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BANAMICHI, Sonora — A resort in northern Sonora, Mexico, lets guests relax in a comfortable atmosphere and experience the natural beauty, culture, history and wildlife of what is considered “Old Mexico.”
“A different time in Mexico’s history is still here,” said Bill Harmsen, an entrepreneur who lives locally and owns the resort. “It’s different than going to the tourist areas or going to the big cities. This is rural cowboy Mexico.”
Banamichi, a three-hour drive south of Bisbee, was founded in 1639. The area is one of the last undeveloped and historic regions of Mexico.
La Posada del Rio Sonora resort in Banamichi took six years to build and has been operating for 2 1/2 years. Facing a central plaza, it is located in a restored historic adobe building.
  
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“It is impossible to date it. But it has been here beyond anybody’s memory,” Harmsen said. “The building itself or parts of it could have been built right after the town was founded. Who knows?”
The interior of the hotel is decorated with numerous artifacts from around the world. Harmsen collected some of the items during travels in foreign countries. He purchased others in the United States.
For example, there is a large hand-carved door and frame that originally came from an old mosque in Pakistan.
“It’s about 400 years old. I found it in Denver,” he said. “Some people had imported it, I guess. It was a while back before there were all the problems in Pakistan.”
Other items include a Chinese sculpture that is a replica of a Xian warrior displayed in the foyer, as well as some rare African sculptures from Mali beside the patio.
National Geographic Traveler magazine published a story in the September issue listing 50 great discoveries in Mexico. The article recommends people visit Banamichi and spend the night at La Posada del Rio Sonora.
“You’ll awaken to the cooing of doves and the clip-clop of horses,” it says. “Take time to hike among the patchwork fields of chiles, melons and alfalfa irrigated by the same canal-and-ditch method used by the Opata Indians centuries ago. Ride a horse among the cottonwoods lining the river. Or bike the new 48-mile trail established to help turn the Ruta Rio Sonora into a model of sustainable tourism.”
Besides horseback riding and bicycling, people can partake in a variety activities in the area, such as going bird-watching to see golden eagles and elegant trogons or soaking in desert hotsprings in nearby Aconchi, said Victor Acedo, who was born in Fort Huachuca, raised in Douglas and started managing the resort on Sept. 1.
The hotel features different kinds of rooms with comfy beds and hot water showers. A double costs 850 pesos per night, which is about $65 at the current exchange rate. Also available are apartments and studios. Some rooms feature a hot tub or fireplace. Credit cards are accepted.
Acedo, 50, who recently worked as a waiter at the Bisbee Grill and served as a horticulture volunteer in the Peace Corps in Guatemala from 1987-89, pointed out the resort is both socially and environmentally responsible.
The restaurant serves dishes prepared from local foods. Prices for meals range from about $5 for breakfast to about $10 for dinner.
A favorite on the menu is the caldo de queso, or cheese soup, which is made with local ingredients of cheese, chili verde, potatoes and spices. Other favorites are Sonoran enchiladas made with local Anaheim red chiles and Tilapia fillets made with fish that are produced in farms by local businessmen.
Even the bar uses locally available alcohol for its drinks, such as bacanora, a form of tequila made from the desert agave. It serves the bacarita, which is similar to a margarita but made with bacanora, and the bacatini, which is a martini made with bacanora.
“We have a destination here where people can enjoy the surroundings, and then come back to the hotel to rest and contemplate what they have just been through,” he said.
Herald/Review reporter Jonathon Shacat can be reached at 515-4693 or by e-mail at jonathon.shacat@bisbeereview.net.
HOW TO GET THERE
Directions from Bisbee: Drive to Naco, cross into Mexico, continue south to Highway 2 to Cananea, continue south on Highway 089 to Banamichi.
If traveling to Banamichi by car, the driver needs to get a vehicle permit at the port of entry in Agua Prieta or Nogales. The following documents are needed: a tourist card, a passport, a credit card, a driver’s license and the vehicle’s registration.
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