A Sonoran Rover Tour
Rio Sonora Valley Expedition
2025 Expedition dates
October 15-19
Price
Starting from $3000
Expedition Length
5 days/4 nights
Group Size
6-10 people
Discover the rich borderland ribbon of the Rio Sonora Valley, Mexico, in one of our classic Land Rover Defenders.
Drive or be driven down river bottoms and up mountain tracks. Sample local cuisine straight from the ranch house and visit 17th century towns where Opata, Pima, Yaqui and Apache Indians, Mexicans, Spaniards, Basques and Jesuit missionaries converged and collided in the 17th and 18th centuries.
On this cross-cultural adventure into central Sonora, Mexico, we will experience the natural beauty, countryside, mountains, and culture of rural Mexico. Our main destination is the township of Banámichi, in the municipality of Arizpe, located approximately 135 miles (217 km) south of Bisbee, AZ, by road, and snuggled into the eastern side of the Sonora River.
We will also enjoy sharing homemade country cuisine, agave spirits (bacanora and sotol), and laughs with local people.
Features
Drive classic old Land Rover Defenders off-road. Roll the windows down, open the vents, smell the desert. No air conditioning in these old trucks
Sleep two nights in quality safari style roof top tents
Hike, ride mountain bikes, or ride horses at a mountain top ranch where Jaguar and Ocelot have been spotted
Eat traditional food with local families
Visit and soak in local hot springs
Spend a night or two in a wonderful colonial hotel - La Posada del Rio Sonora
Learn about building with adobe
Meet local Bacanora distillers and sample some of the best spirits the region has to offer. Take a bottle with you!
Daily training sessions with a local mechanic, who specializes in Land Rover maintenance.
Bring your own vehicle or use a Sonoran Rover Truck.
Itinerary
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Tucson to Bisbee, AZ by way of the Sonoran grasslands. We will stop at Rune Wines via Empire Ranch and the Las Cienegas National Conservation Area
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Begin the morning with an adventurous drive down the Rio Sonora riverbed. Visit the bacanora still then 4WD drive to the mountaintop Rancho Viejo. Set camp, evening hike.
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Optional day for hiking, horse riding* relaxing at camp or more 4WD exploring of mountain back roads.
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Return down the mountain, traditional ranch house lunch and an evening stay at La Posada del Rio Sonora, option to visit the hot springs in Aconchi
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Drive back to Tucson
Historic church at Arizpe
Scenic drive through the mountains of Rio Sonora
The stay at La Posada del Rio Sonora in Banamichi
Exploring waterfalls in the mountains of Rio Sonora
4WD exploring in the Rio Sonora Valley
Sunrise in a Land Rover Camper
Ride on horseback in mountains
Tacos the local Sonoran cuisine
A classic Sonoran meal of Beef Red Chile
Inside of Arizpe historical church
A thatched adobe structure
Driving in a classic Land Rover
Exploring the country side
Local Bacanora maker
Historic mission at Rio Sonora
Crossing the water at Rio Sonora
Church at Arizpe, Sonora
Horses roam the Rio Sonora