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Agustin

Jun 14, 2002, 1:00 AM

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Zihuatanejo

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What is the best and safest way to travel to Zihuatanejo from Guaalajara. Any places to visti along the way? Thank you,
Agustin

Ernie Gorrie

Jun 14, 2002, 7:47 AM

Post #2 of 5 (4367 views)

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Zihuatanejo

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I've driven it two ways, via Colima/Tecoman and via Morelia/Patzcuaro.The Colima route uses a cuota as far as Ciudad Colima, skirting the volcano and going through the centre of C. Colima. Visiting the volcano could make a nice day long stop. C. Colima appears to be a nice, small city and I suspect a day could be well spent there. The drive from Tecoman to Zihuatanejo though can be a challenge. The Ruta 200 libre is two lanes, with effectively no shoulders. For much of the distance from Caleta de Campos to La Mira, there is a cliff face on the east and a cliff drop on the west. This portion is also very curvy.While the views are great, the danger level is considerable. Vehicle problems by anyone pose a risk to all. Any breakdown or flat tire would result in a vehicle effectively blocking most of a lane.This route is also used by large trucks and tractor trailer trucks. These can have difficulty with the uphill portions, resulting in either excessive delays or risky passing behaviour. (I was stuck behind two cement trucks travelling at about 30 km/hr for a couple of hours once.)The route via Morelia may be longer in distance (I would have to check my logs), but is an easier drive. It is cuotas much of the way (to Nueva Italia) and the cuota may soon be finished all the way to the coast. This route provides the options of stopping in Morelia as well as Patzcuaro and the neighbouring towns. The drive from Guadalajara to Morelia is through gently rolling hills. The new cuota should provide some pretty impressive views of the Rio Balsas.We left Tequila at about 07:00 and arrived in Troncones at about 19:00, but we drove the old libre from Nueva Italia to the coast. I understand that people have driven the cuota route from Morelia to Troncones in under four hours.

Jaime

Jun 14, 2002, 1:54 PM

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Zihuatanejo

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I agree with ernie,I have driven hwy 200 both ways over the years,not to safe.Last year weu used the new cuota,we left Patzcuaro @10-15 am & arrived at Playa la Ropa @ 2-00 pm,great new road,only about a forty kilometer by-pass,with any luck they might finish the last bridge over the lake before our next drive in Dec,we had a similar experience on our way home.Salud Jaime.

Kimpatsu Hekigan

Jun 14, 2002, 3:48 PM

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Toll road between Uruapan and the coast

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: The route via Morelia may be longer in distance...It is cuotas much of the way (to Nueva Italia) and the cuota may soon be finished all the way to the coast...we drove the old libre from Nueva Italia to the coast.I drove this route from Uruapan to the coast in mid-February. The new section of toll road that begins about Nueva Italia and terminates near Las Canas is quite nice. Very wide lanes, easy grades, little traffic, and pleasant vistas. Construction continues on the segment to the coast, roughly paralleling the rail line to Lazaro Cardenas, and passing along and over the Presa Infiernillo reservoir near the town of Morelos and then through the town of El Naranjo. The road between Morelos and El Naranjo is in very poor shape, mostly unpaved and pretty beat up from construction equipment with a couple of quite rough detours. There was a short section of newly completed tollway from near El Naranjo to Hwy 200 and the coast, also quite nice. If I had it to do again, though, I would stay on the libre road (Hwy 37) between Las Canas and the coast to avoid the construction zone.Note also that when I was there in February, there was some sort of labor dispute going on. Groups of men claiming that the highway construction company had gone bankrupt and not paid wages owed them blocked entrances to toll plazas (which were empty) both near Las Canas and near Hwy 200. In both places, they were allowing traffic to pass, but only after stretching a cable across the road to force drivers wanting to get on the tollway to stop and then "requesting" a "donation." They were not very polite about it. I had no idea what the tolls would have been, but I gave them some small bills anyway. They seemed pretty desperate....HTH, -- K.H.

Aggustin

Jun 14, 2002, 8:50 PM

Post #5 of 5 (4362 views)

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Zihuatanejo/thank you for the useful info.

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: What is the best and safest way to travel to Zihuatanejo from Guaalajara. Any places to visti along the way? Thank you,
: Agustin