Every Wayro route we publish from U.S. cities to Santa Rosalía, Baja California Sur, with the border crossing each one uses and what you need to bring a U.S. car across.
About Santa Rosalía
On the Sea of Cortez about halfway down the Baja California peninsula, Santa Rosalía grew up around copper. A French company, El Boleo, mined here from 1885 until 1954, and the town still shows that past in its French-inspired wooden buildings and a prefabricated metal church. It is a Pueblo Mágico, about 73 kilometers (45 miles) east of San Ignacio on Highway 1.
- Iglesia de Santa Bárbara: Installed in late 1897, this prefabricated church of bolted metal plates is popularly attributed to Gustave Eiffel, though that authorship remains disputed. source
- Stained glass of Santa Bárbara: Inside the metal church, detailed blue and brown stained-glass windows frame the religious imagery. source
- French-era wooden houses: Clapboard and wooden buildings from the El Boleo mining years give the downtown a look that recalls its French heritage. source
Crossing into Mexico: what you need to drive to Santa Rosalía
| Passport | Passport book or passport card to enter Mexico by land |
|---|---|
| FMM entry permit | Required for this trip: Santa Rosalía is well beyond the 12-mile (20 km) border zone where the permit is not needed |
| Temporary vehicle import permit (TIP) | Not needed: Baja California Sur is in Mexico's hassle-free zone for U.S. vehicles |
| Mexican auto insurance | Required for all vehicles: buy a Mexican policy before you cross |
Sources: U.S. State Department, Mexico travel information (updated August 11, 2026); permits are issued by Banjercito.
Where drivers cross the border
San Luis
The San Luis port connects San Luis, Arizona, south of Yuma, with San Luis Río Colorado, Sonora. It handles passenger vehicles and heavy pedestrian traffic, and GSA calls it the second busiest non-commercial vehicle port in Arizona; trucks use the separate San Luis II crossing east of town. Used by 3 of the routes below.
Calexico East
Calexico East lies a few miles east of downtown Calexico, about a mile south of State Route 7, and connects with the eastern side of Mexicali. It carries passenger vehicles, commercial trucks and pedestrians, so it is the usual alternative to the downtown Calexico West crossing. Used by 1 of the routes below.
Calexico West
Calexico West sits in downtown Calexico, directly across from Mexicali, and GSA describes it as the main border crossing linking the Imperial Valley to Baja California. It handles passenger vehicles and pedestrians and is in the middle of a multi-phase federal modernization. Used by 1 of the routes below.
Drives to Santa Rosalía from the U.S.
| From | Miles | Driving time | Border crossing |
|---|---|---|---|
| El Centro, CA | 512 | 13 h 47 min | Calexico West |
| Yuma, AZ | 556 | 14 h 26 min | Calexico East |
| Nogales, AZ | 838 | 19 h 9 min | San Luis |
| Sierra Vista, AZ | 846 | 19 h 26 min | San Luis |
| Bisbee, AZ | 871 | 19 h 60 min | San Luis |
How we put this guide together
Wayro calculates the route from OpenStreetMap road data; mile numbers are positions along this route, not highway mile markers, and "from the route" distances are straight-line, so the real detour depends on access roads. Stops are chosen from parks, natural sites, museums, historic sites and attractions close to the route (roughly 2 to 7 miles depending on the type, farther for World Heritage sites): at least one strong stop for each stretch of the drive, then the best-known places nearest the road, with no more than five of one type, up to nine in all. Places that are closed, private or not open to visitors are removed. Place and city descriptions are written by the Wayro team from official park, museum, tourism and government websites and other published sources. Safety levels and entry rules were checked against the U.S. Department of State on September 29, 2026. Conditions change, so check the linked sources before you travel.