Batopilas sits at the bottom of the Copper Canyon, in a gorge so deep that tropical fruit grows where the rim above is covered with pine forest. The town was founded in 1708 as a silver mining settlement, and its fortunes surged in the 1880s, when an American, Alexander Shepherd, a former governor of the District of Columbia, bought the mines and made a fortune. He brought in machinery and electricity, and Batopilas had electric light before Mexico City did, a fact the locals tell with pride. The old stone houses, the aqueduct and the plaza with its bandstand recall the boom, and the remains of the hacienda are still there.
The canyon is the home of the Raramuri, also known as the Tarahumara, a people who have lived in the sierra for centuries and are famous for their long-distance running, covering enormous distances over rough terrain in sandals made of old tyre tread. Their villages are scattered through the hills, and a few women sell baskets and woven goods by the road. Not far from the town is the mission church of Satevo, built in the eighteenth century, often called the cathedral of the sierra, a solid, whitewashed building in a quiet valley.
The road from Creel to Batopilas is one of the great descents in Mexico, dropping from about 2,300 metres to roughly 500 in a series of hairpins on the canyon walls, with huge drops, blind bends and sections of gravel. It is long, slow and demanding, not a road to hurry, with trucks and buses squeezing past on the narrow parts. Landslides happen in the rainy months, from July to September, and the drive back up is just as slow. Early morning gives you the best light on the canyon walls.
Fuel is in Creel, and there is no station to rely on along the way, so fill the tank and carry a spare can. Batopilas has small guesthouses, simple restaurants and a modest supply of petrol, but confirm before relying on it. It is hot down here, so shed layers as you descend, and swim in the river if you have time.