El Rosario to Cataviña

Mexico 1 turns inland at El Rosario and crosses about 120 km of the central desert to Cataviña, the last stretch threading a field of giant granite boulders, cardón cacti and cirio trees.

El Rosario, on the Pacific side of the peninsula, is the place to fill up and to eat, with lobster burritos at Mamá Espinoza’s. From there Mexico 1 heads inland into the central desert as a two-lane road with no hard shoulders or crash barriers, shared with lorries and RVs, and narrow and winding in places. Cataviña lies inside the Valle de los Cirios protected area, and the last stretch runs through its boulder field, enormous granite boulders scattered across the desert among cardón cacti and cirio, or boojum, trees. About 3.5 km before the village, steep turn-offs on the east side of the highway lead to the most accessible rock paintings. Cataviña itself has about 150 people, a couple of hotels and a fuel station that is often closed, so fill up in El Rosario and plan the next stop at Guerrero Negro. In late September 2026 Discover Baja reported that Hurricane Polo had flooded and washed out Mexico 1 in many places in the central peninsula, so check conditions before setting out.