Motorcycle Ride Planner · Routes · Mexico

Valle de los Cirios & Cataviña Boulder Pass - MEX 1

Mexico · MEX 1

An enchanting, desolate corridor passing directly through the UNESCO-protected Valle de los Cirios, home to otherworldly Boojum trees (cirios), massive cardón cacti, and house-sized monolithic granite boulders scattered across the desert floor. Delivers sweeping curves around giant rock formations, rapid elevation dips, and complete silence. Road Quality: Narrow two-lane asphalt with zero paved shoulders and crumbling edge-breaks; oncoming commercial freight trucks will push riders right to the edge of the pavement. Safety & Military Checkpoints: Periodic military checkpoints around Punta Prieta; extreme desert heat in summer; strictly daytime riding due to wandering livestock; carry at least 4 liters of water. Fuel Range: The classic Baja fuel trap: El Rosario has official Pemex stations, but there is NO operational Pemex in Cataviña (local villagers sell siphon-drum gasoline from jugs outside Hotel Misión Cataviña at a markup); the next official Pemex is at Villa Jesús María, 150 miles south of El Rosario. Carry auxiliary fuel if your range is under 180 miles.

Valle de los Cirios & Cataviña Boulder Pass - MEX 1 runs 128 miles between El Rosario, BC and Punta Prieta, BC. We count about 210 corners along it, which is open, and there for the view rather than the corners. Committed riding: real corners, real consequences.

Tank-bag quick reference

• StartEl Rosario, BC30.0583, -115.7297
• High120 ft - 2,420 ftelevation range
• EndPunta Prieta, BC28.9272, -114.1561

T-CLOCS before you go: tyres and wheels, controls and cables, lights and electrics, oil and fluids, chassis and stand.

More in Mexico

• El Espinazo del Diablo (Devil's Backbone) - MEX 40 Libre135 mi · 2150 corners
• Sierra de Miahuatlán & San José del Pacífico - MEX 175 South148 mi · 1950 corners
• Carretera Transpeninsular (Baja 1000 Highway) - MEX 11020 mi · 1850 corners
• Sierra Madre del Sur Pacific Descent - MEX 131158 mi · 1850 corners
• Sierra Juárez Alpine Ridge to Gulf Lowlands - MEX 175 North132 mi · 1650 corners
• Sierra Gorda Spine (Ruta de las Misiones) - MEX 120145 mi · 1450 corners

Questions riders ask

How long does Valle de los Cirios & Cataviña Boulder Pass - MEX 1 take to ride?

About 128 miles. At an unhurried pace with stops that is roughly 3 hours of riding, longer if you are stopping for photographs.

Where does Valle de los Cirios & Cataviña Boulder Pass - MEX 1 start and end?

It runs between El Rosario, BC and Punta Prieta, BC. Either end works as a start; the route reads the same in both directions.

Is Valle de los Cirios & Cataviña Boulder Pass - MEX 1 a twisty road?

We count about 210 corners across 128 miles, which is open, and there for the view rather than the corners.

Is there a GPX file for Valle de los Cirios & Cataviña Boulder Pass - MEX 1?

Yes. The GPX is free, there is no account, and the planner will build a route that includes this road alongside others nearby.

Where these numbers come from

Distances and corner counts come from the route's own geometry, not from ratings or votes. Nothing here is crowdsourced and nobody paid to appear.