Hostal Fonts

Fantástico! We stayed three nights at Hostel Font’s. Carlos welcomed us warmly and was a fantastic host. The accommodations were clean and comfortable, with all the amenities you need. There’s a restaurant and small store a short walk away. Don’t miss the ‘Sunrise Hike’! Carlos, thanks for everything, especially taking us on a hiking tour that felt like pure magic and was the highlight of our Copper Canyon visit.

Carlos is an absolute legend with a heart of gold, and he takes real pride in keeping up his home, which is still getting improvements. It’s a peaceful place in Areponapuchi for budget travelers, or anyone wanting to relax, hike, and explore nearby. There’s no WiFi and reception at the house is limited. I have an OXXO SIM card, and this was a great place to disconnect. Download an offline map before you arrive. The grocery store down the road is within a 10-minute walk and has basics, snacks, a few vegetables, plus frozen meat and seafood. Prices seemed reasonable for making meals. There are a couple of restaurants too, if you don’t feel like cooking. The kitchen has pretty much everything for self-catering, including a microwave, George Foreman, oven, stovetop, toaster oven, big fridge, pots, pans, and cutlery. After all the walking and hiking nearby, you can relax in the living area by the fire, watch TV, pick from the DVDs, or do a jigsaw puzzle. The 8-bed dorm is simple but cosy, 300 pesos a night, with lockers, space heaters, and enough blankets for cold nights. The bathroom was clean, with reliably hot water and good pressure. Carlos can also take you to or from the train or bus station for a small fee.

My wife and I were the only guests for all four nights, so it felt more like an Airbnb than a hostel. Carlos was away, but Alejandra looked after the place. She picked us up at Divisadero train station, checked that we were doing okay, and could drive us to nearby places such as the Adventure Park and back for 200 MXN. My Spanish isn’t very good, and she was patient with me. On our third day, the hostel’s main water tank ran dry. Alejandra’s father came over after work to pump water from the storage tank into the main one. He stayed until late to make sure the supply was okay, even after we told him it was back to normal. The hostel is set back from the main road through Areponapuchi, and Google Maps has the location right. That makes it tranquilo. I remember birds in the trees beside the porch and seeing a wild rabbit more than once. Abbarotes Bertha, a grocery shop, is about 500m away, and we used the shared kitchen to make meals. Posada Barrancas train station is around 1.3km away. From there, there’s a nice trail to Hotel Mirador, with a couple of hiking routes and scenic viewpoints nearby. Maps.me or AllTrails can show the routes. There’s no WiFi, and mobile service in the hostel, Areponapuchi, and Divisadero can be weak. There were plenty of stretches with no data at all. When we did get a signal, it was mostly enough for WhatsApp and webpages without much media. We both used OXXO CEL.

Carlos Font went above and beyond to make my stay a great experience. You couldn’t ask for a better host.