One of Mexico’s Most Dangerous Roads Might Shock You — And Make You Dizzy
You know that famous saying, “Pa’ arriba, pa’ abajo, pal’ centro, pa’ dentro” said just before taking a tequila shot? Well, imagine a highway that follows just about the same rules. It’s little wonder Mexico’s Cumbres de Acultzingo is considered one of its most dangerous roads. Many curves ahead.
TikTok user @aventurero.mexa, otherwise known as Omar Machuca, posted a video of “the most dangerous road in Mexico.” Insanely enough, it amassed 23 million views. This makes sense, though— you have to see this road to believe it.
Machuca explained that the highway includes “a curve zone where you have to change lanes.” As in, you must constantly change lanes as you loop side to side with cars doing the same in the opposite direction. It’s sort of like dancing bachata or merengue… just a lot more complicated (and probably less fun).
Everything to know about one of Mexico’s most notable highways
As you can see in Machuca’s video, drivers on this highway must follow signs painted on the road to know when to switch lanes at a moment’s notice.
Emphasis on the “moment” in that sentence. A car might just be headed into your lane if you don’t switch fast enough. What in the sorcery is this?
As explained by Dangerous Roads, Cumbres de Acultzingo is located in Veracruz, Mexico and is also referred to as Ruta 150 (Tehuacan-Orizaba road). More specifically, according to TikTok user Axel Castillo, the road is located between Tehuacán, Puebla and Orizaba, Veracruz.
Most outlets agree it is “the most dangerous highways” in Veracruz, with Dangerous Roads describing its “steep” slopes apart from all those curves.
TikTok user Castillo agrees it is one of the most treacherous roads in all of Mexico, showing a video of its several lane switches.
“The reason for its fame is that apart from having inclined ups and downs, it also has very narrow curves,” he explained.
“Even more, it is one of the few roads with ‘English laps,’ or lane switches that are marked in the asphalt with arrows.”
By “English laps,” he probably referred to how you may suddenly find yourself driving on the left-hand side of the road British-style. And then on the right-hand side. And then back again. Keepin’ it simple!
Why does this road have its characteristic lane changes?
According to The Drive, this road’s curves and lane changes aren’t just to keep drivers on their toes… or make for an entertaining ride.
As the outlet puts it, there’s an actual reason why the highway makes drivers switch lanes in an “X shape” like a “figure-8 course.”
The road’s arrows direct drivers going downhill to the inside part of the curves, and uphill drivers to the outside lanes. This is so the many truck drivers who pass through the highway can go uphill more easily. According to the outlet, the terrain surrounding the road makes it impossible to expand it.
Plus, as per Dangerous Roads, this system helps trucks go through the narrow road in a “single movement” without getting stuck.
So, as scary as the highway may seem, it’s actually not that bad. Still, as another TikTok user put it, it is “still one of the most dangerous highways they’ve ever driven through.”
Over on Instagram, people can’t stop commenting about this road. One person joked, “So drunk drivers are just in the wrong countries?”
Another laughed imagining, “The GPS directions for this 😂😂” while another simply wrote, “I have QUESTIONS!!!!!”
On TikTok, people are just as… well, confused. One person asked, “Who created this?” Another questioned, “Is this real?”
Still, many are taking it in stride: “They painted the road the way people use them anyway 😂.” Yet another joked, “The guitar hero highway doesn’t exist—.”
Would you drive through this road?
