El Fuerte
El Fuerte is a colonial city of 13,000 people (2010) in Sinaloa. El Fuerte, meaning "The Fort", was named a Pueblo Mágico ("Magical Town") in 2010, for it has many attractions and a special, pretty-small-town aura. The town is known as the "home of Zorro", so keep an eye open for Antonio Banderas swashbuckling his way through town.
Understand
Though often referred to as the Gateway to Copper Canyon (Barranca del Cobre), El Fuerte is a delightful destination in itself, best visited from November through April.
Founded as San Juan Bautista de Carapoa in 1564 by Spanish explorers, the city derives its present name from the fort constructed in 1610 to defend against attacks by the Zuaque and Tehueco tribes who resented the Spanish intrusion. El Fuerte soon became one of the most important staging and trading centers of northern Mexico, with its location near the head of the wide, verdant Río Fuerte valley assuring prosperity from agriculture. In 1824, it became the territorial capital of the vast area comprising what is now Sinaloa, Sonora, and part of southern Arizona.
The architectural results of this history are evident today throughout the center of the city, from the central Plaza de Armas to the colonial mansions that extend for several blocks.
Get in
- The local station of the Ferrocarril Chihuahua al Pacífico railway is a few miles south of town. The "ChePe" passes through the scenic Copper Canyon from Creel, to the northeast, to Los Mochis, near the Gulf of California, to the southwest.
- 🌍 El Fuerte Train Station, Hoyancos. Small train station with shaded benches where passengers can wait. Restrooms available. No ticket office or baggage services at this station. 5-10 minute taxi ride from the town of El Fuerte.
See
- There are local petroglyphs a short distance from the downtown in the Rio Fuerte basin. These rock inscriptions were left by Nahua groups that centuries ago passed through the Sinaloan migratory corridor. Access to them is somewhat difficult.
- The Cerro de la Máscara is an archaeological site just north of town and across the Rio Fuerte. The site is home to a petroglyph complex, considered one of the most significant in the state due to the sheer number of engravings and the diversity of contents. It is located on the banks of the Río Fuerte, approximately 5 km from the city. In total, there are about 45 stones that together contain more than 100 engravings, whose antiquity is estimated between 800 and 2500 years, in different stages of sculptural application and that, due to historical memory, must belong to Toltec and Aztec migrations. Highlighting among them: the buried Stone of the Goddess of Fertility or Parturient Woman, and The Chief.
- 🌍 Copper Canyon (Barrancas del Cobre). The Chepe train stops in El Fuerte en route through the famous canyon system, one of the great natural attractions of Mexico. Beautiful scenery, hidden waterfalls, and timeless canyon villages.
- 🌍 El Fuerte Museum, Progreso. Daily 07:00 - 19:00. Walk around the historic fort and see how soldiers of the colonial era lived and went about their daily lives. You can walk on the ramparts and see historical and natural exhibits in a series of galleries.
Do
Two large lakes are located just north of El Fuerte: El Sabino and El Mahone
Festivals
- Fiesta de San Miguel Arcángel, September 29. Regional music with traditional dances including the Danzas de Moros y Cristianos, lots of food and drink and a fair with games and rides.
- Fiesta Cívica, November 16, Traditional music and dancing including La Danza del Venado, Las Pascolas with Matachines, fireworks, and a midway fair with games and rides.
Buy
Basketry, furniture, palm weaving, pottery, cabinetmaking and textiles make up the handicrafts of this Municipality, which has one of the richest samples in the State of Sinaloa, highlighting beautiful handicrafts made mainly by Yoreme artisans, among which stand out: blankets and wool zarapes from Alameda; pots and earthenware made in Capomos; carved wooden figures mainly of Jews and deer and pascola dancers made in Capomos and Mochicahui; hats, baskets, bags and other items woven from palm in Bamicori, El Realito, Tetaroba and Lo de Vega; guasima chairs and tables made in Capomos; bules painted by Angelo in El Fuerte; in addition to the clothing and clothing used by the Mays in their religious and pagan festivals such as: tenabaris, ayales, masks, coyolis.
Eat
The typical dishes of this region are: cocido, colachi, chilorio, machaca, caldillo, picadillo, rice, gorditas, tostadas, golden tacos, fresh panela, menudo, pozole; pineapple, meat, corn and sweet tamales; meat broth, guacabaqui and barbecue. In the municipal seat, dishes based on bass have become customary, such as: chicharrones, tripe, meatballs, shaken, breaded or flamed fillet, as well as seafood and prawns (cauques) prepared in different ways.
In sweets we find pepitorias, rice pudding, ham, cocadas, capirotada, tacuarines (coricos), coyotas, colachi and burnt milk empanadas, semitas, marshmallow, fritters, cheese gorditas.
Typical drinks are pinole atole and corn atole, barley water, horchata and different fruit flavors of the season.
- 🌍 Birriería La Curva, Pablo Macias Valenzuela, ☏ +52 698 117 4390. F-W 06:00 - 13:00, closed Th. Popular local lunch place serving stewed lamb or goat, either with a robust broth or in their crispy golden tacos. M$150.
- 🌍 Mansion Orrantia, Antonio Rosales 103, ☏ +52 698 103 1630. Daily 12:00 - 21:30. Elegant restaurant with tables under the porticoes of an historic hacienda. Regional northwestern Mexican cuisine with innovative twists and elegant presentation. The shrimp dishes are invariably winners. M$300.
- 🌍 Aquel Amor, Reforma, ☏ +52 698 103 6614. Homey family style restaurant serving northwestern Mexico regional cuisine. Location facing the river. Kids play area. M$200.
- 🌍 Anamar, Hwy 32 (near Coca-Cola), ☏ +52 698 106 5123. Tu-Su 09:30 - 17:00, closed M. Casual outdoor restaurant with fresh seafood prepared in a variety of innovative ways. try the marlin quesadillas! Drinks are good too with some unusual aguas frescas like a cucumber lemonade. M$200.
Sleep
- 🌍 Hotel El Fuerte, Montés Claros 37, ☏ +52 698 893 0226. Check-in: 14:00, check-out: 12:00. Traditional Mexican hotel with bright colors and historic ranch architecture. Rooftop terrace. Rooms are clean and comfortable and are fairly cool even without air conditioning. Good central location next door to the town's famous fort. M$1200.
- 🌍 Hotel Torres el Fuerte, Calle Rodolfo Robles 102, ☏ +52 698 893 1975. Boutique hotel set in a 400 year old traditional hacienda. Massive stones, thick wood doors, dark wood beams , and wrought iron hardware give the place a feeling of being back in the colonial era. The central courtyard gardens are beautifully landscaped. Rooms are spacious and clean with period furnishings, but thankfully updated with modern air conditioning. On-site restaurant and bar. M$1600.
- 🌍 Posada del Hidalgo, Miguel Hidalgo 101, ☏ +52 668 812 1613. Check-in: 12:00, check-out: 13:00. Elegant boutique hotel with just 12 rooms. The building is a historic mansion dating from 1890. Rooms feature period furnishings with exposed wood beam ceilings. Rooms are clean and spacious. Outdoor pool with peaceful garden courtyard. Rooftop cocktail bar. M$2400.
- 🌍 Hacienda Santa Cruz, Calle Obregon 210, ☏ +52 698 893 0055. Check-in: 15:00, check-out: 12:00. Traditional Mexican courtyard hotel with beautiful lobby and garden. Rooms are clean but more basic than luxurious. Good value for travelers watching their budget. M$900.
Connect
Cellular service is good in town but is mostly 4G as of 2024. Expect signal to drop in the remote areas outside town. Most restaurants and hotels have broadband internet with free WiFi.
Stay safe
Tourism remains a major industry in town, although it has been diminished because tourists are wary of Mexican drug cartel violence in other parts of Sinaloa; however, violence declined by 2013 from a high in 2011.