Mapimi

Ojuela suspension bridge.

Mapimi is a small, once thriving mining community in the northwestern state of Durango. The town was largely abandoned in the early 20th century as the mineral deposits were exhausted, and today is largely a ghost town with a remaining population of about 5,000. It is one of the designated sites on the Camino Real de Tierra Adentro (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) and has been designated a Pueblo Magico by the government's ministry of tourism (SECTUR).

Get in

The nearest airport with commercial flights is Torreon International Airport (TRC ^IATA). From there, you can rent a car and drive to Mapimi. Torreon is also the hub for bus transportation in the region. Buses from Torreon can be used as far as Bermejillo, but no direct bus service is available to Mapimi. A taxi from Bermejillo to Mapimi will cost about M$300.

Mapimi is best reached by car via the Torreon/Gomez Palacios area.

From the Torreon Airport, drive north on Calle a San Pedro for about 1 km until you come to a major overpass, this is Lib. de Torreon. Go under the overpass and turn left onto the feeder road, then merge into the main lanes heading west towards Gomez Palacios. The road skirts the northern parts of Gomez Palacios so you avoid most of the industrial congestion. Continue on Lib. de Torreon for about 7 km after you cross the river then take the exit for MEX 49 / 49D headed north toward Bermejillo. When you reach Bermejillo, exit west on highway MEX 30 (Carr. Bermejillo-Mapimi) and continue about 25 km to the town of Mapimi.

Get around

You can walk around the small Centro area of Mapimi, but you'll want a taxi to visit the Ojuela mine and bridge, and you'll want a rental car if you go to the Biosphere Reserve or Zone of Silence, since they are far out into the desert.

See

Inside the Ojuela mine

• Ojuela Mine (Carr. Bermejillo-Mapimi, 5 km east of Mapimi), also known as Mina de Santa Rita, Open , Admission M$120 -
• 1 Mina Santa Rita (Ojuela Mine), Carretera la Zarca- Bermejillo Km 3, Mapimi, Durango. 10:00 - 17:00. The mine was established in 1598 when gold was discovered in the Mapimi area. The mine was a source of multiple metals over the years, including gold, silver, copper, lead and manganese. It was also the source of a number of minerals, especially adamite and legrandite. The mine struggled in the early 20th century, and closed due to declining production and various logistical problems that made it uneconomical. The mine is a designated site on the Camino Real de Tierra Adentro and is a must-see for tourists who venture into this part of the country. Guided tours of the old mines are available. Guides provide vests, helmets, lights. M$180. 
• Ojuela Bridge (Carr. Bermejillo-Mapimi) - The suspension bridge over the canyon was built in 1898 to support mining operations. It's a famous bridge in engineering circles, built by Washington Roebling, who is most noted for supervising construction of the Brooklyn Bridge. The Ojuela Bridge was restored in 1991 and reopened as a pedestrian bridge and tourist attraction. The bridge spans a distance of 315 meters between the two pylons.

• Zone of Silence (Zona de Silencio) - A great place of mystery and unexplained phenomena. Supposedly, it's a place where no radio or communication signals can carry. UFO spotters believe its been visited by extraterrestrials. Government conspiracy theorists have all sorts of ideas about why a U.S. Air Force missile from White Sands once went off course contaminating much of the area. Rational minds think it's all bunk, but X-Files fans maintain that "the truth is out there..."

• Mapimi Biosphere Reserve - A UNESCO Biosphere Reserve that preserves an area of Chihuahua desert. It connects to the Big Bend Biosphere Reserve in Texas and the Jornado Biosphere Reserve in New Mexico. Wildlife in the reserve includes puma, mule deer, sandhill cranes, kit fox, and a large number of reptiles. Plant life is mostly xerophytic scrub brush and desert grasslands with 39 types of cacti. Notable geographic features include a salt lagoon and sand dunes called the Dunas de Soledad.

• Museo Benito Juarez, Av. Ignacio Zaragoza esquina carretera MEX 30, - Also known as Casa Cigarroa, the museum is housed in a building where former President Benito Juarez slept not just once, but three times. Historical exhibits including the room and bed where Juarez slept.

• Templo de Santiago Apóstol (Av. Ignacio Zaragoza, s/n, Centro) - Baroque style church with bright interior and carved granite altars.

• Panteón Municipal - celebrates the life and death of people who originated or lived in Mapimi. It is famous for the range of funerary sculptures produced by local sculptor Benigno Montoya.

Eat

• 1 Meson Villa Santiago, Av. B. Juárez 60, Mapimi, ☏ +528727622207. 09:00 - 20:00. (updated Jan 2023)
• 2 Fonda Casa Grande, Av. Benito Juarez 28, Centro, ☏ +528721312013. 08ː30 - 18ː00 (closed Monday). Omeletes, hot cakes, eggs at breakfast, buffet at lunch. (updated Feb 2023)
• 3 El Lejano Oriente, Av. Benito Juarez 86, ☏ +528727622070. 07ː00 - 20ː00. Chilaquiles for breakfast, comida corrida, steaks, chiles rellenos, enchiladas. Comfortable, traditional restaurant with historic decor. (updated Feb 2023)

Sleep

• 1 Hotel Viva Villa, Av. Juan M. Flores 29, Mapimí, ☏ +52 8727622207. Check-in: 15:00, check-out: 12:00. Comfortable historic building with upscale rooms and first-class service. Las Adelitas restaurant on site is very good, offering regional duranguense cuisine. from M$400. (updated Jan 2023)
• 2 Posada Violeta, Av. Benito Juarez. Check-in: 15ː00, check-out: 12ː00. Friendly service, small, but clean rooms. Comfortable place. M$700. (updated Feb 2023)

Go next

• Mazatlan
• Torreon
• Durango