Cruise the Sea of Cortez - Driving to Mexico

Driving into Mexico - Visas, Car Permits, etc.

On the Baja side, cattle in the road are a common occurrence.

IMPORTANT NOTE: When we came back through the Nogales border on February 23, there was a massive construction project going on at the border. It would appear that 21k offices are being moved to the border, just across the Mexican side of the truck crossing. There were toll booths set up as well, so it would appear that a 27 peso toll is going to be charged. We have also heard that some procedural changes may occur. We will write them up as soon as we have details.

INCREASE IN HIGHWAY TOLLS: The two tolls on the drive to/from San Carlos have been increased to 47 pesos. We assume that this is because of the decline in value of the peso.

Taking your car and boat into Mexico is fairly easy, but the paperwork can be a little time consuming, particularly if you are unprepared.

When crossing the border your car and boat may be searched. The Mexican border guards are most concerned about one thing: guns. Please DON'T TRY TO TAKE GUNS INTO MEXICO! Guns and ammunition are illegal in Mexico. If you get caught trying to take a gun (or even a few rounds of ammo) into the country, you will end up in jail.

After crossing the border you will have to stop at the appropriate offices to obtain your visa and car permit. If you cross through Nogales, then the stop for the paperwork is 21km past the border on the main highway. This office is referred to, appropriately, as "21k".

Prepare the following in advance:

Original car title and/or current registration
If the car is not titled in your name, then you will need a notarized letter from the owner granting you permission to take the car into Mexico. You will probably also need the title, not just the registration.
Drivers license
A credit card, MasterCard or Visa (must be a credit card, not a debit card). This is not currently required for the Sonora Only permit, but rules can and do change without notice, and it is required if you plan to travel beyond Sonora, or if you want a six-month permit.
Passport or birth certificate
Photo-copies of all-of-the-above.

If you are trailering a boat into Mexico bring the following as well:

Boat registration
Trailer registration and title
Photo-copies of the above

Getting your visa and permits

First you need to get your visa. Sometimes you will need a separate visa for every individual in your car, sometimes they will do one visa for the whole group. It varies depending on the immigrations officer.
Then you will need to have a copy made of the car-owners visa and copies of the other documents if you did not already have them made.
Now take your originals and copies to the permit office for your car permit.
If you are getting a 10 year permit for your boat (see the separate section on boat permits) you can do that at 21k as well.

Insurance
You will need to get special insurance for your car while in Mexico. You can obtain it before crossing the border at Don Jose's Travel, or you can get it at the car permit office. It is a lot less expensive to buy it at the car permit office. I don't really know if there is any real difference in the quality of the insurance. As far as I can tell, the numbers are pretty well identical and I have never had to make a claim. NOTE: I would be very interested in hearing from anyone who has had to make a claim or deal with a car accident in Mexico. You can also obtain insurance on a yearly basis from a number of companies, including Hambones Insurance in San Carlos (011-622-6-02-74) and Vagabondos del Mar in California.

Roads - the Mainland Side
On the mainland side, there is now a four-lane divided highway from Nogales all the way to Mexico City. By Mexican standards the road is kept in very good repair. It is a bit narrow compared to US roads, and it does not have much of a safety shoulder. If you are trailering a boat you should take it easy, and watch out for the semis, who will tend to pass you at high speed.

When passing through Hermosillo, a decent size Mexican city about 200 miles south of the border, you may find it easier to take the truck route that bypasses the cities interior. There are two toll booths between the border and Guaymas. Each toll is 32 pesos. It is possible to bypass the tolls, but it is a pain.

In Sonora, there are Pemex gas stations about every 20k along the highway (gas stations are less frequent in the state of Sinaloa, which is south of Sonora). The highway is not particularly well patrolled outside of the towns and cities, but when in a town be sure to obey the speed limits.

The third time I drove to Mexico my truck broke down between Hermosillo and San Carlos. A taxi driver picked me up and drove me into Guaymas to a garage, and then refused to take money from me for the ride. The mechanics at the garage spoke almost no english, but I managed to communicate the problem to them mostly through a combination of charades and expressive gestures (it was quite funny to everyone involved). They towed my truck to the garage, replaced the fuel filter and it started up just fine. The whole experience, including the tow, cost me $40 US and six pack of beer. I got off cheap and was treated very well. Seven years later and a lot of globetrotting later, I have honestly come to believe that Mexicans as a whole rank among the nicest people on this planet.

Roads - the Baja Side
Highway 1 goes all the way to Cabo San Lucas. Although generally in good repair, it is only two lanes and is usually not divided. There is seldom any safety shoulder at all. Livestock on the road is a big problem, so driving at night is not recommended. Gas stations are not nearly as common as on the mainland side.