Finest New Street Journeys in Mexico

My love affair with Mexico started on wheels. I used to be 9 years outdated, wide-eyed and glued to the window of an in a single day bus, watching the world remodel as my household descended the mountains from Mexico Metropolis to the sun-baked seashores of Zihuatanejo. Years later, alone solo four-month backpacking journey throughout the nation, I would discover myself clutching the armrest throughout a death-defying, 10-hour drive alongside the serpentine roads between Oaxaca and Puerto Escondido. There was additionally the seemingly limitless (and visually repetitive) drive from the celebration seashores of Playa del Carmen to the dreamy swath of blues in Bacalar and Mahahual. After which there have been the anonymous filth roads, tackled on the again of a bike, which led to hidden seashores, sleepy villages, and friendships I share to today. Mexico was constructed for highway journeys. In 2025, it is by no means been simpler to embark on one.

This yr, Mexico noticed a trifecta of game-changing infrastructure initiatives, opening up new highways and routes that redefine how vacationers expertise this huge, kaleidoscopic nation. Whether or not you are chasing historic small cities, jungle escapes, or these magical seashores, these new developments will remodel the way in which you journey by means of Mexico.

Guadalajara to Puerto Vallarta: A Coastal Hall Reimagined

For years, the drive from Guadalajara to Puerto Vallarta demanded endurance and fortitude — 5 hours of winding roads by means of the Sierra Madre mountain vary. This yr, a brand new freeway cuts that point in half, delivering vacationers to the Pacific in simply two and a half hours. The route threads by means of iconic stops like Tequila, the place the namesake spirit is the patron saint, and the Riviera Nayarit, a shoreline dotted with seashore cities just like the now-iconic Sayulita and lesser-known jewels like San Pancho and Lo de Marcos.

This is not only a highway; it is a super-highway. However alongside the way in which, you may get to expertise a lot extra of Mexico than you’ll by merely flying from level A to level B. Cease for a tour of a family-run agave distillery, snack on tacos al pastor in a Pueblo Mágico (Magic City), and finish the day with sandy toes and an explosive sundown overlooking the Pacific.

Oaxaca to Puerto Escondido: From Mountains to the Sea

What was as soon as an arduous (and, frankly, terrifying) 10-hour journey has change into a breezy three-hour drive, due to the brand new freeway connecting Oaxaca to Puerto Escondido. The route winds by means of lush valleys and jagged peaks earlier than spilling out onto the beautiful shoreline of the Costa Oaxaqueña.

Oaxaca Metropolis, with its cobblestone streets, color-splashed colonial properties, and world-famous mole, is a vacation spot in its personal proper. However the capability to achieve Puerto Escondido — identified for its rolling barrel waves, expansive seashores, and barefoot bohemian vibes — makes the state much more irresistible. Alongside the way in which, cease within the misty mountain village of San José del Pacífico for a very completely different sort of Mexico aesthetic: pine forests, cozy cabins, and the thick scent of copal filling the air.

As you empty out onto the shoreline, Puerto Escondido is just the start. The Costa Oaxaqueña is a string of different beachy pearls, just like the spiritually infused Zipolite and the yoga studio and acai bowl attract of Mazunte. Additional north, surfers are referred to as to the naked bones (however rustically lovely) Chacahua, situated on the tip of Lagunas de Chacahua Nationwide Park.

Tulum Airport: The New Gateway to the Yucatan

Tulum’s much-anticipated airport opened on the finish of 2023, remodeling how vacationers can entry southern Quintana Roo. What was as soon as a multi-hour trek from Cancun is now a simple journey, unlocking locations that have been beforehand meant just for these within the know.

Now, vacationers could make the journey to the cenote-filled Laguna de Bacalar and the sun-bleached seashores of Mahahual in lower than two hours. Enterprise additional off the trail and again in time to Tulum 20 years in the past in Punta Allen. Past the seashores, foray deep into the jungle to expertise lesser-known Mayan cities like Kohunlich and Dzibanché.

A Phrase on Accountable Journey

For road-trippers, the enjoyment lies not simply within the vacation spot, however within the journey, too — the roadside taco stands, the impromptu stops at a market, the way in which the surroundings morphs round each bend. Mexico is a spot to savor slowly, however with these new routes, the nation invitations you to expertise it with way more ease.

As handy as these new developments are, they arrive with a accountability. Simpler entry inevitably brings increased customer volumes, and overtourism is already rearing its head throughout Mexico. Locations as soon as tough to achieve — pristine seashores, tranquil lagoons, and untouched archaeological websites — are magical as a result of they’ve remained undisturbed. However that magic is fragile.

When planning your highway journey, method every vacation spot with respect. Stick with marked paths, help native companies, and reduce your environmental footprint. Keep in mind that simply because a spot is now simpler to achieve does not make it a free-for-all. The great thing about Mexico lies in its authenticity, and preserving that requires mindfulness from each traveler. Discover, however achieve this with care, as these locations have a lot to supply.