Pasamayo Serpentine is a lethal coastal road in Peru

Serpentín Pasamayo is a very dangerous coastal road located in the Lima Province of Peru, known for fatal traffic accidents. The road has no safety fences. One mishap, and you plunge off the cliff and into the sea.

Pasamayo Serpentine

Where is Pasamayo Serpentine?

Tucked away between the Peruvian districts of Aucallama and Ancón and the provinces of Huaral and Lima, both within the department of Lima, the drive is extremely dangerous due to the weather, its many curves, and the lack of signage. The road is also known as Curva del Diablo (Devil's curve) due to the dense fog that tends to abound throughout the year (especially between April and December) and the constant humidity on the pavement that causes many accidents from its opening to the public. The road is also constantly invaded by the sand carried by the wind.

How long is Pasamayo Serpentine?

Part of the Carretera Nacional 001B, the road is totally paved. It’s 22.6 km (14 miles) long, running from Chacra y Mar to Santa Rosa. The road is intended for heavy vehicles. It was bypassed by a new road called Ruta nacional PE-1. But heavy traffic is still using it.

When was Pasamayo Serpentine built?

The road was originally designed as a railroad (the Old Lima-Ancón-Chancay Railway) in the 1870s, and the current road was built in 1940. The road features extreme drop-offs (more than 100 meters over the sea).

How lethal is Pasamayo Serpentine?

Located between the Pacific Ocean and the Western Cordillera, the road features a high level of fatalities (more than 150 in the last 30 years). Forty-eight people were killed on 3rd January 2017 when a bus went over a cliff. The trip is especially treacherous at night, with low visibility and high humidity, and afternoon fogs coming in from the ocean. Asphalt is very slippery at night and during rains as it follows 52 never-ending turns. Its dangerousness is so well-known that the Peruvian rock group Nosequien y Los Nosecuantos dedicated the song Pasamayo maldito to the road.
Pic: Carlos