We spent most of last winter with Ed and Gail Michayluk in Rincon de Guyabitos, and decided to spend a month travelling through Mexico on our way home to the frozen north.

One of the things we wanted to do was to ride the train to the Copper Canyon. We had heard that El Fuerte, in Sinaloa state, was a better place to leave from than from Los Mochis, and that to leave our rigs there would be more secure. Also, the train is cheaper and a two-hour shorter ride from there.

We spent the first night in Los Mochis, as Ed needed a new tire, and after the tire was installed drove the 80 km to El Fuerte. It is a delightful drive along a good two-lane highway, with little traffic so one can enjoy the scenery.

On arriving at the El Fuerte RV Park we were met by the affable Bill Trimble, the owner, who is a transplanted Texan. He guided us to our sites and then told us that there was a lot more to El Fuerte than just being a gateway to the Copper Canyon.

We were so enthralled with the area we spent an additional five days after coming back from the Copper Canyon. Except for the river tour, all the tours we took were self-guided.

El Fuerte (The Fort) is a small colonial town that has a slow-paced atmosphere, in a beautiful setting along the El Fuerte River. The rebuilt fort is visible from the river, and is prominent in town. In my Top Ten list you can discover four of the items while walking downtown.

Don Francisco de Ibarra founded el Fuerte in 1564. He named it San Juan Bautista de Carapoa. The Apaches destroyed it one year later. In 1610 Viceroy Montesclaros ordered a fort to be built and the town grew around it.

10. Birria and other El Fuerte Restaurants

The restaurants are very good here, from the ordinary, everyday type to the most elegant. One morning we went to visit an Indian village and Ed stayed behind to have breakfast with Bill Trimble. When we saw him he has this big foolish grin on his face and said that the meal was a "keeper." What he had eaten was birria, which is goat soup. It is cooked all night and then made into a soup in the morning and served with hot, fresh, hand-made tortillas. They were among the best tortillas we had eaten in Mexico. (It always amazes me how they can make a perfect tortilla just by slapping it around.) So the next morning we all went to the place for breakfast. It is just a little stand with stools, but the birria was delicious! It is Mexican ambiance at its best, and an experience not to be missed.

9. Hunting and Fishing

We are neither hunters nor fishers, but this is a centre for white wing dove hunting and bass fishing. I can’t feature shooting doves, but need to include this, as the area is famous for it. There are many guides available and can be arranged by Bill Trimble or at any of the hotels. Try the local fish in one of the restaurants; it is delicious and you won’t have to catch it.

8. The Plaza

The Plaza is a riot of flowers and plants, statues and a kiosk (band shell). The Plaza should be viewed both in the daytime and in the evening. At night it becomes a magical and romantic place with subdued lighting and lovers sitting on the benches. There was a magical spell that prompted me to walk hand in hand with my wife. You can spend a couple of hours here in the evening, easily.

We went for dinner in a restaurant in an elegant, converted mansion and then went for a walk in the Plaza. If you want to feel romantic, this will do it. It made us feel young again.

7. El Palacio Municipal (Municipal Hall)

This is a wonderful building that should also be seen both by day and by night. It is a block-square building, built around a central plaza. In the day it is a hub of activity, but like the plaza, at night has a totally different atmosphere, with a lit fountain in the center of the courtyard. The entire downtown area, with the old church, is a good example of colonial architecture.

6. Hotel El Fuerte and La Posada Hidalgo

These are two very old hotels one block from the Plaza. One of them was a former mansion. The management does not mind you wandering around and looking. The hotels are full of antiques, fountains and flower gardens, and are really spectacular. You can peek into the marvelous rooms, and if you wish, you could treat your partner to a night in one of them for about $130. In La Posada Hidalgo you can easily get lost as there are so many hallways and turns, which was really fun! Every turn will bring a new vista or a room full of antique furniture.

5. El Fuerte (The Fort)

This fort can be a part of a downtown walking tour. It has a great view of the town and the river so it is the first place I would visit. It houses a great museum with lots of artifacts from the region. If you are interested in the guns of the conquistadors and the revolution, this is a must-see. There are lots of gold coins and they caution you not to take them!

4. Hidalgo Lake Tour

This trip is really to see the dam, and the rookeries that are below the dam. It is a trip about 10 miles from El Fuerte. If you take the river tour first, you will see where you had been.

The statue of Miguel Hidalgo Costillas stands in the center of the dam. He was a Roman Catholic priest whose writings fired the Mexican Revolution. On the hill at the other end of the dam sits a huge statue of Tlaloc the Mayan rain god. You can drive across the dam, which affords great view of the lake and the foothills of the Sierra Madre Mountains in the background. Watch out for the wild burros on the road.

3. El Fuerte River Tour

This tour is about three hours duration and follows the river from El Fuerte to the Hidalgo dam, a distance about 12 miles aboard the riverboat La Reina del Rio (The Queen of the River). It is a new 24 ft riverboat powered by a jet engine, and is US Coast Guard rated to carry 16 people, but the most they take is 10.

If you are a bird watcher, this is a must-do trip. We saw over 20 species of birds, plus the largest rookery I have ever seen. There were thousands of cormorants, egrets and great blue herons nesting in huge trees. Truly one of the most magnificent sights I have ever seen, but the smell from the droppings leaves a lot to be desired and those birds can be really noisy! During January and February, one birder counted 60 different species. Chuck Bell, tour director of the American Birding Association, recommends this trip.

We stopped on the way downstream to see ancient petroglyphs on the Hill of the Mask.

2. El Fuerte RV Park

This park is the only full-service park in El Fuerte. It has both 50 and 30-amp hookups, water with good pressure, and sewer hookups on 26 level, pull-through sites. The biggest rigs and slide-outs can be accommodated. There are washer and dryers (10 pesos for wash and 10 pesos for dry, paid on the honour system) and clean hot water showers. This is a new park and everything works. Bill allowed us to wash our rigs here so we took the opportunity to clean our bus conversions inside and out. Bill Trimble, the owner, is very helpful and will direct you to the best places to eat, to shop, and to look at. He provided us with a map of the area and a list of the best things to see and discover.

1. The Gateway to the Copper Canyon

Our first goal in coming to El Fuerte was to take the Chihuahua al Pacifico Railroad to Creel and to see the Copper Canyon. People come from all over the world to ride this train. There are two trains from El Fuerte: the First Class and the Economical. We took the Economical, which was half the price of the First Class and slower. We stayed overnight in Divisidero in a delightful cabin, and then took a tour of the edge of the Canyon, then on to Creel. We took the afternoon train back to El Fuerte. If we did it again, we would spend a couple of days at the bottom of the Canyon. It was cold up at the Canyon, so take lots of clothes. We went the second week in March and the apricot blossoms were in full bloom.

The Canyon is the home of the 50,000 to 70,000 Tarahumara Indians, Mexico’s second-largest native group. You will have many opportunities to see them, especially if you take a tour of the canyon.

If you stay at El Fuerte RV Park, Bill Trimble will arrange for a taxi to take you to the train station. There were taxis waiting when we returned. The park is a safe place to leave your rig.

There is a lot more to see! We also went to an Indian village, to see the native dancers and a typical home. There are drives to other dams and lakes and lots more restaurants to try. You can see a church that was destroyed by Pancho Villa, and can steep yourself in the history of the area. It is well worth the drive and is only 80 km out of your way if you are driving north or south. There is only one drawback to the area, and that is the black flies (No-see-ums). We found the Mexican insect repellant, Autan, works well. After 8 p.m. there were no flies, and sitting outside was really pleasant, but with insect repellant use, anytime outside was tolerable.

Directions to El Fuerte RV Park:

Driving south on Mexico 15, turn at km 55. There is a road sign pointing to El Fuerte. This is a u-turn to the northbound lane, go 200 yards north and turn left on the paved road to El Fuerte. Drive 58 km and turn left just past a small hotel driveway and before an old house. You will see the RV park on your left.

Driving north on Mexico 15, turn right on the highway to El Fuerte (it is just north of the Hotel Colinas) and drive 80 km to a Pemex station on your right. Turn left on the El Corrizo highway just past the Pemex station and drive 1.3 km and go straight instead of following the highway, between the hotel and an old house, and you will see the RV park on your left.