Drive to San Carlos/Guaymas without Importing your Car

June 24th, 2007

Part of our re-launch of Livtopia’s MexRetire.com and Livtopia’s Concierge has involved extensive investigation into the arena of car importation. It’s a tough area especially for people wanting to permanently import a car newer than ten years old, as the posters on this Viva Veracruz forum (registration necessary) I thought very deftly showed. Issues and procedures do vary from state to state and Livtopia’s Concierge has prioritized the project to get our own procedures in order before our re-launch next month.

But one state (or at least half of one state) has made it much easier. In half of Sonora (the green half in the Sonora map below) you can drive your American or Canadian registered and plated car all the way down to San Carlos and Guaymas. This has been a big boost in increasing the popularity of Puerto Peñasco, which has always been within the “free zone.” The Only Sonora Program effectively extends the free zone a whopping 77 kilometers from the old checkpoint at Kilometer 21 to the new one at Kilometer 98 just past Guaymas. As the Only Sonora website puts it:

As importantly, it removes psychological barriers — the less paperwork required for people to get from one place to another, the better. Sonora –and other “free zones” in Mexico’s border areas –have experienced incredible growth when we eliminate paperwork. By moving “Only Sonora” south, we’re confident that we’ll inspire new visitors and bring our states closer together.”