Even the Caminos y Puentes advise not to use roads north of Uruapan. Like Canadian Rainbird's sorry adventure, robberies come and go, but look at La Voz de Michoacan's violent rear-page the number of area incidents comes to life. When this region quiets down my opinion will change.

Other areas in Michoacan I avoid: Mex 15 east of the buttery sancuario on Mex 15, "Mil Cumbres"

Mex 37, Uruapan to la entronque Mex 200 at La Mira

Anywhere south of Mex 14-D Villa Escalante, Zirahen.

From La Union eastward into the mountains of Guerrero toward Iguala IMHO is muy mala JuJu.

From Uruapan north through say Sahuayo is smack dead eye center in the middle of CJNG cartel land. Murders, kidnappings, carjacking, highway robbery. I will go to Patzcuaro, or Morelia and maybe the new cutoff from Patz to Mex 15-D but I would not deviate if I were riding in a Checker (cab) dressed as Jed Clampett.

I must have, and mean REALLY have done something wrong the three times I was forced to deviate through Morelia from Tecoman. Whatever I did wrong forced the clocks to jump ahead more than two hours and levered the sun toward the horizon. From 14-D north to my pueblito is little more than an hour. From the entronque of 14-D to Zihatanejo how much time is involved? I sure would like to know where that time went. I truly dislike choosing whether I take the periferico west or east through Morelia. The Patz.-Mex 15-D shortcut sure sounds good.

Two issues on the coast road: From Maruata to the northern of the 3 "X" pueblos there are about a dozen topes carefully positioned in the shade of trees. I say carefully because both sides of the highway have shade trees (you didn't want them to do all that hot asphalt work in the sun, did you?)

Also your map route does not utilize the toll road from the entronque of Mex 14-D and 200. Take the exit. Get on the toll road southbound (toward the ocean). That will shave more than a half hour off posted travel time. Tolls are like 80 pesos.

Also SCT has softened a lot of curves on Mex 200 between Las Varas and Tepic. Widened the roadway in places to accommodate a shoulder for a semi-passing lane. You've got to remember Mex 14-D is mostly 2-lane and the PFP does not want passing con raya continua. I've seen a lot of flashing red and blue lights because someone didn't believe the signs. You get stuck behind a 40 kh truck with a PFP behind you and it's a s-l-o-w climb to Zirahuen.

But the second point on the coast road is beware of traylors de varilla. Flat bed trucks hauling rebar cut curves so 2 oncoming vehicles cutting curves are bound to have an impending coincidence.

Also, entering Puerto Vallarta from the south, suicide taxis are bound to roar from hotel entrances (exits) fifty feet in front of you. Use care coming down that arroyo grandote.

There is no alternative to missing highly risky driving adventure on this route. Or any other. My advice is to leave early and beware. It's not robbers or Norman Bates' Mexican brother-in-law you should worry about. Rather an eight foot tall shiny KenMex grille.

We're getting very esoteric here, but I'll keep this going:
"North from Uruapan" for us usually means Mex. 37 through Paracho, Cheran, (which was the first town in Michoacán to get rid of its police and set-up citizen-manned roadblocks a few years ago), Carapan, Purepero and then meet up with 15D to Guadalajara.
Sahuayo is 'way out of the way, but we've done that drive too - Zamora over to Sahuayo and then around the southern shore of Lake Chapala.
Other than going off on real secondary roads up into the hill towns, which we wouldn't do, I don't think main roads in Michoacán are any more dangerous than main roads in any other state. This past October, we drove along Chapala's north shore, through Ocotlan and La Barca, (known for its many narcofosas), etc.
Not sure I understand your "forced to deviate through Morelia from Tecoman" note. Morelia's a long, long way from Tecoman.
As for safety, we had a very close call in October in Baja Sur, south of Ciudad Constitucion. Mex 1 was only two lanes in that section. We were going uphill at 80 kmh, driving toward a fairly sharp curve to the left, with a steep drop-off of several hundred feet on our right, protected by only a rickety-looking guard rail. Toward us, coming downhill and trying to hug the centreline on what was, for him, a fairly sharp downhill curve to the right, was a large truck - not an 18 wheeler, but the next smaller size. Halfway through the curve, just as the truck passed me, a complete wheel assembly - a truck tire mounted on its wheel- came sliding toward me, at the same speed as the truck was travelling, sliding flat along the highway, right in the centre of my lane. My kneejerk reaction was to swerve a few feet to the right.....just missing the sliding wheel assembly...then immediately swerve back to the right, to avoid going into, and over the guard rail and down the hillside. The entire episode took perhaps one or two seconds. Neither of us stopped, and I doubt the trucker knew what had happened until he arrived at his destination short one wheel.
When I stopped shaking, I figured that the wheel assembly had probably been a spare, mounted in one of those racks under the rear of the truck. Obviously, it had come loose while going through the corner. That's the only way to explain why it was sliding towards me flat, rather than upright and rolling. Either way, if I had hit the wheel, it would have been game over for us.
Every year we say "No more driving to Mexico. Next time we fly." We'll say the same thing come the fall - and probably hit the road again.

I must have, and mean REALLY have done something wrong the three times I was forced to deviate through Morelia from Tecoman. Whatever I did wrong forced the clocks to jump ahead more than two hours and levered the sun toward the horizon. From 14-D north to my pueblito is little more than an hour. From the entronque of 14-D to Zihatanejo how much time is involved? I sure would like to know where that time went. I truly dislike choosing whether I take the periferico west or east through Morelia. The Patz.-Mex 15-D shortcut sure sounds good.

Two issues on the coast road: From Maruata to the northern of the 3 "X" pueblos there are about a dozen topes carefully positioned in the shade of trees. I say carefully because both sides of the highway have shade trees (you didn't want them to do all that hot asphalt work in the sun, did you?)

Also your map route does not utilize the toll road from the entronque of Mex 14-D and 200. Take the exit. Get on the toll road southbound (toward the ocean). That will shave more than a half hour off posted travel time. Tolls are like 80 pesos.

Also SCT has softened a lot of curves on Mex 200 between Las Varas and Tepic. Widened the roadway in places to accommodate a shoulder for a semi-passing lane. You've got to remember Mex 14-D is mostly 2-lane and the PFP does not want passing con raya continua. I've seen a lot of flashing red and blue lights because someone didn't believe the signs. You get stuck behind a 40 kh truck with a PFP behind you and it's a s-l-o-w climb to Zirahuen.

But the second point on the coast road is beware of traylors de varilla. Flat bed trucks hauling rebar cut curves so 2 oncoming vehicles cutting curves are bound to have an impending coincidence.

Also, entering Puerto Vallarta from the south, suicide taxis are bound to roar from hotel entrances (exits) fifty feet in front of you. Use care coming down that arroyo grandote.

There is no alternative to missing highly risky driving adventure on this route. Or any other. My advice is to leave early and beware. It's not robbers or Norman Bates' Mexican brother-in-law you should worry about. Rather an eight foot tall shiny KenMex grille.

Main point is from the puente over the Rio Balsas to Cerro de Ortega, Mex 200 has been safe. Rumor has it the company Mittal hired off-duty federal federal cops to go looking for trouble spring 2015 and they found it. Busted down some doors in Caleta de Campos and La Mira and rounded up a nice tidy bunch of scumbags. Amazing what federal police pay with vigilante reward supplements can do as far as being an incentive. A Mittal truck loaded with rebar smashed into a 2-car roadblock around midnight between Maruata and the X-villages around two and a half years ago. Then the cops came through and viola - peace and tranquility. The fuerzas rurales are patrolling at night but after sundown ni modo for me. We did leave in the dark northbound at 0500 a couple of times. At least the Michoacan coast is super quiet for now - everywhere except suburbs Lazaro.

Fact is, I now am concerned more with Mex 200 from Petletlán to Acapulco than I am from here northward to Manzanillo.

But trolling a shiny macho rig is asking for it anywhere in Mexico. I've never known it to be otherwise.

My preferred route is to follow the Coast road North of Las Varas rather than Hiway 200. Going that way you don't hardly encounter a quota until you are North of San Blas, and you completely bypass Tepic. I have no numbers on the toll for the last leg to Mazatlan, but I don't believe it is near the number you list. I presume you went through Compostela and Tepic. I confess I like the Coast route simply for the experience, not to save time.

Usually, yes....Mex 200 through Puerto Vallarta, Guayabitos, Las Varas, Compostela and Tepic. But we've also gone "the back way" to San Blas, north of Las Varas, which does have some nice scenery along the coast. Certainly not the "fast way" to Mazatlán, though. We've never had any problems or delays going through Tepic, but that section of road from Las Varas to Tepic can be very slow, behind smoke-belching trucks and buses.
We once took a Pacifico bus from Guayabitos to Tepic. During the whole winding route.....narrow, no shoulders, sharp turns, scary drop-offs, etc.... the driver kept up a running conversation with a young woman who sat on the step beside the driver, showing him photos from her album. He would lean over to see them, holding the steering wheel with his other hand. Wasn't funny at the time.

Mex 200 is ruled by the SSP, rurales, and autodefensas these days. It is calm and quiet. Maybe more so than many other main highways in the country.

But eye-candy is eye-candy.

That is one good looking jeep. Next time you pass the corralon federal between Lazaro and Zihuatanejo take a look through the fence. About eight rows back is the clone (?) of your Jeepster. It has about an inch of dirt on it. Pilar spotted it, I didn't. Her dad confirmed it to be suspiciously similar to your rig. That corralon is the closest one to Caleta de Campos.

The sighting goes back to last autumn. Right after hurricane season.

Just the facts, ma'am, just the facts.

Mex 200 up the coast to Barra de Navidad ot Melaque

Choose your hotel. Continuing onward to P.V. means night time driving.

Straight up the coast through Puerto Vallarta, to the Las Varas coast route or up to Tepic then straight on to Mazatlan.

I would dearly like anyone to try and beat that route for speed and avoiding big cities, both. Nothing comes near a half-dozen hours of it, even driving 90 mph when there isn't a patrulla federal.

Yes there are curves in the northern coastline of Michoacan. It's sorta neater than playing Guadalajara bumper tag, or fooling with city transitos (traffic cops).

"Say! I want to drive from Seattle to San Diego, the fastest way."

"Oh try my way! You'll love Denver or Provo".

Sheesh...

I don't want to get into a pissing match here, but these are my figures: (and I'm an obsessive compulsive when it comes to records)

April/14: Zihua to Mazatlán in one shot, via Uruapan/Hwy 37/Cuota 15D,Guadalajara, Tepic, etc. 1030 km, 13.5 hours, tolls 1259 pesos.

April/15: Zihua to Mazatlán in two days, via coast highway 200:
Day 1-Zihua to Melaque, 499 km, 9 hours, tolls 161 pesos
Day 2-Melaque to Mazatlán, 668 km, 10.5 hours, tolls 497 pesos.

Not only is it shorter via Uruapan/Guadalajara/Tepic, but quicker as well. The only drawback (aside from less chance of being hijacked or kidnapped) are those horrendous tolls of 1259 pesos, vs. the cheaper 658 pesos via the coast road.

As for the scenery.....the coast is a prettier drive, for sure. But it's only really "coastal" for the 200 km stretch along the Michoacán coast.

However, we were going to take it (for the umteenth time) the day after Canadian Rainbirds got carjacked. We still aren't ready to take a chance.

We all collect amusing horror stories, the vast majority of which happened to "my girfriends best friends cousin." It hits home when it's a friend who has it happen on a road that you were planning to travel the next day. We are still avoiding that beautiful stretch of highway. Yes, David, we know you live there, but still....

Unless...

You are driving a car that makes teenagers swoon. Or young men would simply die for.

My exaggeration...

A new Hummer with candy apple metallic paint, 24" gold-plated wheels, and the image of the most popular narco-corrido singer airbrushed on the sides, with a thousand watt boom-boom music system is not the safest bet (anywhere in México).

OR a bright blue Jeep.

Choose your hotel. Continuing onward to P.V. means night time driving.

Straight up the coast through Puerto Vallarta, to the Las Varas coast route or up to Tepic then straight on to Mazatlan.

I would dearly like anyone to try and beat that route for speed and avoiding big cities, both. Nothing comes near a half-dozen hours of it, even driving 90 mph when there isn't a patrulla federal.

Yes there are curves in the northern coastline of Michoacan. It's sorta neater than playing Guadalajara bumper tag, or fooling with city transitos (traffic cops).

"Say! I want to drive from Seattle to San Diego, the fastest way."

"Oh try my way! You'll love Denver or Provo".

Sheesh...

For Guadalajara, take the Perifico, don't drag your a.. through town. The Perifico is down to 2 stop lights now, and in March, in a moho, it only took us 45 minutes from one side to the other.

With all the new toll roads and bypasses, built in the last 25 years, Zihuatanejo to Mazatlan is down to an easy 2 day trip from a brutal 5+ days.

Unless...

You are driving a car that makes teenagers swoon. Or young men would simply die for.

My exaggeration...

A new Hummer with candy apple metallic paint, 24" gold-plated wheels, and the image of the most popular narco-corrido singer airbrushed on the sides, with a thousand watt boom-boom music system is not the safest bet (anywhere in México).

We go up the mountain to Patzcuaro and spend a night because we like it. Then to Tepic, for the same reason. Then a very short jump to Mazatlan.

We've done Zihuatanejo to Guadalajara, them to Maz, and that works too, but we like Patzcuaro and Tepic.

Obviously run the toll roads, including the new one near Patzcuaro that skips Morelia completely. Should save at least an hour, and some wear and tear.

Just remember, when you get tired, you make mistakes and don't enjoy yourselves.

We've done it in one day, (1030 km, 13+ hours), but I don't recommend it. Split it in half. Staying around Tequila works OK, because you've gone through Guadalajara's traffic on the first day, and then have an easy drive from Tequila to Tepic and then to Mazatlán.

…A-a-a-n-n-d since you'll be staying in a town with a most auspicious name, you might as well find a wonderful little cantina, or the sampling room at a destilería and dive right in. Next day sleep in, late breakfast, easy drive and you're in Mazatlán for dinner.

Is there a faster way to connect with 15D to Guadalajara than taking 37 out of Uruapan?

That's the way we do it.

Is 2 days a good estimate of how long it will take us to make the drive? Driving like 6 hours a day????

We've done it in one day, (1030 km, 13+ hours), but I don't recommend it. Split it in half. Staying around Tequila works OK, because you've gone through Guadalajara's traffic on the first day, and then have an easy drive from Tequila to Tepic and then to Mazatlán.

Is 2 days a good estimate of how long it will take us to make the drive? Driving like 6 hours a day????

Thanks!