Northwest Mexico Overview

Saddle up and make sure you’ve got that grit in your guts and that spit in your eye, because the Northwest’s rugged terrain requires a lot of stamina. Home to aggressive border towns, isolated fishing villages, and some of the most impossibly beautiful scenery in the entire world, this least-touristed corner of Mexico is an area of contrast, extremity, and duress. It’s a long trip from the heavy industry and countless shanty towns of the Chihuahuan Desert to the perfect climate and towering waves of the Sea of Cortés. For many, the region serves as an introduction to the country: debaucherous tequila nights, oversized sombreros, pack animals, and triple-digit temperatures. As a Mexican rule, things calm down the farther south you go. As time slows to a virtual standstill in the dusty pueblos—miles from nowhere—listen to flies buzz, and watch vaqueros clad in tight jeans swaggering about. Despite the lack of a tourism infrastructure, the Northwest can be extremely rewarding. Just be ready, and bring a pair of cowboy boots and a sombrero of your own—the noroeste sun is merciless.

The Sierra Madre Occidental rips through the heart of Northwest Mexico, pushing back the desert and the sandstorms for almost half of the country’s length. In this range, one will find Mexico’s most beautiful natural wonder—the canyon system known as Las Barrancas del Cobre (Copper Canyon). The chasms stretch down from snow-capped peaks and pines to sub-tropical river valleys and mango trees. Backpackers from all over the world are carted in by the CHEPE train, an engineering marvel often considered the greatest locomotive ride in the entire world. To the far west, the states of Sonora and Sinaloa open up to endless beach stretches along the Sea of Cortés, where the weather is calm, the locals friendly, and the opportunities limited only by your wallet and watch. Sailing, deep sea fishing, and ecotourism are popular all along the coast.

Although the heat dismays many prospective visitors, intrepid travelers know the two arid states of Chihuahua and Durango, to the east, are rich in folklore and true-grit adventure. It was from this area that Pancho Villa waged his weary war against the caudillos of the Revolution, and in some places he is still worshipped as a Mexican messiah.

Farther south towards the country’s heart are Aguascalientes and Zacatecas, bastions of Mexican patriotism. These major cities—an art lover’s dream—remain in 16th-century condition, with towering basilicas, dozens of museums, ornate garden fountains, and even Roman-style aqueducts. The road formerly known as “The Silver Trail” cuts through this region, leading to the riches and wonders of the D.F. and Mexico’s core.

• Aguascalientes

Named for the hot springs near the city center, Aguascalientes (pop. 800,000) is famous throughout Mexico for its no-holds-barred Feria de San Marcos, when the whole city goes wild for three weeks from ...more

• Zacatecas

Almost 400 years ago, the founding Spanish silver barons swore an oath to pave the streets of Zacatecas (pop. 125,000) with the precious metal. Using indigenous labor, they extracted more than 6000 ...more