Copala, Chirimollos or Panuco Half day tour to Copala, Chirimollos or Panuco For those seeking to experience an exhilarating ride into the foothills of the Sierra Madre Mountains and an opportunity to visit the 500-year old town of Copala, this ride should not be missed. The tour begins in Mazatlan and proceeds along paved road to the town of Concordia. Here there are many opportunities to take wonderful photos among the many artisan shops, including the handmade furniture "factory" and the outdoor stands overflowing with handmade pottery artifacts. From there, the road proceeds to one of the jewels of Mexico known as Copala where you are welcomed by cobble-stoned streets that lead to the center of town. There is a picturesque main plaza with a church dedicated to Saint Joseph, the pueblo's patron saint. The church is many centuries old and still used by the town inhabitants. There is a marvelous panoramic vista from the main square and you can experience the tranquility of life in a pueblo that has remained unchanged since the Spaniards came to Mexico. From there, the tour proceeds along a dirt road to a small town known as Panuco. The road into and out of this town can be quite difficult at the best of times and is only for those with previous offroad experience. This was once a silver and gold mining town nestled in one of the hillsides of the foothills of the Sierra Madres. This is an excellent way to spend a day taking in sights that most people miss. For those that do not have previous offroad experience we will take you part way up the Devil's Backbone to a small town called Chirimollos where you can get some great photos of the Sierra Madres.