Motorcycle Ride Planner · Routes · Mexico
El Espinazo del Diablo (Devil's Backbone) - MEX 40 Libre
Mexico · MEX 40 Libre
The crown jewel of North American motorcycle twisties and one of the world's supreme ribbons of tarmac. MEX 40 Libre rides the knife-edge ridge of the Sierra Madre Occidental, offering over 2,000 curves with sheer 3,000-foot vertical drops on BOTH sides of the motorcycle simultaneously at the famed Espinazo del Diablo viewpoint. Plunges nearly 9,000 vertical feet from cold alpine pine forests down into humid tropical jungle outside Mazatlán. Since commercial freight trucks now use the modern MEX 40D tollway, the old Libre road is virtually empty of traffic, creating a private racetrack sensation. Road Quality: Technical, narrow asphalt with tight radius hairpins; expect occasional rockfall debris on corners, pine needle scatter in shaded bends, and mountain fog. Safety & Military Checkpoints: Permanent SEDENA military checkpoint at the Durango/Sinaloa state line; strictly avoid riding after dark; stay in your lane around blind cliffs as local pickups occasionally drift across the center line. Fuel Range: Top off completely in El Salto; limited fuel until Concordia; maintain at least a 140-mile range.
El Espinazo del Diablo (Devil's Backbone) - MEX 40 Libre runs 135 miles between El Salto, Durango and Concordia / Mazatlán, Sinaloa. We count about 2,150 corners along it, which is relentless. A hard road that rewards experience and punishes bravado.
Tank-bag quick reference
- StartEl Salto, Durango23.7844, -105.3639
- High150 ft - 9,080 ft (Puerta de Mazatlán / La Ciudad)elevation range
- EndConcordia / Mazatlán, Sinaloa23.2889, -106.0664
T-CLOCS before you go: tyres and wheels, controls and cables, lights and electrics, oil and fluids, chassis and stand.
Repair within reach
- 43 miMoto City DurangoDurango, Durango
Straight-line distance from the start of the route, not driving distance.
More in Mexico
- 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
- Chiapas Jungle Twisties & Maya Ruins - MEX 199135 mi · 1250 corners
Questions riders ask
- How long does El Espinazo del Diablo (Devil's Backbone) - MEX 40 Libre take to ride?
- About 135 miles. At an unhurried pace with stops that is roughly 4 hours of riding, longer if you are stopping for photographs.
- Where does El Espinazo del Diablo (Devil's Backbone) - MEX 40 Libre start and end?
- It runs between El Salto, Durango and Concordia / Mazatlán, Sinaloa. Either end works as a start; the route reads the same in both directions.
- Is El Espinazo del Diablo (Devil's Backbone) - MEX 40 Libre a twisty road?
- We count about 2150 corners across 135 miles, which is relentless.
- Is there a GPX file for El Espinazo del Diablo (Devil's Backbone) - MEX 40 Libre?
- 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.