Things to do in Creel
INTRODUCTION
Most people looking for things to do in Creel will find themselves visiting its outskirts, as it’s the towns surroundings that put Creel on the tourist map. With a population of just over 5000, the town consists of only a few streets but plenty of hotels and tour companies eager to help you explore the natural beauty around the town.
Creel was once primarily a logging town and the last stop of the Kansas City, Mexico and Orient Railway, the predecessor to El Chepe. Once the Ferrocarril Chihuahua Pacifico (Chepe) was completed in 1961, Creel’s tourism started to pick up and has now become its primary economy.
The town sits 2345 m (7700 ft) above sea level and the temperature can therefore vary quite a bit between seasons.
- November-March: daytime temperatures are 12 to 20°C (54 to 68°F) while temperatures at night are 0 to -6 °C (32 to 21°F) but have dropped as low as -22°C (-8°F). It does snow on occasion in Creel.
- April-October: daytime temperatures are 20 to 30°C (68 to 86°F), while temperatures at night are 0 to 10°C (32 to 50°F). The rainy season is July-August and sometimes September.
The best time to visit is September-October as the vegetation is lush and the rivers full, but it’s easy to find things to do in Creel any time of year.
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Where is Creel?
The town of Creel is located in the south-western portion of the state of Chihuahua, Mexico. It’s about 280 km (175 mi) from the state capital, the city of Chihuahua, and takes about 5.5 hours to reach by train.
Creel is the first major stop on a Chepe Regional train leaving from Chihuahua and is the beginning of the Chepe Express route. The town isn’t situated in the canyon system but rather just on the outskirts. Surrounded by plenty of natural wonders and native culture, it’s well worth a visit.
How to get to Creel
Currently, there are two different ways to get to Creel: train (El Chepe) and bus. A small airport is being built but was not yet finished at the time of writing this.
How to get to Creel by Train
From Chihuahua towards Los Mochis
The Chepe Regional leaves Chihuahua at 6:00 am on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays, and arrives in Creel at 11:47 am. After stopping for a couple of minutes, the train continues on to Divisadero and ultimately Los Mochis.
The Chepe Express begins its journey in Creel, departing at 7:30 am on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays, heading towards Divisadero and ultimately Los Mochis. It also does a quick round trip to Divisadero only on Saturdays departing at 8:30 am.
Below is a comprehensive Copper Canyon train schedule for travel in the Chihuahua to Los Mochis direction.
You may need to scroll left and right to view the entire table.
From Los Mochis towards Chihuahua
The Chepe Regional leaves Los Mochis at 6:00 am on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays, and arrives in Creel around 3:40 pm. If coming from Divisadero or Posada Barrancas, you can catch the train to Creel at 1:45 pm. From Creel, the train continues on to Cuahtémoc and reaches its final destination of Chihuahua at 9:34 pm.
The Chepe Express leaves Los Mochis at 1:00 pm on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and arrives in Creel at 10:40 pm. If coming from Divisadero, you can catch the train to Creel at 9:15 pm. In addition to the above times, the Express does a round trip to Divisadero and back on Saturdays departing Divisadero at 3:00 pm and arriving in Creel at 4:40 pm.
Below is a comprehensive Copper Canyon train schedule for travel in the Los Mochis to Chihuahua direction.
You may need to scroll left and right to view the entire table.
For more information about how to buy Copper Canyon train tickets, the differences between the Chepe Regional and the Chepe Express, Chepe ticket prices and train schedules, click here to visit our page: How to Visit Copper Canyon by Train.
By Bus
To or from Chihuahua
There are two bus companies with routes between the city of Chihuahua and Creel: Rápidos Cuauhtémoc (Estrella Blanca) and Autotransportes Turísticos del Noroeste. The ride is 4.5-5 hours and both companies have stations in the centre of Creel, very close to the train station. Marked on the map above.
Rápidos Cuauhtémoc buses leave Creel for Chihuahua 8 times daily between 6:30 am and 4:45 pm. Buses leaving Chihuahua for Creel depart the Central Bus Terminal, marked on the Chihuahua page map. Six buses head to Creel daily between 5:30 am and 4:45 pm. Tickets cost $288 MXP.
Autotransportes Turísticos del Noroeste have 8 daily departures for Chihuahua between 6:45 am and 5:00 pm. Buses leaving Chihuahua for Creel depart the Noroeste bus station, marked on the Chihuahua page map, every two hours between 5:45 am and 5:45 pm. Tickets are $260 MXP.
To Divisadero
Autotransportes Turísticos del Noroeste also runs between Creel and Divisadero every 2 hours from 10:30 am till 6:30 pm. The ride is only about an hour long and will allow you more flexibility than the train.
Things to do in Creel
Creel is a small town consisting primarily of two street. There isn’t much to do in the town itself but the surrounding area is packed with natural wonders and Rarámuri culture. The main sights to see are organized by location below.
If you want to see the sights on your own you can walk or rent either a bicycle or a motorbike. Check with your hotel to see if they have bikes, otherwise there are a few places scattered around town where you’ll find rentals.
If you’d like to book a tour you can choose from ATVs, horseback riding or a van. Most companies offer half-day, full-day and multi-day tours to choose from.
*scroll left or right to view entire table*
Hotels in Creel
Despite being a small town there are a fair number of places to choose from when looking for accommodations. That said, it’s best to book a hotel in advance as it does fill up during the summer, Semena Santa, and Christmas.
Hotels in Creel are basic (you won’t find a Hyatt or Hilton) but generally cheap, usually between $20 and $150 per night. Below are a few recommendations for different budgets:
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Visiting Creel – Additional Information
Below are some general tips from personal experience. If you have travelled in Mexico or Copper Canyon and have any other tips please feel free to leave a comment at the bottom of the page!
Things to do in Creel – Itineraries
How long should you stay in Creel? This will of course depend greatly on the individual and the activities they want to experience, however, staying 2 nights is plenty of time to get to know Creel and it’s immediate surroundings mentioned above. That said, a lot can be seen with just a one-night stay as well. Below are some potential itineraries for those wishing to stay in Creel 1 night or 2 nights. Note that the itineraries assume the traveller is using El Chepe to arrive and depart Creel and is continuing in an onward direction.
If you’d like to get to know Creel and it’s surroundings in greater detail, consider booking a multi-day tour through one of the travel agencies in town, such as The 3 Amigos.
Arriving in Creel from Chihuahua
Staying 1 Night
Day 1: Arrive in Creel ~ 11:30 am
- Check-in to hotel
- Grab some lunch
- Walk, rent a bike or book a tour to see the San Ignacio de Arareco area
- Dinner and evening in town
Day 2: Depart Creel ~ 11:30 am
- Breakfast
- Wander over to Casa de las Artesanías (opens at 9 am)
- Browse the handicrafts at Artesanías Misión (opens at 10 am, closed Sundays)
- Check-out of hotel
- Be ready to catch your onward train around 11:20 am.
Staying 2 Nights
Day 1: Arrive in Creel ~ 11:30 am
- Check-in to hotel
- Grab some lunch
- Book tours for the following day
- Walk, rent a bike or book a tour to see the San Ignacio de Arareco area
- Dinner and evening in town
Day 2: Full day in Creel
- Head out for a half-day or full-day tour of Cusárare
- End your tour with a relaxing dip in Recohuata Hot Springs
- Dinner and evening in town
Day 3: Depart Creel ~ 11:30 am
- Breakfast
- Wander over to Casa de las Artesanías (opens at 9 am)
- Browse the handicrafts at Artesanías Misión (opens at 10 am, closed Sundays)
- Check-out of hotel
- Be ready to catch your onward train around 11:20 am
Arriving in Creel from Los Mochis
Staying 1 Night
Day 1: Arrive in Creel ~ 3:45 pm
- Check-in to hotel
- Head straight for an afternoon in the Recohuata Hot Springs
- Dinner and evening in Creel
Day 2: Depart Creel ~ 3:45 pm
- Early breakfast
- Check-out of hotel, leave your bags
- Head out on a bike or organized tour to see the San Ignacio de Arareco area
- Be sure to be back and ready to catch the onward train ~ 3:30 pm
Staying 2 Nights
Day 1: Arrive in Creel ~ 3:45 pm
- Check-in to hotel
- Book any tours or rentals for the next day
- Visit the Museo de la Casa de las Artesanías (closes at 6 pm or 1 pm on Sundays)
- Dinner and evening in Creel
Day 2: Full day in Creel
- Early breakfast
- Head out on a 1/2-day or full-day tour to see Cusárare
- Dinner and evening in Creel
Day 3: Depart Creel ~ 3:45 pm
- Breakfast
- Check-out of hotel, leave your bags
- Trek out to any nearby sights you may have missed the day before, such as San Ignacio de Arareco area
- Browse the handicrafts at Artesanías Misión (closed Sundays)
- Lunch
- be ready to catch your onward train around 3:30 pm
Did you do any hiking, if so, did you hire a guide. If so, how much is a guide, what hikes did you do
Hi Rosemary!
On my trips through the Copper Canyon I didn’t do any serious hiking so I’m not too sure about costs. However, I would recommend hiring a guide as I don’t believe that there are well marked trails. Creel would be your best bet for finding a good guide. The owners at Hotel La Estacion are very helpful!
We are eagerly awaiting the new schedule to finalize our trip in a couple of months! Do you have any info on taking a taxi from Chihuahua to Creel, or do you know if Chihuahua has Uber? We arrive in Chihuahua on Saturday afternoon and depending on the new schedule, may have to travel to Creel that afternoon to catch Chepe Express Sunday morning. That will be a long travel day so we might want to spend the extra $ to get to Creel a bit faster, but my hubby prefers the safe feel of the bus. Do you have any insight?
BTW this is the best resource I have found for our trip. Thank you!!
Hi Susan,
Thank you so much for the comment!
Chihuahua does have Uber, however, I don’t know how much it would cost or if a driver would accept that fare as it is quite a distance. You could try calling the taxi company Sitio Unidad Chihuahua at +52 614 410 3556 to see if you could schedule a ride and get a quote. However, the bus is quite reliable and it could be your backup method.
I hope you have a great time!