Northwest Mexico Getting there & around

Getting there & around

Hwy 15, Mexico’s principal northern Pacific coast highway, begins at the border town of Nogales, Sonora, about 1½ hours (108km) south of Tucson. This is one of the most convenient border crossings between western Mexico and the US. From Nogales, Hwy 15/15D heads south through the Desierto Sonorense for about four hours (260km) to Hermosillo and then cuts over to the coast at Guaymas. From Guaymas the highway parallels the beautiful Pacific coast for about 1000km, finally turning inland at Tepic and heading on to Guadalajara and Mexico City. There are regular tollbooths along Hwy 15 (including two between Nogales and Hermosillo that charge around M$78 in total).

The Lukeville–Sonoyta crossing (6am- midnight), 357km west of Nogales opposite Lukeville, Arizona, immediately south of Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, is the quickest and easiest in the region (though it’s only convenient if you’re heading west to Puerto Peñasco). There are also crossings at San Luis Río Colorado (24hr) west of Sonoyta and 42km southwest of Yuma, Arizona; Naco (24hr), 90km east of Nogales, opposite Naco, Arizona; and Agua Prieta (24hr), 130km east of Nogales opposite Douglas, Arizona.

Note that the state of Sonora operates the no-permit, no-cost Only Sonora program for drivers who do not go south of Hwy 2 between Agua Prieta and Imuris, or east of Hwy 15/15D anywhere as far south as Empalme, at Km 98 on Hwy 15 east of Guaymas. If you are taking a vehicle beyond these boundaries, you must stop at a vehicle permit station at Empalme, or at Cananea on Hwy 2, and obtain either an Only Sonora vehicle permit, costing the peso equivalent of US$25.30, allowing you to drive in the rest of Sonora state (for example to Álamos), or an all-Mexico permit (US$29.70) if you want to go beyond Sonora state.

Vehicle and passenger ferries link Guaymas with Santa Rosalía (Baja California) three times a week, and Topolobampo (near Los Mochis) with La Paz (Baja California) daily.

Nogales, Hermosillo and Los Mochis are the primary hubs for bus travel. Buses of all classes ply the cities and towns along Hwy 15 with great frequency, making it possible to travel from northwest Mexico to destinations throughout the mainland or to the US with ease. Many travelers begin their journey through the Copper Canyon at Los Mochis, traveling northeast by train on the Ferrocarril Chihuahua Pacífico. Others do the trip in ­reverse, beginning in Chihuahua.

The major airports for the region are at Hermosillo, which has several flights to and from the US, and Los Mochis, which serves several mainland destinations.