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Set in the mountains, this lovely corner of Sonora, birthplace of the Mexican revolution and now a center of high technology combines all these factors to offer visitors a wide range of attractions.
The municipality of Cananea has a notable history and continues to be a source of study, primarily due to the mining strike of 1906, considered the beginning of the Mexican Revolution. At the close of the last century, the territory that is known as Cananea was part of the municipality of Fronteras. However, in October of 1901 Cananea was elevated from the category of a rural township to the status of a municipality.
The mining activity within Cananea has a lengthy history. The registry dates from 1760, when Jesuit missionaries discovered abundant deposits of gold and silver, resulting in the beginning of mining operations in Cobre Grande (The Great Copper mine). Mr. William Cornell Green was the founder and creative mind behind The Cananea Consolidated Copper Company.
A visit to Cananea is a valuable experience. Cananea’s downtown is full of history and great international heritage. Investors that developed the mining industry of Cananea in the late 1800 and beginning of the XX century left a rich legacy that can be seen in the urban architecture, the imported technology, the city services and the basic structure of the city.
Cananea, Sonora, daily increases the number of services it provides through its hotels, bars and restaurants, as well as offering places of singular beauty to relax. Visitors to this area are only minutes from furnished cabins in the foothills, and only a few minutes more from the well-known locales like El Puerto.
Lovers of nature will be pleased by the temperatures that can be enjoyed for the majority of the year, as well as the coolness of winter, the natural ambience of the pines, belloteros, ocotillos and diverse fauna cradled by the mountain landscape.
Tourists can visit several spots in Cananea that will make vacations a treasured memory. Interesting places include:
Casa Green, constructed by Colonel William Green with local and imported materials from France and the United States. It presently serves as a guest house for the Guillermo Haro Observatory.
Rancho Colorado, located on the banks of the Rio Sonora, is well-equipped for rural tourism and hunting. It owns the distinction of having entertained visitors such as former U.S. President Ronald Regan and singer Linda Ronstadt, among other businesspeople and politicians from different parts of the world.
Ojo de Agua Arvayo, the origin of Rio Sonora, supplies the bulk of the water of Cananea and the mining industry. Ojo de Agua is the starting point of a beautiful and interesting stroll by the river channel, full of lovely landscapes, mesmerizing water currents and abundant vegetation to be admired.
Mexicana de Cananea copper mine, a mine of great renown that began operations in 1860, innovating the more modern processes of extraction now familiar throughout Mexico. Guided visits of the mine are available to scholastic and tourist groups.
Museo de la Lucha Obrera and La Carcel de Cananea, a recognized and well-known building, once held as prisoners the workers responsible for inciting and leading the movement of 1906. Today, it is a point of great pride for the community of Cananea. Construction was finished in 1902, and the building is now on the list of Historical National Monuments, exhibiting artifacts of interest from the past century and earlier.
Reserva Forestal Los Ajos only minutes away on the Cananea-Agua Prieta highway, is this national park. In the reservation visitors can enjoy many hunting related activities.
Astrophysics observatory Dr. G. Haro, considered second in size and importance in the Latin America, is 1635 meters above sea level and is visited annually by more than two thousand people. Surrounded by a beautiful mountain view, the observatory is a necessary stop for everyone who visits Cananea.
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