We had two options for driving from Durango to Mazatlan. The first was the old highway, part of which is known as La Espina del Diablo (the Devil’s Backbone), described as a treacherous road that snakes through mountains known for their marijuana fields and opium production, and which would take about 7 hours, if all went well. The second, a fairly new highway, costing about 35 CAD in tolls, with 115 bridges and 61 tunnels and a driving time of about 3 hours. We love adventure, but treacherous, not so much, so we opted for the toll highway.
The highway has great views, and is undeniably a tremendous feat of engineering. It has been literally carved into and through the mountains. Although the major construction is completed, finishing touches are still being applied all along the route and there are still several single lane sections. Hundreds of workers are still present and progress continues. Once the highway is finished it will link the Pacific with the Gulf of Mexico.
The bridge deck in the following video is so high above the gorge that the Eiffel Tower could fit under it. Notice the melted truck in the tunnel before we get to the bridge…not sure what happened there. The road was quite steep in places, maybe overheated brakes?
We are now in Mazatlan, in a campground, in an area called the Golden Zone, a few blocks from the beach. We initially were only going to stay for 2 nights, but after a sunset walk on the beach on the day we arrived, we decided to book an extra 2 nights.
It struck us a few days ago that we should try to make a reservation somewhere to stay over Christmas, (so that we don’t end up camping in a Pemex gas station parking lot for the holidays). We tried to book an AirBNB in Puerta Vallarta, but with Christmas being only a month away, having a dog and needing a large parking spot for the truck, we were not able to find a suitable rental. We started looking elsewhere, and finally reserved a campsite in the city of San Miguel del Allende for Christmas and New Year’s. It is supposed to be a beautiful little city with great restaurants, and the money we will save by staying in a campground vs. renting a place should fund a few nice dinner’s out and some activities in the area.
The plan right now is to continue down the coast to Puerta Vallarta and then head inland again in order to make San Miguel by December 24th.
Wow. You sure have had some interesting drives.
I am really glad you have a dash camera. Makes us almost feel like we are there.
Hi You Two, we’re liking the driving videos. The last one on the really steep road was pretty freaky, nothing like a video to give you the feeling of being there!
Now if only we could get that kind of construction effort on the Trans Canada through the Rockies, could do without the toll though.
Happy beach time to you!
The video reminds me of that Google maps game we used to play where you had to guess where in the world you were. Except I would have failed this one. Glad the burnt out truck wasn’t yours.