Creel is a Magical Town (pueblo mágico) located 260 kilometers (160 miles) southwest of Chihuahua. It takes 3 ½ hours by highway to get there from the capital. Creel is at an altitude of 2,240 meters (7,350 feet).
With its proximity to the Copper Canyons, its many hospitality services, roadways, valleys and waterfalls, this town is considered the gateway to the Sierra Tarahumara and to the Copper Canyons
What to do in Creel?
To learn about the Raramuri culture, we recommend a visit to the Tarahumara Museum housed in the old train station. Here you will discover an ancient culture with its traditions, customs and history. The best violins, textiles, masks and award-winning pieces from the contests held each year to promote local quality and creativity are on display at this museum.
Beside the main square you will find two temples and the old handicraft shop of the Jesuit Mission.
Nearby, you can visit the valleys of the frogs, monks and mushrooms, named for their rock formations, and also the San Ignacio Mission and Arareko Lake.
Just 22 kilometers (14 miles) to the south of Creel is the Cusarare Mission. Beside the Mission is the Sacred Art Museum, which houses 44 large oil paintings used by the Jesuits to evangelize the natives and recovered from the Tarahumara missions. A hike along a 3 kilometer (2 mile) path leads to one of the most beautiful waterfalls in the area.
The local service providers specialize in offering equipment for adventure sports, as well as:
- tours through the canyons,
- hikes,
- mountain climbing,
- rappelling,
- mountain biking,
- horseback riding,
- and much more…