Viewpoint 16 km northeast of Batopilas
The breathtaking lookout where the road from Creel starts its switchback plunge into the Batopilas canyon, more than a kilometer deep.
Everyone who drives to Batopilas passes La Bufa, and nearly everyone stops. Near the Rarámuri community of Quírare, the road from Creel reaches the rim of the Batopilas canyon and the view opens straight down: well over a kilometer of cliffs and green slopes, with the Batopilas River glinting at the bottom and the road itself coiling down the wall in tight switchbacks.
The name comes from La Bufa, an old mining site on the river below; the veins of La Bufa and Batopilas were famous for their silver from colonial times into the 20th century. From the viewpoint you can make out the river bend where the mine works stood.
The drive down is part of the experience. The descent from the rim to the bridge at the bottom is steep and narrow, with long drops and few guardrails, and it takes you from pine forest into a warm, subtropical canyon in less than an hour.
What to see and do
Stop at the viewpoint near Quírare and follow the river and the switchbacks with your eyes.
Look for the old La Bufa mine works on the river bend below.
Drive the switchback descent slowly, pulling over to let trucks pass.
Compare the pine forest on the rim with the warm, subtropical vegetation at the bottom.
Getting there
La Bufa is on the road between Creel and Batopilas, roughly 25 kilometers before Batopilas and about 95 to 100 kilometers from Creel. From Batopilas, it is the first big climb out of the canyon, so you can visit it as an out-and-back drive or as a stop on the way in or out. The upper road has been paved in sections, but the descent into the canyon is narrow and winding; drive it in daylight and ask locally about current conditions.
16 km northeast of Batopilas
Directions from Batopilas on Google Maps
Distances are in a straight line; the road is usually longer.
Plan your trip
Places to stay in Mirador La Bufa
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Weather mild
Mirador La Bufa shares the climate of Batopilas, 16 km away. The best months to visit are Jan, Mar, Nov, Dec.
Make Batopilas your base
Mirador La Bufa is an easy trip from Batopilas, a Pueblo Mágico with places to stay, food, and more to see.
More around Batopilas
-
Misión de Satevó
· Landmark · 4 km away
The 'Lost Cathedral': a domed brick mission church standing almost alone in the canyon, a few kilometers downriver from Batopilas. -
Cerro Colorado
· Town · 9 km away
A tiny gold-mining village upriver on the old Camino Real trail; the usual first stop on hikes from Batopilas toward Urique. -
Urique
· Town · 27 km away
The canyon-bottom town at the end of the classic Batopilas–Urique trek, about 3 days on foot; home of the Rarámuri ultramarathon.
Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.