Creel Tour

Travel back in time and to a different land with this full day tour of the Mennonite farming communities around Ciudad Cuauhtemoc. The tour also takes in Lake Arareco, with its fascinating rock formations, the old San Ignacio Mission and a cave settled by the Tarahumara indigenous people. There will also be plenty of time for shopping at the local handicraft stores.

Learn from your guide the fascinating story of the Chihuahua Mennonites, a pacifist Protestant religious sect that began arriving in the area from Russia and Canada in the 1920s either to escape persecution or in search of somewhere to be left in peace. Tour the so-called Mennonite Fields, where you will feel that time has stood at a standstill. Dirt roads, wood-framed houses and horse-driven transport are evidence of the hard, simple lifestyle of these proud people who have kept up their self-sufficient way of life for hundreds of years, eschewing almost all modern conveniences. Visit the Mennonite Museum, which has many interesting artefacts donated by the local communities.

Enjoy a light lunch consisting of a selection of delicious cheeses and smoked meats prepared by the Mennonites. Make a stop at the historic Jesuit Mission of San Ignacio, founded by the Spanish in colonial times

Continue on to beautiful Lake Arareco, surrounded by unusual rock formations and a fragrant pine forest. Go for walk around and visit a cave once settled by the Tarahumara indigenous people. There’s time for some shopping at Ciudad Cuauhtemoc before returning to Chihuahua in the late afternoon.

Duration: Full day.

Start/opening time: Tuesday to Sunday at 8am.

Languages: Spanish and English.