Just north of Creel, Chihuahua, at the mouth of Copper Canyon, lies an ecotourism "complex" called Arareko. The 400 indiginous families living in the ejido (communal farming community) of San Ignacio de Arareko are the owners.
Known in Spanish by the name Tarahumara and as the Rarumari in their own language, the indiginous community has slowly expanded the facilities over the last few years.
For those of us lucky enough to know of its existence, Arereko offers pictaresque vistas and cabins, mountain biking, hiking, horseback riding and even boating in Lake Arareko, and a unique perspective on local Indiginous culture.
Of equal importance, the complex gives the community an alternative development strategy to farming or working down the road in Creel, where most of the stores and hotels are not in indiginous hands.
Enough bantering. This is about fun in the Tarahumara Mountain sun. Over the four-day Thanksgiving week-end, my wife and I spent three nights in the "Batosarachi" cabins about 10 kms. north of Creel on the road to Guachochi.
The pine wood cabins - there are about 20 rooms in all as well as a kitchen and eating hall which can be rented out by larger groups - cost 35 Nuevo Pesos ($5) per person per night, and provide an electric heater, wool blankets, a shower with hot and cold water and the the caretakers' company.
Dona Natalia is la jefa, and we spent several nights by her wood- burning stove heating up our meals or purchasing her home-made tortilla and bean burritos. It is a cosy existence among the mountain pines and the occassional cry of an eagle or owl overhead.
Back toward Creel, a more luxurious alternative is the Segorachi Cabin, which overlooks Lake Arareko and has ameneties such as a fireplace. The nearby "House of the Women" sells local arts and crafts next to the lake, while further down, near "Elephant Rock," is the entrance to the lake proper with boats and horses for rent.
You can not see Copper Canyon itself from here, although it's just a few hours drive toward Bato Pila. But there's plenty of excellent canyon and mountain climbing.
Just beyond the lake are the Bisabirachi Rocks, also known as the "Nuns," gigantic limestone rocks which tower 100s of feet above the valley and farmhouses below. Within the farming community itself are other rock formations, such as the "Valley of Mushrooms," gigantic boulders which look like ..... you get the picture.
You can also travel with an indiginous guide deep into the mountain range by foot, bike or horse. One recommended trip is on dirt roads (by horseback) 15 kilometers to the top of a gigantic spectacular canyon. From there, a four kilometer hike takes you down to both the Rekowata Hot Springs and to a beautiful mountain stream. It's a long journey, but well worth the effort. There's also the Rukirasco Waterfalls, also accesible by dirt road.
The state government offered to pave the roads in San Ignacio and the surrounding natural areas to make them drivable, but the community vetoed the measure. They felt this "progress" would lead to overdevelopment and cut them -- and their guided tours -- out of the picture. The indiginous community has been fortunate to be assisted by a local non-profit group called Alternative Training and Community Development (ALCADECO). Led by Laura Frade Rubio and Dr. Juan Carlos Perez Castro, both transplants from Mexico City, ALCADECO has helped support the indiginous community on its road to self-reliance.
Originally supported by the Catholic Church, ALCADECO today depends upon small grants and individual donations (hint, hint!). When visiting this area, support the local population and their efforts in providing sustainable tourism.
The Arareko complex office can be reached at (011-52-145) 60126. Laura or Juan Carlos at ALCADECO (Alternativas de Capacitacion y Desarollo Comunitario) can be reached in Creel at (011 -52 -145) 60078.
The author is a free-lance journalist and U.S.-Mexico border catalyst. He lives in El Paso, Texas when not visiting Austin. He can be reached via email at al887@rgfn.epcc.edu.