What are the most spectacular roads in Mexico?

Located in North America, Mexico is a country with a wide collection of stunning drives. It’s home to about 150 roads listed as the most spectacular in the world.

With very diverse geography, comprising high mountains such as the Sierra Madre Occidental and Sierra Madre Oriental, and stunning beaches providing scenic coastal drives, when traveling to Mexico don’t forget to add to your list the infamous Espinazo del Diablo, a thrilling and challenging Mexican mountain road. This road is renowned internationally for its hairpin turns. Another notable road is Carretera Federal 1, which is full of blind corners with no barriers or hard shoulders. Spanning the length of the Baja California Peninsula, it is often called the Carretera Transpeninsular or Transpeninsular Highway.

If you prefer mountain roads, try the road to Cortes Pass, a mountain pass at an elevation of 3,692m (12,112ft) above sea level. It’s one of the highest roads in Mexico. If you like unpaved roads, try the drive to Sierra Negra volcano, an extinct volcano at 4,576m (15,013ft) in the state of Puebla.

Nevado de Colima is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 3.991m (13,093ft) above sea level located in the Mexican state of Jalisco. The road to the summit is horrendous with sections up to 12%. 4x4 is the only option. It's one of the highest roads of the country.

Cumbres de Maltrata is part of the México 150D, the main highway linking Mexico City to the Gulf. It’s said to be the most dangerous highway in Mexico (with 4 accidents per day), according to CAPUFE.

Cerro de la Cúpula is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 2,806m (9,206ft) above sea level, located in the Mexican state of Baja California.

Queretaro-León (Mexico 45) is a busy highway located in Mexico which gets almost all traffic from northwest and north of Mexico and the US (except northeast Mexico).

Ubicado en la parte sur de América del Norte, México es un país de extremos. El país tiene 9.330 kilómetros de costas, pero está atravesado por dos sierras montañosas conocidas como Sierra Madre Oriental y Sierra Madre Occidental. México tiene un gran número de montañas combinadas con cañones profundos en el centro del país, vastos desiertos en el norte y densos bosques con abundantes lluvias en la zona sr y este.

Xichú is a Mexican city located in the Northeast region of the state of Guanajuato. The road to the city is called Bajada a Xichú. It’s a scenic road with spectacular views of Sierra Madre Oriental mountains and canyons.

Autopista Mexico 40D and Mexico 40 were considered Mexico deadliest highways, until the new toll route opened to traffic in 2009. The original “libre” route had sharp curves and long steep grades, until it was improved around 2000’s. Currently “libre” highway is still dangerous, but the dead list was reduced due the traffic changes after the opening of the toll route.

Barranca de Beltrán roads (both Mexico 54D and Mexico 54, autopista Guadalajara-Manzanillo) link Guadalajara to the Pacific Ocean, mainly the cities like Colima and the resort city of Manzanillo.

Baja California Scenic Highway (Mexican Federal Highway 1D) is a very scenic toll road located in the northwestern Mexican state of Baja California.

Cuesta del Cajón is a beautiful scenic road running through pine forests and small rocky canyons, located in the state of Chihuahua, in Mexico.

Urique is a small town located at the bottom of Urique Canyon, in the northern Mexican state of Chihuahua. The road to the town is extremely steep, unsurfaced, and rugged. It will test both vehicle and driver.

Refugio Piedra Grande is a high mountain hut at an elevation of 4,255m (13,959ft) above sea level, located in Mexico. It’s one of the highest roads in the country.

Located in the Mexican state of Chihuahua, Cañón Pegüis is a breathtaking geological feature where the Conchos River cuts 2,000 feet through a mountain.

Mexico 16 (Chihuahua-Hermosillo Road) is both one of the most scenic and monotonous roads in northern Mexico. It offers beautiful pine forests and desert landscapes but can feel repetitive due to its long stretches of similar views.

Plan de Barrancas roads (Mexico 15 and Mexico 15D, autopista Guadalajara-Tepic) link Guadalajara to the Pacific Ocean, mainly the cities of Tepic and the resort city of Puerto Vallarta.

Autopista Mexico-Tuxpan (Mexico 132D) is another great engineering achievement. This highway was under construction for over 30 years due to scandals of corruption, insufficient funds, and the challenges posed by the rugged mountains of the Sierra Madre Oriental.

Mexico 199 is a defiant high mountain road with stunning views, located in the Mexican state of Chiapas.

Camino Rivera del Pilón is a scenic road running along the Pilon river straddling Nuevo León and Coahuila states, in Mexico.

Highway Mexico 150D is a winding, 6-lane highway that connects Mexico City and Puebla. This mountainous route reaches an elevation of 3,230m (10,597ft) above sea level.

The Tuxtepec road is said to be Mexico’s most scenic road. It offers everything you could wish for on a road trip: mountains, desert, pine forest, jungle, cactus, mountain lakes, lots of curves, scenic views, hairpin curves, rivers, and canyons... Except polar or ice environments, you can find it all here.

La Ventosa (English: The Windy) is a small town in the Oaxaca state of Mexico. It lends its name to Mexico Highway 185 due to the high-speed winds that blow across the area almost year-round.

Puerto Cancún is a small community of fishermen located on the western coast of the Mexican state of Baja California Sur.

Straddling Hidalgo and Querétaro states of Mexico, the road to Zimapán reservoir is an uncategorized state route, offering great views of the mountains, the reservoir, and canyon walls.

Carretera Federal 307 is a very scenic jungle-drive located in the state of Chiapas, in Mexico.

Bajada a Zirupa is a gravel mountain road located in the mountains of the Mexican state of Chihuahua.

La Lobera is a magnificent sea crater located on the west coast of the Mexican state of Baja California.

Calakmul is a Maya archaeological site located in the Mexican state of Campeche, deep in the jungles of the greater Petén Basin region of Mexico.

El Capulín is a high mountain town at an elevation of 3,075m (10,088ft) above sea level, located in Mexico. It’s one of the highest roads in the country.

Mexico City-Toluca (Mexico 15D or 134D) is a very dangerous road that links Mexico City and Toluca, in Mexico.

Straddling Mexico State and Mexico City, the road from Xalatlaco to El Ajusco is one of the most scenic drives in Mexico.

Located in the Mexican state of Nuevo León, the Nuevo Leon 20 runs along the San Isidro canyon.

Located southwest of Ciudad del Carmen, in the state of Campeche in Mexico, Puente El Zacatal is one of the most spectacular bridges in the world. The bridge connects the Atasta peninsula and the Isla del Carmen.

Mesa del Nayar (Road from Ixcatán-Jesús María Mexico 44) is a very scenic drive in Mexico, departing at Jesús María (430 masl) and running to the coast at Ruiz, Nayarit.

Carretera Federal 95D is a dangerous mountain road located in the central part of Mexico.

Autopista del Sol (Mexico City-Acapulco, Mexico 95D) is a modern four-lane toll highway located in the southern part of Mexico that links Mexico City with Acapulco.

Death Pass (Paso de la Muerte in Spanish) is a terrible high mountain road linking the small community of Conrado Castillo to the rest of the state of Tamaulipas, in Mexico.

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