By Anita Draycott

The final western destination of the Chihuahua-Pacific Railroad, better known as El Chepe, is Los Mochis in the state of Sinaloa. Here you’ll find plenty of eco-tourism activities, interesting museums offering an insight to the region’s past and a great variety of dishes prepared with fresh seafood.

Visit the former residence of one the city’s founders, Dr. Chapman, which today houses the Valle del Fuerte Regional Museum. You will find pre-Hispanic items as well as an extensive historical collection providing information about the town’s origin.

Mazatlan, Sinaloa’s main port, received people from all over the world, so it’s worth noting that the people from Sinaloa have a predominantly mixed heritage that includes native Indians, Europeans, Chinese, Japanese, Israelis and more.

Formerly private, the Sinaloa Botanic Garden is full of both native plants and specimens from abroad, plus a large variety of bird species. You will be able to admire exotic plants from India, Java, Africa and Australia.

Fresh seafood is abundant in Los Mochis. You will find it in a variety of guises including cocktails, aguachile (sliced and smothered with lemon, Serrano chilies, onion and cucumber), grilled whole fish, giant shrimps, marlin and crab.

About 22 km away from Los Mochis, you will reach the port of Topolobampo, whose waters provide most of the seafood sold in the state of Sinaloa. Its beaches with calm waves are ideal for aquatic sports. Nearby, El Maviry is an super spot for swimming and home to a bat cave. Patos Island is the habitat of a variety of birds.