Updated July 1 08

Traveling To the Village

Is it safe?

I hope I’ll always be able to answer that question this way: I've been in close contact with Casas Grandes/Mata Ortiz for 32 years, and in that time, had there been an incident of violence against a visiting American, I would have heard of it. People would have told me, “Spencer, such and such happened!” But no one ever has. Thirty-two years, and who knows how many more before that, is a good record. The worst mishap in all that time is that teenagers two or three times took things from an unlocked car including some checks which they tried to cash. Don’t leave valuables in your vehicle in Mexico any more than you would at home.

          Accounts of border violence reported in the American media should be taken with a large pinch of salt as far as danger to American visitors is concerned. Yes there is violence and, yes, it has reached Casas Grandes. But those at risk are not visitors; they are targeted individuals actively involved in drug trafficking (see http://newspapertree.com/news/2500). The media does not give equal coverage to similar violence in American cities. Tucson in some years, for example, outdoes Ciudad Juárez, which is far the larger city. The Bush administration has adopted a policy of aggressively discouraging tourism to Mexico by alleging danger to travelers, no doubt to distract from U.S. domestic problems and perhaps also putting pressure on Mexico for political reasons, whatever they might be. And the media go along. Yet the fact remains that not one American visitor to this area has been affected. Life goes on quite normally.

Calling or Writing

From the United States, call anywhere in the Casas Grandes/Mata Ortiz area by direct dialing 011-52 (for international operator and country code) followed by area code 636 and the number. Thus the Hotel Hacienda in Nuevo Casas Grandes is 011-52-636-694-1048. (Note, however, that if you are dialing to a cell phone, it requires a “1” before the area code.) Within the local area, dial only the last 7 digits—unless it’s a cell phone, then first dial 044-636.

Should your party in Mata Ortiz not have a phone, try either of the two casetas. Anyone in Mata Ortiz can be reached through a caseta. Call, ask in Spanish to speak to so-and-so, and someone will take the message and ask you to call back in 15 minutes. If all goes well, the person you want will be at the caseta for your second call. Caseta numbers are: Marta Martínez (by the old plaza and Posada de las Ollas) voice/fax 661-7026 and Angela’s store in Porvenir (voice only) 661-7027. Debi Flanigan lives next to Angela’s and is usually available to translate for the Porvenir neighborhood.

The Calendar maintains a Mata Ortiz phone list which we periodically update and are glad to email on request. The list includes a number of artists who have moved to Casas Grandes (“Pueblo Viejo”) and Nuevo Casas Grandes.

When direct-dialing from Mexico to the United States, dial 00 and then proceed as if you were in the United States, beginning with 1 and the area code. This costs nearly 50 cents/minute. A growing number of people in Chihuahua have broadband (voice-over-Internet) service. Spencer and Emi, for example, have Voicepulse.com which, for $25 dollars/month, gives them unlimited calling in the United States plus a Stateside number that rings in Mexico. So if you are a guest of such a person, you can call home at no cost.

Cyber cafes are plentiful in the area, and Casas Grandes (“Pueblo Viejo”) has two. Entering town on the newly one-way street, turn right onto Flores Magón (fifth cross street) and go two blocks to Callejón Lopez Mateos. On the near, right corner, María Dolores Lara’s Internet (Voice/Fax 636-692-4143) is open weekdays 9-8pm, closed Sundays. She charges $15 pesos/hour and also sends and receives fax. For the other cyber café, as you head out of town west on Avenida Juárez toward Mata Ortiz, turn left (south) immediately after La Finca de Don Cruz restaurant and look for a new, red brick building on your right, at 21 de Marzo #307. Las Compu’s (Voice/Fax 636-692-4608) is open 10-2 and 4-8pm weekdays, Sundays 10-6pm.

Postal service in Mexico is slow and not always reliable. Never send checks in the mail. That said, the postal address for any potter in the village is: Domicilio Conocido, Ejido Juan Mata Ortiz, Municipio Casas Grandes, Chihuahua 31861, Mexico. If you don’t want to write all that, just “Mata Ortiz, Chih., Mexico” should do.

Wiring funds to Mexico. Moneygram’s 10-minute service (www.moneygram.com/index.htmover) costs 1% for amounts up to $1,000, 2% for higher amounts. This can be done on-line with a credit card (we’d recommend first calling the credit card company for approval) or from offices in major stores. Give the reference number to the recipient; that and an ID will enable him or her to pick up the funds at Banorte ( 694-6426), which also receives funds for many other companies, at the SE corner of the main plaza in Nuevo Casas Grandes.

Getting to Nuevo Casas Grandes

          When you don’t have your own car:

Rental Car – It’s cheaper to rent in the United States and drive into Mexico than to rent in Mexico. Many car-rental companies allow their cars to be driven 250 miles into Mexico. Since policy is set by each local office, call the national 800 number of the rental company only to obtain the number of a local office in, say, El Paso or Tucson. To cross the border, you will need (1) a letter from the rental company authorizing you to drive into Mexico, (2) insurance from the car company, which runs about $30 dollars/day for each day in Mexico, and (3) a vehicle permit and window sticker which you will get at the border (if you overlook this, you'll be stopped at the Customs checkpoint south of Janos and will have to backtrack 85 miles to the border—or else park there in secure parking and call for someone to come for you the 30 miles from Casas Grandes).

Bus – Buses operate frequently between Nuevo Casas Grandes and the crossings at Agua Prieta (opposite Douglas AZ), Palomas (opposite Columbus NM), and Ciudad Juárez (opposite El Paso).

          From El Paso/Ciudad Juárez: Van or taxi service is available in either direction between the El Paso Airport and the bus terminal (central autobuses) in Juárez ($45 USD for 1-3 persons). Call a day ahead, if possible, and José Rivera (Chuma’s Tours, 915-859-2455, Cell 915-892-1837 –“Chuma” is José’s nickname) will meet your bus or flight. Of the two bus lines in Mexico, Estrella Blanca and Omnibus Mexico, we generally use Omnibus. Omnibus departs every hour or two from 6am to 7pm (and a late-night run) in either direction between Ciudad Juárez and Nuevo Casas Grandes. For departure times, call from El Paso 011-52-656-610-7297 or, from Nuevo Casas Grandes, 694-0502. The trip takes four hours and costs about $15 USD. Estrella Blanca (Ciudad Juárez 656-629-2232, NCG 633-338-8542) offers two morning runs daily in either direction: south at 8 and 11:15am, and north at 2am and 11am. Fare is the same.

          If staying over in El Paso, we find the Travelodge Hacienda Airport Motel (915-772-4231) at 6400 Montana Av, convenient. It has a courtesy airport shuttle and is reasonably priced, i.e. $55 USD single. Chuma can meet you there or anywhere else in El Paso.

From Columbus/Palomas: A public-transit bus (575-388-3180) runs three times a day from Deming to the Dollar Store on the border. Departing the old train station in Deming (1313 N. Country Club Road) at 7am, 11:30am, and 2:45pm, it picks up passengers on the street outside Walmart two minutes later if flagged. The trip is an hour and costs $2.50 USD. The bus returns immediately to Deming.

          Between Palomas and the junction 20 miles south (El Entronque), connecting with the bus from Ciudad Juárez to Nuevo Casas Grandes, Omnibus operates a shuttle every hour or so, 6am-7pm, from the southeast corner of the plaza in Palomas. Fare is $25 pesos.

From Douglas/Agua Prieta: Cross the border and taxi or bus to the terminal (central autobuses) in Agua Prieta. Omnibus departs for Nuevo Casas Grandes every couple of hours from 8am to 11:25pm and, in the reverse direction, NCG to Agua Prieta, from 5am to 10:30pm. The trip takes 3 ½ hours and costs about $15 USD. From Douglas dial 011-52-633-122-2175, from Nuevo Casas Grandes 694-0502.

Estrella Blanca departs every couple of hours from 530am to 1030pm (and a late-night run) in either direction between Agua Prieta and Nuevo Casas Grandes. The trip takes four hours and costs the same as Omnibus. From Douglas phone 011-52-633-338-8542, from Nuevo Casas Grandes 694-0780. 

Shuttle Van — Two shuttle-van companies operate daily between Nuevo Casas Grandes and Phoenix, departing either direction about 7am and crossing at Antelope Wells/Berrendo. Another operates, on alternate days, between Nuevo Casas Grandes and Albuquerque, crossing at Columbus/Palomas. All take about eight hours, making several convenience stops along the way. Vans pick up and deliver door-to-door in downtown Phoenix and the Casas Grandes area, but to and from Mata Ortiz charge $10 USD extra. We regularly use these services when flying in or out of Phoenix, overnighting at the “Motel 6 Phoenix Airport” (602-244-1155), 214 S. 24th Street, a mile-and-a-half from the airport (ten-minutes by cab for $12-$15). This is a convenient place to ask the van to pick you up at about 6:30am. Reserve the van a day or two ahead and be prepared for the possibility of having to speak in Spanish:

·         Transportes Quezada & Son.  $60 dollars. In Phoenix, call 623-937-9650. Nuevo Casas Grandes 694-0151 or 694-3155. Nuevo Casas Grandes offices are in Villa Hermosa at Carranza y 3 de Junio #906 (Don Tacho) and, in Dublán, on Seventh Street between Francisco Madero and Libertad. The owner, Adán Quezada, (US cell 623-680-4801, Mex cell 636-104-0363; not related to Juan Quezada) and bilingual daughter Jessica are at the Phoenix office, 6225 W. Cavalier, Glendale AZ 85301 (two blocks north of Bethany Home, between 61^st and 63^rd Avenues). Heading south, they pick up passengers in Tucson between 9:30 and 10:30am at the Jack-in-the-Box at Valencia and Interstate 10 (but always arrange for this ahead).

• Transportes Saenz (also called Transportes Nuevo Casas Grandes).  $60 dollars. In Phoenix, call 623-877-5365 or 623-570-0730. Nuevo Casas Grandes 694-3818 (Olga Saenz). Nuevo Casas Grandes offices are in Col. Dublán at Calle Primero y Plan de Alemán. Heading south from Phoenix, they pick up passengers in Tucson between 8 and 9am at I-10 and the intersection of Benson Highway and Park Avenue, marked by a MacDonald’s and a Chevron (but always arrange for this ahead).

·         Transportes Salcido. $55 dollars ($50 for seniors over 60). In Albuquerque, call Cell 505-699-3995/3997, in Nuevo Casas Grandes 694-3651. 7am departure both ways. Service south Tue, Thu, Sat, leaving Albuquerque from the corner of César Chávez and Broadway.  Service north Wed, Fri, Sun, leaving Nuevo Casas Grandes from Carranza and Lopez Mateos #1100, opposite Tienda Ocas, in Colonia Villa Hermosa. They also offer weekly service to Farmington, NM and, from there, provided they have three or more passengers, Denver, CO (13 hours, $120 dollars each way). Owner is Tacho Salcido (his mother, Magdalena Rosa, runs the NCG office).

·         Transportes Lozoya. This daily service from Chihuahua City passes through Nuevo Casas Grandes about 10:30am, arriving Phoenix 6:30pm. Returning, it departs Phoenix 6:30am, arriving Nuevo Casas Grandes 3:30pm. Phoenix offices (602-253-0843 or 800-910-3933) are at 2208 N. 16^th St, Phoenix AZ 85006 (between McDowell and Oak). Stops only 15 minutes in Nuevo Casas Grandes (636-661-3997) at the Centro Naturista Salvit store in the Centro Comercial Aurent shopping center a few blocks north of the Coca Cola plant. We list Lozoya because they also serve Salt Lake City ($155 USD, 20 hours) and Las Vegas, Nevada ($100, 12 hours). We haven’t used them for Phoenix because, Nuevo Casas Grandes being a through stop, they can’t offer door-to-door service, and their NCG phone is only answered around the time of the stop.

Note: Americanos (323-261-5522) offers bus service between Los Angeles and Phoenix for $47 USD each way. Departs LA at 4, 5:20, and 8:55pm from 4910 E. Olympic Blvd, arrives Glendon Avenue and 27^th Street in Phoenix 11:15pm, 12:20am, and 4am. Departs Phoenix (en route from El Paso) daily 5:10pm, 11:45pm, 12:55am, and 4:25am. Greyhound offers more connections for the same price, though less comfortable and the scheduling not as reliable.

Private Plane  — Nuevo Casas Grandes has no scheduled service, but its airport northeast of the city accommodates private planes. There is a hill east of the runway with a letter on it, and an old, unused terminal painted green with the letters ACG on the roof.

The runway is 4350 feet above sea level (ASL) and is an estimated 6,000 feet and about 100 feet wide. It was recently blacktopped over cement and has good white markings. Runways are 310 (31) and 130 (13). Winds generally favor landing and departure on 31. The only taxiway is the turn off to the terminal.

In front of the terminal is a good plane tie-down. The superintendent charges $20 dollars/night to safeguard the plane. He lives in a home behind the terminal. There is also a big hangar, and if it is not occupied, he will offer to store the plane there.

A dirt runway west of the city appears to be new and is private. Do not confuse it with the Nuevo Casas Grandes airport. 

From Nuevo Casas Grandes to Mata Ortiz

• Shuttle vans from Phoenix and Tucson offer free door-to-door service in Casas Grandes. For an additional $10 USD, they will pick up from or deliver to Mata Ortiz.

• Cars can usually be rented for $700-$2000 pesos/day, including insurance, from Autos Paquimé (636-694-9300, Cell 044-636-699-1465), Av. Benito Juárez y Matamoros 107, Nuevo Casas Grandes (across the street south of the Ford Agency). This is comparable to renting a car in the USA and driving into Mexico, considering that U.S. rental companies must charge $35/day for insurance. But always call ahead for availability.

• Vans with driver can be rented at the following places:
  • The Algremi Restaurant (694-9565, English), located on your right, across from and just south of the Hotel Trébol as you first enter Nuevo Casas Grandes. They’ll arrange for a 14-person van and driver for $150 USD per day. Ask for Paco Guajardo, owner. paco_guajardo[at]hotmail.com

• Viajes American Tours, Avenida Hidalgo #601-B, Nuevo Casas Grandes (next street west of the Motel Piñon). They offer a tour to Paquimé, Colonia Juárez, and Mata Ortiz for $40 dollars /person (minimum four persons), guided in English by Jorge Muñoz or Norma Piñón. Contact Norma Delia Solis by phone (694-0111 or 694-4888), preferably in Spanish, or in English by email: americantours[at]paquime.com.mx

• CARLOS HERNÁNDEZ (692-4140 at the Museum of Northern Cultures, Cell 044-636-105-3681) is partly bilingual and has a 14-passenger van (his fully bilingual father is often available to assist guiding a group). A tourism student at the Nuevo Casas Grandes campus of the University of Juárez, he has systematically studied the region and, as an assist in planning excursions, can give a power-point presentation of many points of interest. Although available only on weekends to guide, Carlos can assist with planning at any time.   

• JORGE MUÑOZ (694-5558, 694-1169, Cell 044-636-110-1567) is partly bilingual and a recent graduate in tourism at the Nuevo Casas Grandes campus of the University of Juarez. His Suburban will carry as many as eight people to Mata Ortiz, Cave of the Olla, Santa Rosa, or other places of interest.

• Taxis (called sitios) will take you to Mata Ortiz for $350 pesos going or $500 pesos round trip, plus a sometimes negotiable $120 pesos/hour for waiting (15 minutes no charge). Three of Nuevo Casas Grandes’ six taxi stands are at or within a block of the old plaza and train station.

• Train service is no more, but the tracks remain in good condition, and motores (brightly colored gas-engine jitneys like glorified handcars, also called trenecitos), depart the old train station in Nuevo Casas Grandes, to serve Mata Ortiz and settlements as far south into the mountains as Estación Caballo (96 km). Roofed to give protection from the sun, these can accommodate several dozen people plus livestock, hay, and other kinds of freight by attaching additional cars. Recommended during pleasant weather, they can be chilly in winter.

          Custom excursions cost $200 pesos/person for ten people, $150 for 20, or $100 for 30. An additional $150 pesos/person will buy three meals and overnight in a private home in either Aguaje or “24” (so named because it used to be a stop 324 km from Ciudad Juarez). Short trips to Mata Ortiz and back cost $60 pesos/person for a minimum of ten people and include a two-hour layover (a longer wait or even overnight can be negotiated). For reservations, preferably 2-3 days ahead, contact Carlos Escarcega (694-7449), owner, Aventura Sobre Rieles, at the box car that serves as his office by the train station in Nuevo Casas Grandes.

Scheduled service operates on a space-available basis to Mata Ortiz and as far south into the mountains as Heroina (81 km). Transportes Ejido Heroina is government subsidized for the locals, who have been without other transportation since the train closed. The fare for locals is a flat $20 pesos and, for non-locals, perhaps something extra to the chofer to let you aboard. Departs Nuevo Casas Grandes Tuesdays and Saturdays at noon, stopping at Mata Ortiz opposite the Mata Jari store around 1 pm. Departs Heroina Mondays and Fridays at 8 am, stopping at Mata Ortiz around noon. Four hours either way (one hour between Nuevo Casas Grandes and Mata Ortiz). Call Heroina by satellite phone 01-555-151-2836 or, in Casas Grandes, Carlos Escarcega at 694-7449.

Attractions on the Way Down

The eight miles of unpaved road on the Mexican side are good in dry weather but become muddy with rains.

          From New Mexico, the direct route is through Columbus/Palomas. But, schedule allowing, an ideal way is to attend to all of your paperwork at Palomas late in the day or evening, stay in Columbus at Martha’s Bed & Breakfast (505-531-2467, involves stairs), the Hacienda de Villa Motel (505-531-1000, all ground level), or the RV facility at Pancho Villa State Park (575-531-2711), then get a very early morning start west along the border to Hachita and south to the crossing at Antelope Wells (no Mexican permits are issued here, but you will already have them from Palomas). It’s 60 miles longer, but good roads (eight miles of unpaved road on the Mexican side are good in dry weather but become muddy with rains), virtually no traffic, great scenery. Some who have got off by 6:30am report seeing a variety of wildlife—two varieties of antelope, coyote, prairie dog javelina, etc.

Driving the direct route, the mileages are:

Deming – Columbus/Palomas           34 miles

Palomas – El Entronque                     21

El Entronque – Ascensión                  36

Ascensión – Janos                    20

Janos – Casas Grandes                      40     Total 151 miles

COLUMBUS, NM  features the Pancho Villa State Park with 65 RV spaces, tenting sites, and a first-rate museum (8-5pm daily, admission $5 dollars per vehicle) filled with vintage vehicles and military artifacts from the 1916 era of Pancho Villa's attack on Camp Furlong and the village of Columbus. Contact Sylvia Brenner (575-531-2711), Heritage Educator, at the Museum.

After crossing into Palomas and doing your paperwork (visitor’s permit and vehicle permit), celebrate (if you are not the driver) with a frozen Margarita at The Pink Store. The Pink Store (866-474-4299) offers an exceptional setting and one of the best selections of Mexican crafts in northern Mexico. Twenty miles farther, at El Entronque, you will come to a T and will turn right onto the highway from Ciudad Juárez to Casas Grandes. If a bit hungry at this point, Gorditas Damaris (marked by a Mennonite wagon hoisted high in the air immediately after making the turn) serves good gorditas. Alternatively, for a clean and graciously served, home-cooked Mexican meal, turn left (east) half a mile to El Trailero Restaurant, where Bertila Madrid will be your hostess.

Another 36 miles brings you to ASCENSIÓN and, 20 miles more, to JANOS, formerly the Spanish-colonial administrative center for the region. On the left entering town, Hotel Janos (636-693-5180), owned by Celso Jáquez, is recommended, as is the restaurant La Herradera a block west of the junction to Agua Prieta/Douglas AZ. Just beyond the junction as you begin to leave town and visible from the highway off to the right is the shell of a mission church, Misión de Nuestra Seňora de la Soledad de los Indios Janos, built in 1580, destroyed in 1680 during the Great Pueblo Revolt, and reestablished in 1717. This is a recommended stop. On the same street a quarter-mile farther is the ruined church of San Juan de Dios, rebuilt in 1866 and once an important pilgrimage site for miraculous cures. The original Spanish archives containing a trove of historical information are preserved in the Salón de Actos.

          After clearing the customs check point about eight miles south of Janos (where you will be asked to show your vehicle permit), you can turn east (left) to visit the Mennonite settlement of CAPULÍN along the Casas Grandes River. Mennonite cheese is famous throughout Mexico. See it being made (two queserías are open Mon-Sat 9-2pm, although cheese-making is over by 10am) and buy it by the brick or by the wheel. If wrapped not in plastic but in paper so it can breathe, it keeps for days without refrigeration.

NUEVO CASAS GRANDES — locally called “Nuevo.”

·         Nuevo boasts a good Mata Ortiz pottery gallery, operated by Manuel Hernández Villalobos (694-0795). Manuel offers a good selection at reasonable prices (many traders buy from him). Immediately on entering the city, look for his sign on the right, across from the Hotel Trebol and before the Algremi Restaurant. Turn right (10th Street) and then into the driveway of the second house on the right. mata_ortiz_pottery[at]msn.com

·         Farther in town on the right, the jewelry shop at the Hotel Hacienda, El Castillo de los Cuarzos (Quartz Castle), carries tasteful silver jewelry by the Barrera brothers incorporating shards of Mata Ortiz pottery saved from pots lost in firing.

·         Try the ice creams, fruit drinks, and fruit-ice-on-a-stick at any of several La Reina de Michoacán stores, one of which is at the far side of the main plaza. They are clean, safe, and decidedly a treat. One recently opened in Albuquerque, La Michoacana de Paquimé; hopefully there will soon be more north of the border.

·         Speaking of ice creams, don’t overlook Friends (636-107-0057), across from the Chevrolet agency at 1600 Avenida Juárez, Nuevo’s main street. Friends is the newest hit in town, the place to be for the younger set, with more than 20 flavors of Italian gelato ice cream prepared on-site, striking décor, and plenty of tables for families to enjoy pizza and visiting while the teens hang out with billiards and other games. The best hamburgers in the area, incidentally, are two doors south at Mc’s.

·         Some visitors enjoy a peek into the enormous brick oven where pan dulces are baked in the traditional way, put in and retrieved on a long wooden paddle, at the Panaderia La Guadalupana one block west of the Motel Piñón and half a block north, at Avenida Hidalgo #813. The oldest bakery in town, it was founded 60 years ago by the father of the present owner, Luís Antonio Rodríguez Salgado. Select your favorite pan dulce to take back to your hotel to enjoy with traditional Mexican hot chocolate or coffee.

·         Armando Designs (694-9970) invites visitors Mon-Fri 8-5pm and Sat 8-12 to tour their jewelry and lapidary workshop at Constitución #806, a yellow house with an arch. Here the Barrera brothers make tasteful jewelry of Mata Ortiz pottery shards mounted in silver. Go west from the Motel Piñon on Calle Juan Mata Ortiz, cross the tracks, and turn a half-block left. They front the tracks. Groups of ten or more can call a day ahead for a special set-up and demonstration. Recommended.

·         El Pollo Feliz serves good chicken. At the plaza, turn east onto Cinco de Mayo, the main business street. El Pollo is four blocks on your left, before the Pemex station, at the new Alsuper Store,.

·         Old-fashioned oilcloth in bright colors, now scarce and expensive when it can be found at all in the United States, is sold at Madrigal de la Luz a block east and south of the main plaza. Ask anyone for directions. Spanish for oilcloth is “hule” [oó-lay].

·         Two open-air markets take place Saturday morning and one on Sunday. Vendors start setting up about 5am and are ready for business by 7. On Saturday, go east from Avenida Tecnológico on Avenida Carranza, which has a planted median. Turn right on Valentín Farías, the fourth street after the median ends, and go two blocks to the Plaza de la Reforma. The other Saturday market is in the southwest part of town. At the Pemex station leaving Nuevo in the direction of Casas Grandes, turn left across the tracks on Chihuahua Street (which is unpaved) and go about six blocks to the Plaza Obrera. The third market is on Sunday morning. Go as if you were going to the Plaza de la Reforma, above. On your right, several blocks before the center divider ends, you will see the Plaza de la Villahermosa. Both the Reforma and Villahermosa markets are noted for colorful fruit concoctions, elotes (corn on the cob), and other regional street foods.

CASAS GRANDES — Three miles beyond Nuevo Casas Grandes,         locally called “El Pueblo Viejo”—or just the “El Pueblo.”

·         Casas Grandes has three outstanding restaurants. El Mesón del Kiote (636-692-4037) is on Avenida Juárez across from and west of the Pemex station as you exit town back toward Nuevo Casas Grandes (Avenida Juárez was formerly two-way through the pueblo but now is one-way east beginning at Avenida Victoria a block west of the plaza). La Finca de Don Cruz (636-692-4343), yellow and surrounded by green pines, is on the left side of Avenida Juárez five blocks from the plaza in the direction of Mata Ortiz. La Rinconada (692-4304, 12-10pm Tue-Sun), newly opened, is set in a garden half a block north of Avenida Juárez (here two-way) on Flores Magón, which is three blocks west of the plaza or two blocks before La Finca de Don Cruz. (If all of this is confusing, just ask.) All three offer fine cuisine. On the main plaza is Nuestra Casa (formerly Rosti-Pollo). There’s nothing pretentious about Nuestra Casa, but it offers good regional Mexican food (roast chicken, tacos de barbacoa, etc) and will open for breakfast at 7am if asked the day before. Also on the plaza, Mar y Sol offers ice creams, burritos, hamburgers, etc. A bakery, Las Tres Garcías (692-4615), besides offering traditional breads and pan dulces, serves coffee and excellent pizza—which they will deliver. Turn left at the “Panadería” sign a few blocks beyond La Finca de Don Cruz as you head west out of town.

·         Attractions in El Pueblo include most prominently the prehistoric ruins of Paquimé (1200-1450 AD), once the largest and most complex community in the Puebloan world, and the adjacent Museum of Northern Cultures, one of the best archaeological-site museums in North America. Designed by Mario Schetinan, this world-class museum won international prizes for its harmonious integration with the site. It also hosts art shows and local cultural events. Admission to the Museum and the ruins is $38 pesos. Hours 8-5pm, closed Mondays.

·         In the neighborhood of the Museum is the Galería de las Guacamayas. Salmon colored with a distinctive key-hole-shaped door, it can be seen in the distance to the left as you exit the Museum gate. This is an art gallery, bed-and-breakfast, and home of Mayté Luján, who built it using the same rammed-earth building technique as the prehistoric ruins. The gallery, featuring high-end Mata Ortiz pottery, is open by appointment only. Serious collectors should contact Mayté Luján at 636-692-4144.  maytelujan[at]msn.com

·         Casas Grandes is the home of Spencer and Emi MacCallum, who maintain this web site and offer information about the area. They are easily found:  All traffic enters the pueblo westward on a one-way street (an innovation that hopefully will soon be reversed). The third cross street is Victoria, and the MacCallums are on the far left (southwest) corner of that intersection. Their block juts some five feet into the street you are on, narrowing it accordingly; so by turning slightly left from the left-hand lane, you can cross into their driveway. The house, at #420 Avenida Victoria, is further marked by large pines behind a long, vine-covered fence (and, behind that, a couple of loud-mouthed but friendly dogs).

·         In the center of town, near the plaza, Spencer and Emi MacCallum have restored half-a-dozen old adobe homes and furnished them with local antiques for overnight or extended-stay rentals. Spencer and Emi are usually on hand to give an informal tour of those that are not occupied. One resembles an hacienda, while another has a large, semi-subterranean, secret room from the mid-nineteenth century, built to hide women and children when Apaches attacked. Each place gives something of the feeling of walking into the nineteenth century. On the tour, Spencer volunteers a short talk of welcome and orientation about the history of Casas Grandes. Call Spencer and Emi on their USA line 915-261-0502 (rings in Mexico) or their local line 636-692-4402, or email them at sm[at]look.net.

·         North of the pueblo is the Ojo Vareleño. This is an attractively landscaped private park, French in feeling, with picnic facilities and a series of four swimming pools and a wading pool set among hundreds of shade trees, all built around the ample artesian spring that in ancient times provided water for Paquimé and later the Franciscan mission, and today irrigates the pueblo. The park is open from 9 to dark daily except Monday, from Easter week (Semana Santa) through mid-to-late September, and is highly recommended. Family oriented, beer only. $30 pesos per person admission. Some RV dry-camping is available. To reach it, entering the Pueblo from Nuevo Casas Grandes, turn right on Victoria, the third cross street, for 1.4 miles, then left on an unmarked, unpaved road 1.5 miles to the end. Contact Antonio Varela (636-694-5608, Cell 044-636-699-5948, Spanish), proprietor.

·         Also north of the pueblo, although not strongly recommended since only a few adobe walls remain and the area is badly littered, is the ruined Convento San Antonio de Padua, a Franciscan mission built in 1663 (but see two paragraphs below for a contemporary replica of its church that is well worth visiting). Turn right off Victoria at the sign “Cabaña la Tecate Escondida” (this is 0.5 miles before the turn to Ojo Vareleño) and go 1.3 miles. At 0.3 miles, the ruin will be visible ahead of you, silhouetted on the horizon. Just before arriving, take a sharp turn left, up the hill.

·         Back at the church plaza in town, take Calle Libertad south at the fountain three miles to the renovated Hacienda El Refugio. The Hacienda is the private home of Robert Whetten (695-0099), who often will give permission to visit if you phone ahead.

     Several blocks after turning at the fountain, Calle Libertad angles into Calle Ojinaga, once a part of the historic inland Camino Real system from Mexico City to Taos, New Mexico. The Camino split at Chihuahua City and reunited at El Paso to bring Casas Grandes, the Franciscan mission of San Antonio de Padua, and the Spanish administrative center of Janos into the system.

·         Before leaving town westward toward Mata Ortiz, turn left (south) two blocks after La Finca de Don Cruz restaurant. Shortly you will see to your right, across a large expanse slated to become a plaza, a new Catholic church, La Capilla de la Divina Misericordia. This replicates the 17^th-century church of the ruined Convento San Antonio de Padua north of the pueblo and shows Chihuahua’s earliest style of church architecture resembling those of New Mexico. The reason for the narrow naves in these churches is that they were limited by the length of the vigas, or logs, used to span them. The painting over the entire wall behind the altar is by a local artist who trained in Italy and painted chapels there. This church is an easy walk three blocks west and one north from the Galería Las Guacamayas and is recommended. Call the MacCallums before your visit (USA line 915-261-0502, which rings in Mexico, or locally 692-4402) before your visit. They will arrange to borrow the key from the padre, as the church is often locked when not in use.

·         Two galleries are worth visiting, both on your left as you leave town westward. Domínguez Gallery (692-4609,) is attractively painted with Paquimé designs and marked by tall pencil cedars along a white fence. Here master potters César and Gaby Domínguez offer work by various fine artists. A block farther, the last structure on your left as you leave town toward Mata Ortiz, is Casa de Ollas (692-4042), home of the Manuel Olivas family of potters, marked unmistakable by a pylon and paintings in blue. This gallery features lower-cost but often quite attractive pottery of a more archaeological style, reflecting Paquimé, than that of Mata Ortiz. Both galleries offer by appointment classes and free pottery-making demonstrations.

     A number of outstanding Mata Ortiz artists have moved into Casas Grandes. These include César Domínguez (692-4609), mentioned above; Elí Navarrete (Cell 044-636-104-0851), on the right side of Avenida Victoria a mile north of the one-way street coming into town and opposite the Abarrotes Mayra grocery store; and Nicolás Quezada (692-4483) at the very end of the street turning left (south) immediately before the Domínguez’ Gallery.

·         Local industries: Visit workers making sun-dried adobes or kiln-firing soft brick; fish farming; turkey ranching; cheese making; agricultural operations (apple and peach orchards, hydroponic tomato growing); fruit packing; boot and saddle making; lapidary and jewelry making; furniture making; etc. For information, call the MacCallums on their USA line (915-261-0502, rings in Mexico) or locally at 692-4402, or email sm[at]look.net.

·         Driving beyond Casas Grandes, those interested in fine wood art in natural forms in the tradition of such greats as Sam Maloof and George Nakashima should not miss a visit to Roberto Hernandez’ (698-9181) workshop in Colonia Cuauhtémoc. Take the angled right turn at kilometer marker 17 from the Mata Ortiz road back toward Colonia Juárez, go a mile to a yellow sign on the left, turn right onto a dirt road, and go about a quarter-mile to the end. The last house on the right is his workshop, El Nogal Negro (black walnut). His work is shown in galleries in the United States, and he recently had a one-man exhibition at the Museo de las Culturas del Norte in Casas Grandes. Emalie MacCallum is promoting his work and assembled pieces for that exhibition. Some expect Roberto will become the “Juan Quezada of wood.” A video in DVD format shows him at work (see listing at the end of the section “Publications”).

·         Regaining and continuing a mile farther on the road to Mata Ortiz, turn left onto a paved road to the Hacienda de San Diego. The Acosta family occupying and caring for this historic, semi-ruined hacienda about ten minutes before Mata Ortiz will serve a meal for $10 dollars per person (phone ahead for reservations), and for $2 more per person, Denisse and Daniel as a brother and sister team provide folkórico dancing. All meals include a tour in English of the Hacienda; otherwise, donations are appreciated and help maintain the site, which the family is gradually restoring. The older daughter Diana recently graduated in tourism from the University of Juárez and guides groups throughout the area. The Acostas frequently sell superb Mexican candies and quarter-sized cookies. This hacienda, one of 23 in Chihuahua once owned by Luís Terrazas, has interesting architectural features and history. Francisco I. Madero was proclaimed president of Mexico here, and Pancho Villa for a time made it his headquarters. Contact Sara Ramirez de Acosta (Cell 044-636-103-6004), Avenida Anahuac #16, Colonia Juarez, Chihuahua, CP 31857.   pinkgirll1[at]yahoo.com.mx  diane_hsd[at]hotmail.com

·         Finally, Mata Ortiz!  People often come at first for the art pottery—and then make multiple return trips for the friends they have made. As for pottery, an excellent strategy is just to walk around the village and let things happen. People will offer you pottery in the streets and invite you into their homes to see other pieces or perhaps to see their methods of forming, painting, or firing pottery. Most potters display their own work in their home, but several galleries display a variety of potters’ work. A good way to start is to visit the galleries, say, of Jorge Quintana or Mauro Quezada, take time to study the styles, make note of a pot that particularly appeals, ask someone how to find that person’s house, and you’re on your way. The rest of the day will just happen.

Jorge Quintana’s gallery and store (turn left just before crossing the tracks on entering town and go two blocks) has Oaxaca weavings as well as other Mexican crafts (and also good bathrooms).

Mauro Quezada’s gallery is at his home. From Juan’s house, take the street toward the river as far as it goes and turn right. Mauro’s and Martha’s house is on the left, right after the big pines. It has an attractive iron fence.

Oscar Trevizo’s gallery is opposite the station.

The old railroad station shows many people’s work and is open at uncertain hours.

Juan Quezada’s home and gallery is across from and a bit south of the station.

The Women’s Co-op is the bright orange building by the rodeo ring. It offers a selection of low-cost pottery, some of it good.

Galería Lila Silveira in Porvenir, the southernmost barrio of Mata Ortiz across the arroyo to the south, is worth a visit. The Silveiras studied with Juan Quezada. They carry pots of others without mark-up, as a help to the neighborhood. Find them by taking a slant road to the right beyond Macario Ortiz’ two-story house.

·         Returning from Mata Ortiz, drive through the historic Mormon colony of Colonia Juárez, birthplace of George Romney, governor of Michigan and 1968 U.S. presidential candidate. If hungry at this point, Puestocito de Elmer (Elmer’s Stand) west of the one-way bridge is immaculate and offers the best food in town. Besides the new Mormon temple, one of ten in Mexico, points of interest include the Academia Juárez, a church-owned, bilingual prep school founded in 1897 whose reputation draws students from as far away as Mexico City and Salt Lake City; a restored meeting house containing a Museum of Mormon history soon to be open to the public; and the Club de Golf Moctezuma, a golf course with two water traps and perfectly kept greens. The Club is open to visitors year-round, depending on weather, for a $10 dollar green fee. Contact John Hatch on his USA line (480-704-4596, rings in Mexico) or locally at 692-4402. 

Staying Over in the Area

Nuevo Casas Grandes

Hotels in Nuevo: Besides the many hotels in Nuevo Casas Grandes, a city of 70,000 population, good accommodations are available in Casas Grandes (“Pueblo Viejo”), Colonia Juárez, and Mata Ortiz. Listed in order upon entering Nuevo Casas Grandes are:

Hotel Trébol Inn  694-7889, first on the left and the newest in town

Motel Casas Grandes  694-4844, a bit farther along on the right

Hotel Hacienda 694-1048, the city’s most luxurious digs

Hotel Villa Colonial 694-3520; turn right (east) two blocks before the     Motel Piñón and cross the tracks

Hotel Piñón 694-0655, on the right as you approach downtown,    traditionally the archaeologists’ digs

Hotel Paquimé 694-4620, on your right a block short of the plaza

Hotel California 694-1110, a block east fronting the tracks, a

          traditional Mexican commercial hotel

Crossing to the east side of the city on Cinco de Mayo, the main

business street running east and west from the plaza, there are

several hotels on Avenida Tecnológico, the north-south route to

Chihuahua City:

Suites Adrianas 661-2055, a block north of Cinco de Mayo

Motel Las Fuentes 694-5441, on the left half a dozen blocks south of      Cinco de Mayo

Motel Cabañas 694-0624, is a block farther on your right. At $20

          USD for a single or $25 for two beds, this is a great budget

          motel unless you are arriving by bus, in which case taxi fare

          to get across town offsets the saving.

RV parks include:

          RV Park de Dublán los Metates, with 26 spaces, can accommódate up to 36’, but 30’ or less are preferable. Grass, shade trees, all utilities. $150 pesos/day small to medium, $220 large. Turn left (east) on 4^th Street in Dublán (as you enter Nuevo Casas Grandes) a block south of the Pemex station. Abuts Manzana Verde grocery store. Contact Sr. Cuauhtemoc, owner (694-1203, English).

          Pistoleros Restaurant is not an RV park but a restaurant with a large, walled parking yard with a night security guard that can accommodate RV caravans up to 30 or 40. RVers are welcome to use this facility without charge for dry camping. Just past the Pemex station as you exit Nuevo Casas Grandes to the south, look for the Pistoleros sign and turn right on an upaved road. David Baca (694-2964), owner.

          Ojo Vareleño in the old pueblo of Casas Grandes (see page 12, above) is an attractive RV option for dry camping from Semana Santa (Easter Week) through mid to late September. Contact Antonio Varela (636-694-5608, Cell 044-636-699-5948, Spanish), proprietor.

Restaurants in Nuevo: Among the many good places to eat in Nuevo are, in order on entering town:

Algremi  On your right, just beyond and across from the Hotel Trebol.

                   Attractive décor and garden, a good place to refresh from

                   your trip and start your visit to the area. Daily buffet

                   breakfasts 8-11am. They offer visitor information and

                   arrange tours (694-9565)

Málmedy Belgian cuisine. Look for a brick Victorian house with                         gingerbread porch and garden, across from and just

                   beyond the Pemex station. Best to call ahead, and they'll

                   prepare something delightful (694-1056)

El Rincón Oriental, a popular sushi cafe across from the                                   Motel Casas Grandes (1-10pm, closed Mondays)

Kaktus  A tiny, spotless hole-in-the-wall serving the best burritos in

                   Nuevo Casas Grandes. Restaurant owners in town eat            here. 8am to 9:30pm daily except Mondays. Hidalgo #807                 next to the Guadalupana Bakery, one street west of the

                   Motel Piñon and half a block north (694-5724)

Constantino’s, a landmark blending Mexican cuisine and Greek, on                 the northeast corner of the plaza (694-1005)

Nutrivida  Behind the Motel Piñón at Hidalgo #607, a vegetarian

                   health-food restaurant for light meals (694-8750)

El Pollo Feliz  on Cinco de Mayo half-a-block west of the Pemex

                   station (Avenida Madero) for good roast chicken

Dinno’s  nearby at Av. Obregón and Jesús Urueta. Excellent food                       and service, popular with Mennonites (694-3554)

El Pistolero  Look for their sign on the right beyond the Pemex as you

                   exit Nuevo Casas Grandes south. Good décor, steaks.

On the other side of town are:

Motel Fuentes’ dining room at 1312 Tecnológico, the north-south           street intersecting the east end of Cinco de Mayo                              (Tecnológico is the route to Chihuahua City).

Tai Wah, a Chinese buffet at the Motel Cabañas across from and just                south of the Motel Fuentes.

There are many other restaurants in Nuevo Casas Grandes. Please let us know your dining experiences and suggestions.