Topolobampo, Place where the magic of the elements are combined in a universal symphony. Wild land of hills with cactus and pitahayas; Blue sky in the day and stars in the night vault.
Below, the village attending the imposing presence of the Bay of Ohuira formed by the waters of the Sea of Cortez. Where the most varied and rich species boast that today have been worth the recognition of the world’s marine sanctuary. There began the utopia of the southeast at the end of the century. The last modern epic and the last attempt of pacific colonization of North America.
In Topolobampo, Albert Kimsey Owen landed with his group of dreamers in pursuit of the dream that would end in terrible failure. And whose descendants of foreign surnames nowadays inhabit the neighboring and progressive city of Los Mochis.
Founded with the birth of the sugar mill, by another American, Benjamin Francis Johnston, who was crowned by the success his presence in these lands.
Sierra Madre Occidental
From Topolobampo, the railway engineer Albert Kimsey Owen set out on the back of a mule to trace the route that follows the Chihuahua-Pacific railroad on the natural wonder of the Sierra Madre Occidental passing through the Copper Canyon visited year after year by tourists of all the world.
The dream of Owen’s utopian socialists coming from the United States of America is now realized. From its docks ferries depart that connect the north of Sinaloa with La Paz, B.C. And huge cargo ships that sail the seas of the world with different destinations.
Minerals and thousands and thousands of tons of golden grains travel to distant Africa and Asia.
First naval combat of the world
Little known is that in Topolobampo in the days of revolutionary Mexico was carried out the first naval combat of the world carried out between the gunboat “Guerrero” and the Biplane “Sonora” manned by Captain Gustavo Salinas assisted by the mechanic Teodoro Madariaga. The world also knows of the richness of the marine fauna of the waters that bathe to Topolobampo.
Year after year there are hundreds of boats out there to participate in sports tournaments, being known the hill of El Farallón whose basses are famous for the size and variety of the pieces captured.
The prophecy and vision of Albert Kimsey Owen, after sleeping his first night under the stars of Topolobampo in 1872 would remain for posterity when he wrote marveling at the spell of this earth:
“I left my blankets and walked among the mountain until arriving at the edge of the beach. What a panorama! A whole enclosed sea! I said to myself: If in the morning I find a deep and secure entrance channel from the Gulf of California, here on this bay, it will be the site of a great metropolitan city. On this sea, where a sail is not found today, the ships of all nations will sail and on these plains many families will live happy. The Australian will come here to meet the European, who will come across the continent by rail from the Atlantic. “
Text: Melchor Angulo
Writer and journalist
Image Gallery
How this Virtual Tour was made
Long ago I had the illusion of doing a photograph of a sunset in Topolobampo.
The golden hour and the blue hour reflect in these images beautiful colors of different shades, first highlight the yellows and oranges and then the blue and magenta.
Shutter speeds range from five to fifteen seconds to capture information in both shadows and highlights.
It was a fantastic afternoon in mid-January with a bit of cold covering me with a light jacket I could comfortably enjoy.
Use our photos
English language translation made by Universidad Autónoma de Sinaloa through the collaboration of Centro de Estudio de Idiomas Culiacán
