is seven times larger, and has different topography, flora and fauna than the Grand Canyon.
The Tarahumara people, descendants of the Aztecs, still live a simple life in these canyons, as they have done for thousands of years. Today, they also sell their crafts and food to visitors who take the Copper Canyon Train Ride.
Copper Canyon Railway The Chihuahua al Pacifico Railroad, known as ChP or Chepe, is a major rail line in northwest Mexico, linking the city of Chihuahua, Chihuahua, to the town of Los Mochis, Sinaloa. The line runs for 400 miles (650 km) and traverses the Copper Canyon. Many travelers have called this voyage the most scenic railroad trip on the continent.
The Copper Canyon railway is a stunning piece of engineering achievement. Construction of the railway began in 1898, but was not completed until 1961. The railway was designed to connect the Pacific Ocean with Mexico's central desert territory and Chihuahua. The route continues to be a major freight connection between Chihuahua and the Pacific coast.
The tracks pass over 37 bridges (the longest bridge is over a quarter of a mile, or 500 meters long) and through 86 tunnels (the longest being over three-quarters of a mile, or 1,500 meters), rising as high as 8,200 feet (2,400 meters) above sea level near Divisadero, a popular lookout spot over the canyons. Each one-way trip takes roughly 16 hours.
The trip being offered by Holland America is a specially chartered train that takes its passengers to a high point on the route that offers some great views of the Copper Canyon. The passengers interact with the local indians, then are served a lunch. After 90 minutes at the vista point, the passengers re-board the train and return to El Fuerte, then bus it back to Topolobampo. All in all, the trip takes 18 hours.
In 1998, the private rail franchise Ferromex took over the railroad from the Mexican government, which had operated all railroads since 1940.
Eco-Excursion
Farallon Island This small rocky island is a wildlife oasis, with seals and sea lions and countless species of birds. Farallon Island is just off the coast about 20 miles from Topolobampo. It'll take about 1 hour to reach the island by boat.
Sportsfishing
There are a number of sports fishing boats that will take you out into the Sea of Cortez to fish for marlin, sailfish, wahoo and dorado. Check with the fishing boat charter operators at the Topolobampo harbor for details.
Torres Travel Tours & Expeditions offer a Deep Sea Fishing Charter that leaves from Topolobampo. On this cruise you will set the fishing lines for trolling in open sea. Fishing species include marlin, sailfish, snook and red snapper. They can be reached at (602) 774-1797
Los Mochis City Attractions
Sinaloa Park & Botanical Garden This garden was once the private garden of American Benjamin Johnston, who founded the Los Mochis Sugar Mill. The park covers 35 acres and contains plants from around the world. The park is located next to the Sugar Mill and the Los Mochis Golf Club. Open every day from 6:00 am to 6:00 pm.
Parque 27 de Septiembre Created in the old American Quarter, the park is similar in structure to Mexican parks of its kind and sits in front of the Sagrado Corazon Church, dating from the beginning of the 20th century.
La Pergola (Memorial Hill) This is the best (and only) spot in town to get a great view of the whole valley. In 1993 a monument was built to honor the Virgin of the Valley. Open from 7:00 am to 8:00 pm.
Espinoza Culture House Located at the bottom of Memorial Hill, the Culture House displays regional pre-Hispanic artifacts.
Museum
The Regional Museum of El Fuerte Valley Originally called the Chapman House, located in the old American Quarter of Los Mochis, the facility was renovated in the 1980s. The Regional Museum features local pre-Hispanic pieces and important historical documents and photographs. In addition, original works by local artists are exhibited from time to time. Open Tuesday through Saturday, from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm and 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm; and Sundays from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm.
El Fuerte
El Fuerte El Fuerte is a city of 30,000 people in the Mexican state of Sinaloa. The city was founded in 1563 by the Spanish conquistador Francisco de Ibarra, the first explorer of the lofty Sierra Madre Occidental mountains. In 1610 a fort was built to ward off the fierce Zuaque and Tehueco Native Americans, who constantly harassed the Spaniards. For years, El Fuerte served as the gateway to the vast frontiers of the northern native-held territories of Sonora, Arizona and California.
For three centuries it was the most important commercial and agricultural center of the vast northwestern region of Mexico. El Fuerte was a chief trading post for silver miners and gold seekers from the Urique and Batopilas mines in the nearby mountains.
In 1824, El Fuerte became the capital of Sonora y Sinaloa (reaching up into Arizona). It remained so for several years until the dissolution of this state.
Today, El Fuerte is famous for being the western gateway of the Copper Canyon railway.
Zorro Zorro is a fictional character created in 1919 by pulp writer Johnston McCulley. Zorro (Spanish for Fox) is the secret identity of Don Diego de la Vega, a nobleman and master swordsman living in the Spanish colonial era of California. The typical image of him is a black-clad masked outlaw who defends the people of the land against tyrannical officials and other villains. Not only is he much too cunning for the bumbling authorities to catch, but he delights in publicly humiliating those same foes.
The character's visual motif is typically a black costume with a flowing Spanish cape, a flat-brimmed Andalusian-style hat, and a black cowl mask that covers the top of the head from eye level upwards. In his first appearance, he wears a cloak instead of a cape, a black mask covering his whole face with slits for eyes and a sombrero.
His favored weapon is a rapier which he often uses to leave his distinctive mark, a Z made with three quick cuts. He also uses a bullwhip, rather like the later Indiana Jones. In his debut, he uses a pistol.
Zorro debuted in McCulley's 1919 story The Curse of Capistrano, serialized in five parts in the pulp magazine All-Story Weekly. At the story's conclusion, Zorro's true identity is revealed to all.
While on their honeymoon, Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford selected the story as the inaugural picture for their new studio, United Artists. Thus began the character's cinematic tradition. The story was adapted as The Mark of Zorro in 1920, which was a great success. McCulley's story was re-released by his publisher under the same title so as to tie in with the film.
Due to public demand fueled by the film, McCulley wrote over 60 additional Zorro stories, starting in 1922. The last, The Mask of Zorro, was published posthumously in 1959. The black costume that modern audiences associate with the character stems from Fairbanks' hit movie rather than McCulley's original story, and McCulley's subsequent Zorro adventures copied Fairbanks's Zorro rather than the other way around. McCulley died in 1958, just as the Disney-produced Zorro television show was becoming phenomenally successful.
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