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.
Mexico-Tuxpan Highway is a Marvel of Engineering
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.
Highway Mexico 150D: One of the Deadliest Roads in the country
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.
Travelling through the curvy Plan de Barrancas in Sierra Madre
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.
A Paved Road Through the Peguis Canyon in Chihuahua
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.
Travelling the scenic Road Mexico 16
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.
La Ventosa (Mexico 185) is One of the Most Dangerous Roads in Mexico
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.
Adventure along the curvy Road Mexico 199
Mexico 199 is a defiant high mountain road with stunning views, located in the Mexican state of Chiapas.
Driving the scenic Camino Rivera del Pilon
Camino Rivera del Pilón is a scenic road running along the Pilon river straddling Nuevo León and Coahuila states, in Mexico.
Driving through the Mexican Federal Road 307
Carretera Federal 307 is a very scenic jungle-drive located in the state of Chiapas, in Mexico.
A beautiful drive to Presa Zimapan
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.
La Marquesa is One of the Deadliest Highways in Mexico
Mexico City-Toluca (Mexico 15D or 134D) is a very dangerous road that links Mexico City and Toluca, in Mexico.
How to get by car to Puerto Cancun in Baja California Sur?
Puerto Cancún is a small community of fishermen located on the western coast of the Mexican state of Baja California Sur.
Driving Through the Defiant Highway del Sol
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.
Traversing the spectacular Zacatal Bridge
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.
Driving through the Federal Road 95D
Carretera Federal 95D is a dangerous mountain road located in the central part of Mexico.
The Wild Road to El Capulin
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.
Nuevo Leon 20: a memorable road trip
Located in the Mexican state of Nuevo León, the Nuevo Leon 20 runs along the San Isidro canyon.
How to Get by Car to La Lobera in Baja California
La Lobera is a magnificent sea crater located on the west coast of the Mexican state of Baja California.
A high mountain road from Xalatlaco to El Ajusco
Straddling Mexico State and Mexico City, the road from Xalatlaco to El Ajusco is one of the most scenic drives in Mexico.
How to Get by Car to Calakmul, a Maya Site
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.
Driving the road to Mesa del Nayar with spectacular views
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.
Driving the unpaved Bajada a Zirupa in Chihuahua
Bajada a Zirupa is a gravel mountain road located in the mountains of the Mexican state of Chihuahua.
The road to Cofre de Perote in Veracruz isn’t an easy one
Cofre de Perote is an extinct volcano at an elevation of 4,160 m (13,648 ft) above sea level, located in the Mexican state of Veracruz. It’s one of the highest roads in the country.
Fog and Bad Weather on the Road to Paso de la Muerte
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.
The Old Mexico 101: Why Drivers Once Detoured to Avoid This Mountain Road
The Carretera Federal 101 (Mexico 101) is the historic route connecting San Luis Potosí and Ciudad Victoria. Before 2008, it was the only direct path between these major cities. Today, this stretch is not famous for its scenery, but for its notorious reputation as a treacherous and accident-prone highway that many commercial drivers avoided for decades.
How to drive the wild road to Cerro de la Viga in the Sierra Madre Oriental?
Cerro de la Viga is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 3.556m (11,666ft) above sea level, located in the Mexican state of Coahuila. It’s one of the highest roads in the country.
Driving Mexico’s Cartel Highway: The Road to Guadalupe y Calvo
The road to Guadalupe y Calvo (Mexico 24) is a challenging mountain drive that runs from Parral, Chihuahua, to the town of Guadalupe y Calvo. Beyond the town, the road continues toward a remote zone under construction, eventually descending into Sinaloa state at Badiraguato, known as the hometown of El Chapo.
How to get by car to Lagunas de Zempoala?
Lagunas de Zempoala is a collection of mountain lakes in Mexico, situated at an elevation of 2,900m (9,500ft) above sea level.
Supercarretera Tehuantepec-Oaxaca
Supercarretera Tehuantepec-Oaxaca (Mexico 135D) Paso de Calapa is the main highway in Oaxaca to Mexico city. Some parts of the road offer spectacular views of Sierra Madre del Sur mountains, canyons and it offers different biomes such cactus desert, oak forest, rainforest in same route.
How to drive the hairpins of Cumbres de Acultzingo in Veracruz
Cumbres de Acultzingo is a high mountain pass in the state of Veracruz, Mexico. Located in the Sierra Madre Oriental, this section of Route 150 (Tehuacan-Orizaba) is known for its extreme gradients and a unique lane-switching system designed for heavy freight traffic.
Baja California Road 163
Baja California Road 163 is a very scenic drive running along the Gulf of California in the Mexican state of Baja California.
Driving the hairpinned Tolantongo Road
With more than 40 hairpin curves, this road tests the skills of any driver. No guardrails or any security involved. This gravel road offers great views of Tolantongo canyon walls and mountains.
Driving through Camino a Rayones (Nuevo Leon state route 7)
Camino a Rayones is a very scenic drive in the mountains of Sierra Madre Oriental in Nuevo León state, in Mexico.
Tolantongo-Metztitlán Road
Carretera Tolantongo-Metztitlán is a narrow and dirt dangerous road in the desert mountains of Mexico.
Take the Scenic Route and Discover Road Mexico 105 Metztitán Canyon
This segment of Mexico 105 crosses a magnificent desert landscape with huge canyons and cactus.
How steep is the mountain road to Tapalpa in Jalisco?
The road to Tapalpa, officially known as Jalisco State Route 436 (JAL 436), is a demanding mountain climb located in the Mexican state of Jalisco. Starting from the lowlands of Libre México 54, the road snakes up the sierra to reach the town of Tapalpa at 2,060m (6,758ft). For a driver, this is a journey of extreme contrasts, where the vehicle must handle a rapid transition from dry valley floors to humid, high-altitude pine forests, all while navigating steep gradients and sharp, unprotected curves.