Just 135 miles from Bisbee Arizona, Banamichi (ba-NAH-me-chee) is the very heart of the Rio Sonora Valley. And Hotel Los Arcos is right in the center. This is a timeless place, as old as forever and as new as tomorrow. From the sunset glow on the mountain sides to the smile on a child’s face, Banamichi is a magical place of blue skies and star filled nights. A place where children play in the plaza and the aroma of roasting chiles fills the air. Here working cowboys commute to work on horseback and every smile and every wave is reciprocated.
The mission Nuestra Señora de los Remedios de Banamitzi was founded in 1639. On their arrival, the Jesuits found a thriving community of native Opata people, a town at least 600 years old here with some houses made of adobe, and a few of them two stories tall. Today, the town has about 2,000 people with attractive adobe houses built in colonial style.
Flowers bloom year round. Bougainvilleas spill over walls in a riot of blossoms. Orange trees adorn the the streets. You’ll find color everywhere, from well tended roses to brightly painted houses.
The Nuestra Señora de Loreto Temple, built of adobe in the 1600s and remodeled in the 1940’s, faces the town plaza.
The broad valley and the sheltering mountains frame the Rio Sonora creating a landscape of striking beauty. The open vistas of the fields reaching towards the foothills change endlessly as the sun transits the sky. The temperate climate through the fall, winter and spring allow for lots of outdoor adventures. The summer rainy season can provide incredible displays of nature’s power as lightning streaks the sky and the river flows full.
Piedra Historica
Things to see:
- Nuestra Señora de Loreto Temple
- The Plaza de Armes – the Main Plaza. A shady spot with a band stand. The Church and the Town Hall are located on the plaza.
- The “Piedra Historica,” a petroglyph depicting an Opatan irrigation map. Located in the town park.
- The Flour Mill. The mill is a 3 story adobe structure, open by special arrangement and with advance notice. Not safe for children. The original water and steam powered equipment is still in place.
- Bacachi warms springs pools. Just south of town, these pools provide a soothing soak. The hot springs in Aconchi are only 14 miles to the south.
Things to do:
- Walking tours of Banamichi *
- Hiking
- Motorcycle touring
- Baseball – watch our local team, Los HALCONES (the Falcons)
- Climbing
- Horseback Riding *
- Birding
- Bicycling
- Fiestas
- Cooking lessons *
- Spanish Lessons *
- Visit a working cattle ranch *
- For groups, a visit to a bacanora distillery *
- Warm and hot springs
- See centuries old Mission Churches along the Rio Sonora
- Hunting (November to March.) Requires advance notice, licenses and permits, call to make arrangements. **
Contact Hotel Los Arcos de Sonora for more info.
(* 10 days advance notice required.)
(** Hunting in Banamichi is on private ranches and requires a least 45 days advance notice)
Most of these offsite activities are provided by local residents and business and not by Hotel Los Arcos de Sonora. You are responsible for your own safety. We only provide information about these activities.
