Pátzcuaro to Piedras Negras/Eagle Pass Part 1 Note 1: Northbound trip departure May 9, 2011. Approximate drive time 15 hours with overnight stop in Matehuala. Mileage is approximate and will vary based on odometer accuracy, tire inflation, and small detours (like to go birding at San Rafael or to Wal-Mart in Matehuala). Numbers below are in miles, not kilometers. Note 2: This route varies from the standard route via Querétaro or San Miguel de Allende, instead going west from Salamanca and skirting Irapuato and Silao before heading northeast toward San Felipe and on to rejoin Mex 57 southeast of San Luis Potosi. Good roads, low tolls, avoids construction on Mex 57, and is more scenic. Small town of Villa de Reyes is the only poor section, with many topes, but is relatively short and the truck bypass east of town avoids the main street congestion and construction, but not the topes. This route should save about 80 km over the Querétero route. Note 3: Some of the times, mileages, and photos are incomplete or possibly misaligned because we were not precise in our note taking. Note 4: The vertical light image in many photos is not a distant smoke plume. It s a reflection of the little carved wood duck on the dash of our Subaru that helps us with navigation! Part 1 Pátzcuaro to Matehuala 7 hours driving For simplicity, this guide starts on the north side of Morelia, where Mex 43 departs north to Salamanca from the periférico. If coming from Pátzcuaro, go around the periférico clockwise (go under the periférico and immediately get off on the cloverleaf exit). Continue on the periférico following signs for Mex 43 and Salamanca. Stay in the right lane and get off before the periférico rises for the overpass. At the bottom of the exit ramp, turn left into the far lanes to get going north on Mex 43. We departed Pátzcuaro at 9:00 a.m., had breakfast at El Camino Real, and were just heading north on Mex 43 at the periférico underpass at 11:00 a.m. Zero your tripmeter at the Mex 43 departure from the periférico to make your readings align with ours. Pátzcuaro to Matehuala Page 1 of 9 Version 1.2
Mileage Time Description Photo 0.0 11:00 am Depart Morelia periférico northbound on Mex 43 toward Salamanca. 15.1 Sign: Salamanca Cuota 27.2 Toll booth receive electronic ticket for later $143p toll 51.3 Acres of asparagus on right (east side) of highway 11:48 am Straight at sign to SALAMANCA / LEON 63.7 12:01 pm Toll booth pay $143 peso toll 12:01 pm Straight to follow sign to LEON Cuota / QUERÉTARO 12:04 pm Straight to follow sign to Mex 45D LEON 12:05 pm Straight to follow sign to Mex 45D GUANAJUATO / LEON (If going via Querétaro, you would take the right hand exit to Celaya, Querétaro. Skip down to page 7 where that route via Mex 57 rejoins this guide southeast of San Luis Potosi) Pátzcuaro to Matehuala Page 2 of 9 Version 1.2
67.5 12:05 pm Toll booth. Tell the attendant you are going to Silao and pay the $30p toll. You ll receive a blue COBRE ANTICIPADO card that gets you through the next $61 peso toll booth on Mex 45D for free. 70.7 Toll booth. Give the attendant your blue COBRE ANTICIPADO card instead of paying $61 peso toll. 78.9 12:16 pm Straight to follow sign to GUADALAJARA / LEON Mex 45D / GUANAJUATO (do not go to Irapuato) 86.6 12:24 pm Sign to GUANAJUATO / SAN FELIPE / Mex 45 97.6 12:34 pm Straight at sign Mex 45 GUANAJUATO Cuota / LEON Pátzcuaro to Matehuala Page 3 of 9 Version 1.2
103.3 12:39 pm Continue on Mex 45 to SILAO / SAN FELIPE 104.1 12:39 pm Straight at sign LEON AEROPUERTO (don t crash looking at the unusual building on the right) 104.8 12:40 pm Get in right lane to take SAN FELIPE / SILAO Centro / Mex 45 exit 104.8 12:40 pm Stay in far right lane at PEMEX 4115. Don t go up the highway overpass. 104.9 12:41 pm Turn right at the traffic light at the bottom of the exit and head north on GTO 77 toward San Felipe. 12:41 pm Sign saying GTO 77 SAN FELIPE 65 km Pátzcuaro to Matehuala Page 4 of 9 Version 1.2
12:49 pm Beautiful rolling hill country for 20 km or so, with very good two-lane road. 113.0 12:51 pm Tunnel, 5.2 meter clearance. 12:56 pm Still in hill country on the back side of Guanajuato ~ 130 Back to flat country 142.6 1:18 pm Exit right to DOLORES HGO / S LUIS POTOSI (Do not continue straight to SAN FELIPE) 145.3 1:21 pm Straight at sign SAN LUIS POTOSI. Don t turn toward SAN FELIPE or DOLORES HGO. There s a convenience store and bathrooms at the PEMEX on the far side of the intersection. 148.9 Green sign for VILLA DE REYES Pátzcuaro to Matehuala Page 5 of 9 Version 1.2
161.3 1:41 pm Restaurante Adobes Campestre We had a terrific breakfast buffet here driving south on a Sunday in early December, 2010 for $50 pesos/person. They said they served the buffet and arrachera buffet for comida every day. 167.1 1:47 pm Take exit for Mex 37 to VILLA DE REYES (It appears that they re building a road to connect to the cuota between Villa de Arriago and Mex 57. If and when it s done and you re willing to pay the $110 peso toll for the cuota, you can avoid going through Villa de Reyes.) 167.2 1:47 pm After exiting, turn right toward VILLA DE REYES / S L POTOSI 177.4 2:02 pm Entering Villa de Reyes, take the truck route around town turn right at sign for SAN LUIS POTOSI Mex 57 (We did not, and got caught in construction in town. This is where your mileage may begin to differ from ours.) 178.9 2:11 pm This is where the truck route re-enters the main road, but this photo shows it from the viewpoint of someone going directly through town. If you took the truck route, you ll be entering from the road on the right, and will need to make a right turn to get back on the main road to Mex 57 / San Luis Potosi. Pátzcuaro to Matehuala Page 6 of 9 Version 1.2
180.0 2:14 pm Large CFE power plant on left side of road. This is where the road reverts back to good 3 or 4 lane. 192.2 2:27 pm Approaching Mex 57, the sign indicates that you re going to have to turn right, then make a Retorno to get going northwest on Mex 57. 2:28 pm Turning southeast toward Querétaro on Mex 57, here s the sign for the upcoming RETORNO you need to make to get going in the right direction again (northwest). 2:28 pm Here s the actual RETORNO. 2:29 pm Having made the Retorno and now heading toward San Luis Potosi, this is what you should see. Keep going straight. THIS IS WHERE YOU WOULD REJOIN THE ROUTE IF YOU WENT THROUGH QUERÉTARO INSTEAD. Pátzcuaro to Matehuala Page 7 of 9 Version 1.2
196.9 2:32 pm Sign for MATEHUALA VIA CORTA (We re not going into San Luis Potosi, but rather taking the bypass around the east side). 197.7 2:32 pm Sign for exit to MATEHUALA Mex 57D / SALTILLO VIA CORTA in 1 km. 198.5 2:33 pm Exit right for MATEHUALA Mex 57D CUOTA Second exit sign says MATEHUALA / SALTILLO CUOTA 205.4 2:40 pm Toll booth, $50 pesos. 270.0 Minimal military checkpoint. We were waved through. Past checkpoint, follow signs for Saltillo and Matehuala. Pátzcuaro to Matehuala Page 8 of 9 Version 1.2
319.1 4:31 pm Bear left to Mex 57 MATEHUALA / SALTILLO LIBRE If you re going to skip Matehuala and press on to Saltillo, bear right and take the CUOTA that bypasses Matehuala. 324.3 4:40 pm Las Palmas hotel and restaurant on right. Very good restaurant, hotel is on the expensive side. This time we had a good meal at La Noria on the other side of the highway from Las Palmas, and stayed at sex motel Villas de Real north of town for the security of the private garage and immaculate rooms ($400 pesos/12 hours). Wal-Mart Matehuala. Last chance to stock up on Heinz Cocina Artesanal salsas, $29 pesos / jar. Styles: Tres Chiles, Chile Morita, Chile Serrano and Chile Habanero. We stock up on the first two they re excellent, but don t seem to be available in the U.S. See part 2 for the road log from Matehuala to Piedras Negras / Eagle Pass, TX. Version 1.0, May 23, 2011 Version 1.1, May 24, 2011 corrected some references to Mex 43D to be Mex 45D. Version 1.2 June 12, 2011 corrected photos of Retorno area where rejoin Mex 57, fix typos, add Google map overviews. Send corrections to mark.emmer0101 at gmail dot com. Pátzcuaro to Matehuala Page 9 of 9 Version 1.2