Road Trip: Torreón to Mazatlán (#15c)

Our full road trip was from Orlando, Florida, USA to Mazatlán, Sinaloa, Mexico! This is the final portion and is the Mexico part from Torreón to Mazatlán (map locations H-I).

Torreón, Mexico

Before we get to the details… look at how gorgeous the trip was from Loredo, TX to Torreón, Mexico!

Okay, now to details and info. We crossed the border in Loredo from the USA to Mexico in the morning with passports, drivers licenses, car title and registration, Mexico car insurance (we used Baja Bound), and copies of each of these. We had done our research and preparation and know that we needed to first get our Forma Migratoria Múltiple (FMM) Tourist Visas and then our Temporary Vehicle Importation Permit (TVIP) so we can drive our car in Mexico. Note that this is expensive ($400 for us in 2024), but you can get it refunded on your way back into the USA (links below for things we found helpful).

With all of our research, the hardest part was actually finding the Banjercito office (the official permitting office in Mexico) where we could do both of these. If I were to do this again, I would recommend having detailed directions and not relying on google maps navigation. While we had international data, google maps was not always reliable for us in Mexico. Luckily we did find it with some assistance so we didn’t recross back into the US. Once at the office we were on our way in under an hour. However, it’s one of those things where being kind and patient is essential.

Once that was settled, we took a deep breath and easily got on the toll road to Torreón. The toll roads are nice and maintained (as you can see above) and it’s straightforward getting through the toll booths. We were conservative and traveled primarily during the day. It was beautiful weather and a nice drive.

Once in Torreón, we enjoyed seeing the town. We were there for two full days and spent time walking and at the hotel pool. After going to the grocery store (we like seeing and buying food in other countries) we went on a hike. We headed to Ruta de las Noas which was an easy (paved) walk up to Estación Cristo de las Noas and the beautiful Santo Sepulcro chapel. They have made it a religious tourist destination with a gondola, dinosaurs, a restaurant, souvenirs, and perfect places for selfies!

The final drive from Torreón was picturesque. We enjoyed the changing landscape from fields, to foothills, to mountains, to canyons, and then dropping to the ocean. From Durango to Mazatlán was stunning with mountain landscapes, tunnels, and the most amazing bridge! Following our drive, we researched that the road goes through the Espinazo del Diablo (the Devil’s Backbone) of the Sierra Madre Occidental mountains. Between Durango and Mazatlán Mexican Federal Highway 40D has 68 tunnels and 115 bridges. Of these, the Puente Baluarte (Baluarte Bridge) is the third highest cable-stayed bridge in the world (and ranked on Trip Advisor in Mazatlán!). In addition, the nearly two mile long Tunel el Sinaloense was very impressive (though not long enough to be on the list of longest road tunnels in the world).