MORE TO MEXICO The Path Less Taken

You could ride through Mexico in a week. Charting the most direct route on Google Maps, you can put together a journey of 2,688 miles comprised of mostly well-paved highway, passing through much of the country but interacting with little of its culture, history, or the people that make it magical.

- Redd Walitzki

On the traditional Pan American North-to-South-America route, many riders devote a month or less to Mexico, a country that spans the same length as the west coast of the U.S., with a culture running back to at least 1,500 BC. Even this route misses more wonders than you can imagine: tiny Pueblos Magicos (“magic towns”) in the highlands, pristine stretches of unexplored coastline, and ancient pyramids tucked deep in the jungle. So, I opted to discard the traditional to focus on a more varied journey, one that would take me six months and cover over 9,000 miles.

When I set out from the southern U.S. border in December 2021, I had no firm plan for a route or even a clear destination. I had a six-month visa, and a dream to slowly explore as much of Mexico as I could at that time, all as part of the ultimate goal to reach Patagonia. My trusty Royal Enfield Himalayan (nicknamed “Kaleidos”) and I traced a circuitous route across mountain ranges and through barren deserts, along both the Pacific and Gulf of Mexico shores, from the Baja Peninsula to the Yucatán. Taking it slow, taking the road less traveled, to destinations hidden from the well-trodden tourist route, opened my eyes to countless rich facets of this beautiful place.