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Canyon-Paradise Tours are designed to capture the beauty and
mystique of one of the last frontiers that remains easily
accessible to tourists: Fabulous Copper Canyon and the
Sierra Tarahumara of northern Mexico.
The true spirit of this land remains
unchanged despite the long shadows of the Spanish conquistadores
that fall across this land from their time of conquest in the 1500's. Our tours provide an experience of
that original and primal spirit through visits to indigenous villages and homes
in the countryside while riding through and exploring deep canyons,
and lofty vantage points, offering among of the most
extraordinary vistas available in North
America.
We get up close and personal with the ancestors of the first
inhabitants of this land through music, dance and ceremonial
& healing rites. Also, among the organized sightseeing and
cultural activities, time is set aside for hiking and/or
relaxation, as well as shopping for the unique, handmade arts
and crafts of the region.
Activity in the lowlands is centered in and around the charming
colonial town of El Fuerte, founded in 1564; the small
city's magnificent river, Rio
Fuerte, flows from the mountains and irrigates some of
Mexico’s richest farmlands on its way to the sea.
Connecting El Fuerte with the Sierra Tarahumara and Copper
Canyon Region is the Chihuahua al Pacifico railroad (Chepe),
considered one of the world’s premier scenic railways.
In summary, Canyon-Paradise Tours are tailored for those who
want more than a sightseeing trip. Our focus is on the
indigenous and Mestizo (mixed race) cultures of Mexico, set
against this backdrop of unrivaled scenic beauty.
A further note: A portion of tour profits goes
to preserving and protecting the culture and ecology of the
Rio Fuerte watershed. We also contribute to Richard
Fisher's Annual Easter Food Distribution to the Tarahumara
around Batopilas. And a portion of the proceeds of
every Canyon-Paradise tour goes directly to Paraiso Nature
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TOUR BASICS
How a tour works: Except for occasional exceptions,
there is usually no guide that takes a group from place to place,
which is why our tours are reasonably priced. The host at
each hotel, or their representative, will be your guide and
provide all transportation, while attending to your needs and comfort.
They are well attuned to our purpose and have been carefully
selected and screened by Canyon-Paradise Tours to make your
travel memorable.
The shamans and healers are from the Mayo (Yoreme) culture
in the lowlands and the Tarahumara (Raramuri) culture in the
Sierra. Their healing traditions remain intact and are often
used in conjunction with treatment by modern medicine.
Working with Indigenous Healers: A shaman, often
licensed by the Mexican government to practice traditional
healing, or a sobador (from sobar, ‘to rub’), who
relaxes the body through massage then goes deeper to effect
healing, reflect the traditions of their people, often
utilizing a combination of prayer, herbs, consultation and
unique practices.
Please be respectful of their culture and follow their lead.
They may tell you things about your body, your emotional
state, or your relationships, as well as what they are doing
(or what you can do) to correct the situation. It is
important that you opt out of any experience that would make
you feel uncomfortable. In such case, simply enjoy the
educational value of your experience through observation.
Special Note: Herbs and “medicines”, such as peyote
and marijuana, have their place in the indigenous
pharmacopeia. However, out of respect to our tour
hosts, and for your own personal safety, we ask that you not
purchase, carry or ingest these during your Canyon-Paradise Tour.
We may not be able to help you if legal situations arise,
and of course, it is illegal to carry such items over the
border.
We also ask that if you
consume alcohol, please do so in moderation.
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TOUR COSTS
Tour Costs: Each Tour Page
displays the current costs, as does the Reservations
Section. Our costs are subject to change, but in
general, we set prices to remain in effect for one year.
We will next be reviewing our prices again in Fall of 2009.
To review all of 19 tours and their prices on one page, select
the Tour Matrix button in the left side Navigation.
Our pricing is set up to allow
purchasing of tours by occupancy of the rooms. The
site allows the reservation of up to two rooms per transaction;
if you wish to reserve more rooms, you can initiate one or more
new and separate online transactions, or call us.
We price our tours as 1) Double Occupancy, 2) Double Occupancy
with added third or fourth person, 3) Regular Single, and
4) Single
ST or Single Special Tour, which is a tour booked
exclusively for one single person.
Special Note: We price our tours
to the penny, with a commitment to providing the most
affordable tours possible, while maintaining our goal of
providing safe, quality travel experiences. At the
same time, we pay our local tour hosts the highest rates
possible, with a goal of helping them provide their best and
maintain comfortable standards of living for their families.
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DEPOSITS
If your Tour Start Date is 45 or more days
before your Reservation Date, you may pay a deposit of 25% of your
total Reservation Amount, with Final Payment due by the 10th
Day before your Tour Start Date. We will let you know
by mail 7-10 days before your second and final payment is due
and processed through our secure First Data/Link Point Commerce
Gateway*, should you choose to reserve your tour with a deposit.
You may also pay the full tour price at the
time of Reservation if you wish.
*Since 1971, America's most trusted and
reliable electronics payment processor for banking and online
transactions.
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RESERVATIONS
Online Reservations are available for most tours, or
call us to reserve your tour by phone.
1) We offer two weekly Tour Start Dates, on Tuesday and
Saturdays. When exploring tours in our Reservations
section, you can easily find out the Tour Start Days
available for a given tour, as well as the number of
traveler seats available for that specific tour, for
that Tour Start Day.
2) As with most tour companies, we have to reserve a
minimum Tour Occupancy for each Tour, to cover the total
costs. Our occupancy minimum is One Double or
Three Singles
before additional charges occur.
3) Online and Phone Reservations can then be made, up to
two rooms per transaction, in combinations of Double Occupancy,
and the Single and Single-Special Tour Options.*
Third and/or Fourth travelers may be added to Double
Room Reservations with a maximum occupancy limit of Four
per Room.
4) The 4 Tour Prices for each of our 19 Tours are
displayed like this:
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#1) Classic Canyons Tour - El Fuerte Start -
10 Days
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DBL Price |
Add 3rd or 4th |
SGL Price |
SGL ST Price |
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$3,080 |
$910 |
$1,930 |
$2,515 |
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5) Eight is the maximum number of total occupants (or
tour seats) that can be reserved for each Tour Start
Day, with the exception of some Summer Tours and
certain Special Tours, where the maximum is Six.
6) In the Reservations Section of this website, you can
easily price out different tours with your occupancy
choices for up to two rooms before proceeding on to the
Purchase Screen, where you may make your purchase
safely in our secured Shopping Cart.
Note: Ask us about our Special Tours should
you need a Tour Start Day that is other than a Tuesday
or a Saturday, or wish to create a custom itinerary.
*The Single ST, or Single Special Tour option is subject to
pre-approval by the Tour Business Manager, and we ask
that you call us before you select this option as it is
only available for a limited number of Tour Start
Days. Call our toll free phone number if you have any
questions about our The Single Special Tour, our Single Occupancy options
and restrictions, or any
other questions or comments about our Online
Reservations.
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SEASONAL TRAVEL
When to Travel: Each season brings its special
rewards, and since tours move from the lowlands to the
mountains, it is necessary to prepare for differing
temperatures and conditions. The most popular seasons are
fall and spring, which strike a balance between the summer
heat and humidity of the lowlands and the winter cold of the
mountains.
But summer is special because it is the rainy season, when
thunderstorms gather some afternoons to bring rain to an
electric green countryside, abounding in birds and
butterflies. The relatively cool mountains provide an easy
escape And winters—the dry season—are delightfully temperate
in the lowlands, with mostly comfortably cool days and cold
nights in the mountains. High season, the most crowded, is
March and April; low season is May and June, gradually
picking up as the summer wears on.
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GETTING TO MEXICO
Travel to Mexico (Los Mochis): Our travel coordinator
is pleased to guide you in making flight reservations to Los
Mochis. For those who have more time and wish to save money,
and/or wish to visit other destinations inexpensively, we
can suggest very reasonably-priced travel on modern,
comfortable Mexican buses.
We can also help if you wish to
enter Mexico from El Paso, or via a flight to the City of
Chihuahua, which requires an overnight stay in Chihuahua and
an early train departure the next morning.
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TRAVEL PREPARATIONS
Preparing to travel: Pack clothes you can layer,
appropriate for the out-of-doors; prepare for hot to chilly
during April-October, and from warm to cold (only
occasionally below freezing) November-March. Remember to
pack bug repellent, a small flashlight, camera
batteries/accessories, good walking shoes, sunscreen and
personal necessities. If you wish to participate in
one of the traditional cleansing rituals (that may be
optionally scheduled on your chosen tour),
please bring an 20-inch square (more or less) piece of white
cloth.
Ask your Host or room cleaner about Laundry
if you have have enough time in that location.
For the most part you can use dollars to buy what you need,
to tip, etc. (Bring lots of small denominations for tipping
and buying from local artisans; don’t count on anyone to
have change!). If you enjoy or want the convenience of
dealing in Mexican pesos (about 10 pesos to the dollar),
banks in El Fuerte have ATMs or will cash travelers checks.
NOTE: Once you are in the mountains, the only banks are in
Creel, which is accessible during a day excursion toward the
end of the 10-day tour.
A tourist permit is necessary for travel in Mexico (and a
car permit if you are driving). The FMT, as it is called, is
issued automatically at the airport if your flight
originates in Mexico, or on your flight between your country
and your Mexican destination; the cost is included in your
fare. By other means of transportation, you must stop at the
border, fill out the appropriate paperwork, and pay a fee of
about $20. In all cases you need to carry your passport or a
valid birth certificate. The regulations for re-entering the
U.S. are in flux, and before long a passport will be the
only acceptable identification.
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NORTHERN MEXICO CULTURAL TOURS
Getting the most out of a cultural tour: Our tours
are designed to be more personal, and group sessions and
individual treatments require cooperative interaction among
tour participants, shamans or sobadores (healers who “rub”)
and translators. Often being liaison and coordinator falls
to one person who enjoys the role.
The time scheduled with a shaman or a healer in our
itinerary is designed as a general experience to understand
and feel the benefits of healings or clearings or body work,
sometimes as the group looks on. The individual can schedule
personal time, which is allowed for in the schedule, for
further consultation or healing.
There are opportunities for short walks and long hikes, even
horseback riding. A person who has difficulty getting around
can opt out of these activities and enjoy more leisurely
time.
Another interesting alternative for travelers with time to
extend their vacation is first to visit Los Cabos (the
fabulous beach resort area at the tip of Baja California),
which has many inexpensive direct flights from all over the
United States. From there it is a short flight by a regional
carrier to Los Mochis.
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SHOPPING
Shopping: El Fuerte is not oriented to tourist
shopping, although you can buy Mayo Indian masks and other
ceremonial gear, as well as Mata Ortiz pottery and some
other crafts, t-shirts, etc. In the mountains, you will see
many Tarahumara women selling their hand-woven baskets,
embroidery, fetishes, necklaces and the like. In Creel there
are many shops that carry crafts, drums, and the distinctive
rawhide-wrapped pottery; the Tarahumara Museum shop, as well
as the nearby Mission shop, offer a good selection of
quality arts and crafts, books, etc.
Bank debit or credit cards are readily
accepted in Mexico at all banking institutions. There are
banks available in El Fuerte, Creel, and Chihuahua, but will
probably not be available elsewhere on our tour routes, so plan
accordingly.
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TIPPING
Tipping: As in
travel anywhere, tipping is by personal discretion; it
rewards a job well done. We recommend one dollar (10 pesos)
per meal for the waiters and about the same for help with
luggage. Some like to express appreciation for maid service
by leaving a dollar per night. While the cost of special
tours are included, it is customary to tip your tour guide.
Remember:
You are guests in a foreign land. Leave your expectations at
home and prepare yourself for an adventure. Open yourself to
the friendship and hospitality of one of the easiest going
citizenries on earth.
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MAXIMUM TOUR
ELEVATION
If your personal health is an
issue: Maximum elevation during the tour is about 8,000
feet; there are medical clinics along the route, but no
extensive medical services. Know your limitations and needs
and plan accordingly. If you have any concerns, ask your
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RESPONSIBLITY
Responsibility: Canyon-Paradise Tours acts as agents
for our suppliers and cannot be held responsible for their
omissions and commissions. They have been chosen carefully
and they, and we, will do everything possible to smooth out
any bumps to ensure you have the best possible experience.
Our tours are designed for educational purposes, as defined
under the mission of Sequoia Center for Holistic Studies, a
California nonprofit educational corporation.
Canyon-Paradise Tours cannot take responsibility for the
efficacy of the healing experiences offered or for their
effects on the individual; participation is by the choice of
each person.
We cannot take responsibility for: Accidents, sickness,
acts of nature, or the delays or cancellations of common
carriers (air, train), which are beyond our control, and
losses, damages and the claims resulting there from. Should
your flights be cancelled and your Tour Start Day missed, we
will do everything in our power to reschedule your tour as
necessary; in even a worse case situation, your Receiving
Tour Host will allow you top stay with them or get you set up at
a nearby and equivalent lodging, until your itinerary can be
straightened out and your tour put back on track as much as is
possible.
Please let us know by phone if you cannot
meet your Tour Host, and let us know as soon as you have your
new arrival time so we can do our best to have our Receiving
Tour Host reschedule. Your Reservation Packet will arrive
in the mail soon after your reservation, and it will provide
more information and an 8.5" by 11" Canyon-Paradise Tours sign
to show the cab drivers when you reach Los Mochis (when starting
your tour in El Fuerte).
We reserve the right to make changes in the itinerary and
the providers when necessary to adjust to unforeseen
circumstances. However, in general, we do not intend
to make any changes to tour specifics or pricing until the Fall
of 2009.
Whereas we provide as much help and information as possible,
we are not responsible for verifying that travelers: Plan
properly (items to pack, health and safety precautions,
etc.); prepare themselves with appropriate documentation
(passports, tourist permits); are aware of customs
regulations when entering Mexico or returning to their home
country.
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