Caminos de Sierra de Juarez (San Juan Petlapa Road)
There are many crazy routes to get to San Juan Petlapa, from the shortest by Mexico 179, or the longest and craziest route from Mexico 175, either both ways offers stunning views of Sierra Madre Oriental mountains and canyons, even some towns built over the mountains walls, makes a great challenge to traverse.
This is one of the most challenging and scenics routes in Mexico, even with Mexico 175 and 179 both scenic too, there are places filled with switchbacks curves, high grade roads and even towns everywhere!, highest mountains and deep canyons, with secondary roads leading to smalltowns filled with switchbacks. Starting at Mexico 179 near Villa Diaz Ordaz town at 1720 masl, the road goes up dramatically into the mountains to a town called Cuajimoloyas at 3170 masl! in just 20 kilometers of high grade ascending, from there the rough paved road descends again to Santo Domingo Xagacia at 1630 masl, including other 3 nearby towns, and the road finally descends into the river of Yalalag at a minimum height of 850 masl, where an old arched bridge it’s located, not used anymore than pedestrians, south side a modern vehicle bridge bypass this historic bridge.
From this point the road ascends to Hidalgo Yalalag at 1200 (historic mission place town) masl and continuing widing and switchbacking in the river canyon to different towns as like San Melchor Bateza, Santo Tomas Lachitá, San Andrés Yaá, San Francisco Yatee and San Cristobal Lachirioag, where another alternate route is located, towards San Juan Tabaá, this section of the road does over 40 switchbacks in just 10 kilometers crossing a canyon.
San Cristobal Lachirioag and San Idelfonso Villa Alta, both towns are next to other located at 1230 masl, continuing the route to San Juan, to road starts ascending doing a series of switchbacks though the towns of Santa María Temaxcalapa, Taguí and San Juan Yalahui, ascending up to a mountain pass of 2400 masl. Again, the road narrows down to San Juan Petlapa at 660 masl in just 10 kilometers from here, there's a section under construction to Jocotepec at 270 masl.
Road suggested by: Eblem Torres
Pic: Lon&Queta