El Fuerte is a colonial town on the Río Fuerte, founded by the Spanish in the 1560s as a fort and mining-supply post, and it is now the southern terminus for the Chihuahua al Pacífico (El Chepe) railway into the Copper Canyon. The town centre is small enough to cover on foot: a colonial plaza, a hilltop fort rebuilt as a museum, and streets of old merchant houses with wooden balconies. Most visitors either pass through the night before boarding the train or come as a day trip from Los Mochis to see the plaza and river.
| Distance | About 80 km northeast of Los Mochis; about 400 km north of Mazatlán |
|---|---|
| Travel time | About 1.25-1.5 hours by car from Los Mochis; a full day's drive or a domestic flight is needed from Mazatlán |
| Getting there | Car or bus from Los Mochis, the main gateway; the Ferrocarril Chihuahua al Pacífico (El Chepe) also stops nearby |
| Address | Plaza de Armas, Centro, 81820 El Fuerte, Sinaloa, Mexico |
How to get there
- Car: Highway 15 and local roads from Los Mochis (about 1.25 hours)
- Bus: Local buses depart Los Mochis's Central Camionera for El Fuerte several times daily
- El Chepe/Chepe Express train, which stops at El Fuerte station on the Los Mochis-Copper Canyon route (book via chepe.mx)
- Best planned as a day trip from Los Mochis rather than from Mazatlán given the distance
Location
Plaza de Armas, Centro, 81820 El Fuerte, Sinaloa, Mexico
26.4172, -108.6161 View on map
Highlights
- Plaza de Armas - the colonial square at the centre of town, ringed by arcaded buildings and the parish church
- El Fuerte fort/museum on the hill above the plaza - a rebuilt version of the original Spanish fort, with views over the town and river
- Río Fuerte - the river that gave the town its strategic value; local boatmen run short trips on it
- El Fuerte railway station - southern starting point of the El Chepe train into the Sierra Tarahumara and Copper Canyon
- Colonial mansions along the streets near the plaza, built by merchant and mining families in the 19th century