Take I-19 south from Tucson, it's about 60 miles to the border (don't get confused by the road signs, they display distances in kilometers). You'll pass by Sahuarita and the retirement community of Green Valley. About ten minutes later, if you feel like stretching your legs and looking at some Southwestern art, the artists' colony of Tubac provides some nice diversion. Shortly after passing Tubac you'll see the signs for Rio Rico, a resort community just north of Nogales.
Map (c) Copyright 2006 Mapquest Click on map to enlarge.
Crossing the Border to Nogales, Sonora
To get across the border you can drive to downtown Nogales, cross through the border crossing and take the white-knuckle ride of your life trying to negotiate the crazy, hectic traffic of Nogales.
Or, for a toll of 35 pesos (which is well worth it) you can bypass Nogales by crossing at the Mariposa port of entry. The port of entry is only open from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., and if you arrive late there’s a comfortable Holiday Inn Express on Mariposa Road where you can rest for your journey. It’s strongly recommended that you don’t start the trip in the evening, because the roads aren’t well lit and after leaving the Nogales area there aren’t any motels for quite a stretch. Also, there’s a Sanborn’s Mexican Insurance office in the Holiday Inn, where you can purchase Mexican auto insurance.
Map (c) Copyright 2006 Mapquest Click on map to enlarge.
Mariposa Port of Entry
To get to the Mariposa port of entry, exit to the right at the Mariposa Road exit (Exit 4, also called the Jct 189 Truck Route), following the Grand Avenue exit). The off-ramp turns into a short road that ends at a stoplight on Mariposa Road. To get to the port of entry, take a right turn and follow the road for about two miles.
However, if you’re hungry for fast food (McDonald’s, Yokohama Rice Bowl, Taco Bell, etc.) or need to stock up on supplies at the Super Wal-Mart or groceries at Safeway, you’ll find all of those businesses by turning left. If you don’t already have it, you’ll want to stock up on drinking water and snacks, and have a first aid kit and other necessities for desert travel.
As you drive on Mariposa Road toward the border crossing, the road will curve to the left and you’ll see a U.S. Customs inspection station on the right side of the road (it’s usually closed, or when open is used for truck inspections). Slow down and proceed past the inspection station, then the border station to your left, until you reach some huge topes (speed bumps).
Cross over the topes slowly, and stay on the road to your left (there’s a Mexican border crossing station to the right, but that just leads back into Nogales). You’ll pass over a small bridge and a covered area with seats to your left, where the unfortunates who got caught crossing illegally and were dropped off at the border wait for a ride.
Continue on the two-lane highway for a few miles. The road is in pretty good condition, but rather than heeding to the temptation of speeding you should stay to the right and observe a safe traveling speed (some drivers fly through the area, definitely not recommended).
After stopping briefly at one of the toll booths to pay your 35 pesos (they also accept dollars, it’s about $3.25 or so for autos, 150 peso (about $13.00) for RVs and larger vehicles, depending on the currency conversion) you’ll see the Mexican Customs station ahead. Stay in the leftmost lane, and watch out for the big tope. If you have something to declare (more than $50 per person in new products) then pull over to the designated area, the duty is generally about 15 percent of the item's value. If not, proceed ahead and wait your turn at the lane passing the Mexican customs inspection area.
