Nogales to Magdalena
Getting to the Border

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.