If you’re going to name a place “View Hotel” in Spanish, you had better deliver the goods. Hotel Mirador Barrancas del Cobre does from every vantage point, plus it’s the only hotel in the Copper Canyons of Chihuahua to have a panoramic vista from each room. Step out on your balcony and you’ll have 180 degrees of nature’s glory.
Located a three-minute drive or a scenic hike from the Copper Canyon Adventure Park, Hotel El Mirador by Balderrama is in a prime location as well. It is near the Barrancas del Cobre train stop on the El Chepe train that goes from Chihuahua City to Los Mochis in Sinaloa. While there are other hotels in the area that have a good view, at El Mirador you don’t need to hang out in the public areas to see the canyon.
Other hotels have some rooms with a view, but it’s only a portion of them. Here you never have to worry about getting stuck with a second-tier choice when they’re nearly full.
Each room has a furnished balcony with two chairs and a table. They’re not private since a wall would cut off part of the view, so it’s not unusual to look down the line around sunrise and see others enjoying the majesty. Inside the sliding glass doors there are traditional tile floors, adobe-looking walls, and large wood beams overhead. Bedding is simple and white with minimal accent pillows. No point in competing with the show outside, with the canyon colors changing as the sun rises in front and moves across the sky.
Baths supply basic toiletries and there’s a TV with mostly Spanish language channels. There are fireplaces for cold winter months, though most guests are not inside their room enough to make use of that.
You’re more likely to spend your time in the large open main room containing a bar with indoor seating, an outdoor deck facing the canyon, and a restaurant with large tables for sharing. When the weather is cool there’s a roaring fire in the big fireplace and many nights there is a live music duo as well.
With most guests being part of groups on a tour, three-course set meals are the norm for lunch and dinner, prepared efficiently and with flavors that aren’t watered down for tourists. (More guests are actually Mexican than foreign in this part of the country.) These meals plus a limited but sufficient breakfast buffet are included in the rates. Menu items are a mix of international standards and Mexican dishes, with few standouts but also few disappointments.
Just be advised that in this remote area, you can run up a hefty bar bill in a hurry: the three Mexico City residents in my group declared that beer prices here were the highest they had every paid in Mexico – more than in the fanciest clubs in the capital.
Other public areas include a coffee counter, a gift shop, and a game room with a battered pool table and foosball table. There are also some books for trading out if you’ve run out of something to read. In theory there is free wireless internet, but it seldom worked during our stay and the staffers just shrugged. You’ll have better luck with the cell signal if you use AT&T or T-Mobile, so then you can tether your phone. If you don’t have a data plan that works in Mexico, plan on unplugging for a while.
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Hotel Mirador Barrancas del Cobre is part of a regional chain, so you can expect reasonably good service, though you might need to practice your Spanish to be understood once you get past the front desk. Rates here include all meals and generally run from $200 to $310 at any time of year. If you’re with a tour group that’s staying here, you’ll be paying less as part of your package.
Note that this is now listed online as “Hotel El Mirador by Balderrama Collection Hotel.” You can see more at the hotel website in Spanish, but for English options check Posada Barranca Mirador rates at these links: Expedia. Or you can see reviews and rates from other booking sites at the TripAdvisor page.
Taking the train all the way to Sinaloa? See our rundown of the best places to stay in Mazatlan.
Review and photos by editor Tim Leffel, who was hosted at the property by the state of Chihuahua on a Copper Canyons tour before the Adventure Travel Mexico conference.
