Mexico Guatemala Trip
 

I am planning a trip from Mexico City DF to Guatemala and back. We only have 11 days and plan on getting to the border at Cuidad Cuauhtemoc in about 2 days. We want to follow a route through Antigua and Tikal and then back into Mexico. Is there a paved road that will take me fron Tikal north into Mexico? It looks like Nuevo Coahuila would be a good option. Looking at my Guia Roji this would put us on a decent road that would take us to Villa Hermosa. We have 3 days to get back back and about 5 days in Guate.
I know it is not enough time but it is all the time we have. In Mexico we will use the toll roads o will make good time.

No, there's not.
You can exit to Belize at Melchor de Mencos and make good time back through Mexico, and on good roads.
Other exits from the Peten will all involve either river passage via lancha or trails w/o offcial custom services.

La Mesilla is a good crossing.

I went to Tikal in 2003, and had a very knowledgable guide there. I asked him about going into Mexico from there, and he said pretty much what Lone Rider said, that the best bet was to go through Belize. It's one more border crossing, of course. The roads were all good, except the 15-20 miles west of the Belize border in GT, which were dirt (not gravel) and muddy, but would be no big deal if it is dry. The only other option is a long backtrack through GT to La Mesilla/Cuatemoc, unless you want to try the river crossing to Mexico, which I have no experience with.

Thanks again for dinner, Garry. Did your nephew find a doohickey for his KLR?

Andy, He didn't get a doohickey but will before his big trip. Thanks for the advice. As Lone Rider said I think we will go out through Belize. It is a kind of long trip but I just counted the days again and we have 12 so that helps a little. It isn't as far a San Antonio with all the driving around but we cheated and went in the van. It took us 2 very long days to get back including an hour and a half wait at a toll booth.
I like the idea of going to Belize as they speak English and should sell lots of English goodies like wheatabixs and HP sauce.
Thanks guy for the help.

Hi Gary

I did the river crossing into Mex, it was around $20 to get the bike across the river in a little boat but there was no Aduana on the other side though, but if required you could always try the Immigration office in Palenque.

This is it:
Image of About to cross the Mexican border - Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

And thanks again for all your great hospitality in Mex DF!

I don't know if work has been started, but eventually we will have a new paved road between El Ceibo and the highway to El Naranjo/Flores.

Thanks
 

Thanks for the replies. I am still in the planning stage as I still have onother couple of weeks. If anyone will be in the area I'd be happy to meet up with them. Lone Rider- I think the work on the highway has started but isn't finished yet. I will post something if it is.

Please do.
I went thru when it was mud and had thoughts of death. :)

Guatemala exit new alternative El Narnjo
 

I was in Flores/Santa Elena last week and talking to the INGUAT information kiosk fellow he told me that the road out from the Peten ' s northwest corner from El Naranjo to to the El Ceibo ,Mexico border crossing is now servicable. He said that Mexico is springing in part to pay for the reconstruction of the last 25km of the road which used to be horrible impassable mud and dirt. He said, but I did not investigate in person this trip, that the road has already been dug up and filled with gravel and will soon be paved. In the meantime, he said, there are now already microbuses running a regular service from El Naranjo to the El Ceibo border.If they can do it you should be able to also. To El Naranjo is of course already great pavement from Santa Elena/ Flores
You will still have to go through the border clearing process for Guatemala at the SAT office in El Naranjo. The Mexicans have a facility on their side to take care of you and direct you if required. In Mexico it is all first class pavement toTenosique and beyond..
Talking about pavement, they are actually working on getting CA 13 the last 24km to Melchor de Mencos and the Belize border ready for paving. Meanwhile the other paved part to El Remate is getting broken up pretty bad by the trucks, but still better than clay and gravel.
Also another route out of Guatemala with all excellent pavement is from CA 1 at La Democracia ( only 10km into GT from the Mesilla crossing) north through Nenton to the village of Gracias a Dios.The GT side has a customs house as do the Mexicans. Mexico can only stamp pasports here which is all you will need as your vehicle papers are still valid after just a visit to GT.For anyone needing import documents they will be referrd to the La Mesilla crossing, bactracking.

The roads in the Peten are relatively good and fast, and much less congested than the routes around GT City and western GT. I predict a big change in the near future, with mucho truck traffic running between MX and GT using the new road/land crossing.

Business and people at the Frontera Corozal Co-op will hurt. The Palenque mini bus tours will use the new crossing. An adventure opportunity will be mostly lost.

The Sayaxche Best Western may be built in my lifetime.
But then, I never traveled the 1,000 mile length of Baja when it was all dirt.....

I passed from Guatemala to Mexico last week thru Melchor de Mencos and Chetumal. The paperwork at both borders took no more the 20 minutes to pass both borders at both sites. You can drive thru Belice in 3 1/2 hours. Once in Mexico you have a couple of options for the return to DF.
brian

Thanks again for the replies. The route is looking a little more defined: 2 or 3 days from DF to Antigua, 2 nights in Antigua then Antigua to Tikal, 2 nights in Tikal, Tikal to Belize and then Bacalar and then 3 days back to DF. A lot of riding in a fairly short amount of time but that's all the time we have. After over 30 years in Mex I am finally headed south. I am really looking forward to it plus we get to see 2 new countries in 1 trip.

in Bacalar stay at Casita Carolina. There are two routes from Antigua to Tikal, if you go thru Coban try to visit Semuc Champey. There is some nice riding around there and worth the stop, try to stay at El Retiro lodge in Lanquin. It is a comfortable place located on a nice river and about 20 minutes from Semuc Champey. From Lanquin there are two ways to go towards flores/Tikal. One is a good road thru Coban, the other dirt, rock and gravel but beautiful mountain road. I suggest the dirt road if you have company, if solo take the asphalt road. The towns are few and far between on the dirt roaddd.