San Blas Bypass to avoid Tepic
Went via this route to R de G with 24' TT a few days ago. The road from 15D down to the Santa Cruz turn-off is fine and on to Santa Cruz, but the section either side of Zacualpan is terrible shape. I...
Forum Discussion
I side with the OP. The route is poorly demarcated and described even in this thread. The "coast" road winds down sharply from Mex 200 toward San Blas but it does not go THROUGH San Blas. To maintain the route, a turnoff is made to the left to take the traveler to Matanchén. Just before the bridge that leads to San Blas. After turning the roadway parallels the coast. But then at the south end of Matanchén Bay, the coast road comes to a ABRUPT "T".
If you turn to the right, a spur road will take you to SANTA CRUZ, but the road rapidly drizzles into very narrow streets and then into oblivion. Sta Cruz is not much of a village, never mind town. It is the place to go get groceries if you are camped nearby.
Obviously making a RIGHT at the "T" is not the way to go to rejoin Mex 200 at Las Varas.
So upon reaching the "T" a person makes a left. Afterwards down the road you can look up on a hill and see ZACUALPÁN. You'll pass through it and make a right just after the zocalo.
Then it's on to Las Varas. You'll know you've reach the entronque with Mex 200 as there is a traffic light at the intersection.
Fer crying out loud, more noise is made about the route between Tepic and Las Varas than about TRULY hazardous descents like the road over Tioga Pass, the descent down Cuesta Del Diablo near Sta Rosalia, Baja California Sur, or even the damned Grapevine. I would rather descend Tepic to Las Varas 5 times than the Grapevine, once. Climbing the winding grade SOUTH of Puerto Vallarta is like TEN TIMES as severe and a hell of a lot longer.
But the comments will keep flying about "Campostela". I went through Campostela in the old days when a person was forced to. I'm not missing much these days. Climbing the hill south to north is different. It is there that a person encounters slower big rigs belching black smoke. It may pay to consider taking the much longer PUERTO VALLARTA toll road back up to Mex 15-D toll road, or the coastal route through Zacualpán, Matanchén, and past San Blas. Memorize the turnoff intersection in Las Varas. The highway is EXTREMELY WIDE multi-lane there and there isn't a god awful amount of traffic.
Damned tough to get lost on the coastal route IMHO.
If you turn to the right, a spur road will take you to SANTA CRUZ, but the road rapidly drizzles into very narrow streets and then into oblivion. Sta Cruz is not much of a village, never mind town. It is the place to go get groceries if you are camped nearby.
Obviously making a RIGHT at the "T" is not the way to go to rejoin Mex 200 at Las Varas.
So upon reaching the "T" a person makes a left. Afterwards down the road you can look up on a hill and see ZACUALPÁN. You'll pass through it and make a right just after the zocalo.
Then it's on to Las Varas. You'll know you've reach the entronque with Mex 200 as there is a traffic light at the intersection.
Fer crying out loud, more noise is made about the route between Tepic and Las Varas than about TRULY hazardous descents like the road over Tioga Pass, the descent down Cuesta Del Diablo near Sta Rosalia, Baja California Sur, or even the damned Grapevine. I would rather descend Tepic to Las Varas 5 times than the Grapevine, once. Climbing the winding grade SOUTH of Puerto Vallarta is like TEN TIMES as severe and a hell of a lot longer.
But the comments will keep flying about "Campostela". I went through Campostela in the old days when a person was forced to. I'm not missing much these days. Climbing the hill south to north is different. It is there that a person encounters slower big rigs belching black smoke. It may pay to consider taking the much longer PUERTO VALLARTA toll road back up to Mex 15-D toll road, or the coastal route through Zacualpán, Matanchén, and past San Blas. Memorize the turnoff intersection in Las Varas. The highway is EXTREMELY WIDE multi-lane there and there isn't a god awful amount of traffic.
Damned tough to get lost on the coastal route IMHO.
