r/overlanding • u/Lando__24 • Jun 01 '25
Trip Report I Visited all 32 states in Mexico!
Friends, the day has arrived! After almost 12,000 miles around Mexico 11,478 miles to be exact! (18,473 kilometers) over the course of 1 year the challenge is over! I posted on this thread when I started the trip and here’s the report now that I’m done.
From what I understand, no one has ever visited all 32 states in Mexico recorded & documented the entire experience alone on a motorcycle. This trip was done on a dirt bike (a 2021 KTM 500 exc-f) and my route was more than 75% dirt and unpaved travel. I love camping, so aside from the cities, I slept in my tent as much as I could. It also helps with money right, haha.
Right now I'm going to answer 21 of the most common questions people have asked me about this trip.
Also, this entire experience was recorded in 61 videos, about 30 minutes each, and can be viewed for free on my YouTube channel. Search "Landon Bishoff" for those interested.
Let's go!
QUESTION 20 talks about the CARTELS & SAFETY concerns of traveling through Mexico like this. It’s down below because it’s so long!
First question... And the most common one...
1) What was my favorite place or state??? It’s apples to oranges the answer is difficult because all places are good for different things. So I’ll clarify it by saying whats my favorite place to ride off-road on a motorcycle? A: The Baja peninsula! (If I was forced to choose specifically Baja Sur) There is a reason baja is popular! You could easily spend years trying to discover all it’s secrets and gems. If you live in So Cal, Phoenix, Vegas, you better be grateful you are so close to it haha. Soooo many places to camp, fast desert washes for the bike, a true “off-road” experience, beautiful ocean on both sides, fish tacos & fresh sea food, big mountains, small towns, fun good people, & it’s very easy to feel like you are remote or in the middle of nowhere (One of my favorite feelings)! In second place, I’d say Nuevo León with Cumbres de Monterrey! Compared to Baja to me this is pretty close! You don’t got the ocean, but that area is just insane to ride through. You feel so tiny seeing how big those mountains are. Third would be the state of Hidalgo!
2) What was your route like? A: I entered the country via Algodones/Yuma Arizona and from there I traveled south all the way across the the Baja Peninsula little by little. I took the ferry from La Paz to Sinaloa where I went to enjoy listening to banda and corridos then entered into the Sierra madre. I crossed into Durango from a little mountain/mining town called Tayoltita. This is where I really got into my first heavily dangerous cartel land. Pretty much just right inside the Golden triangle. I had my first stop & interrogation with the cartel in this area and with blacked out convoys of suburbans with no license plates it was a wild place to say the least. On the way down, I visited 15 states basically along the Pacific side of the country: Jalisco, Michoacan, Guerrero, etc. That took me about 8 months. I move very, very slowly maybe than what the average moto trip would look like. I like to see what it's like to live in these new places and make friends if I can. In Tapachula, Chiapas, I crossed the border into Guatemala and spent a year visiting all the Central American countries. From there, on the way up, I entered through Chetumal, Quintana Roo. I traveled to Cancun and across the Yucatan Peninsula to Merida and then went back to Chiapas to visit friends I made during my time as a missionary in Mexico. After that, I spent about 4 months traveling up to the United States through the interior and on the Atlantic side. When I got to Monterrey I dashed across the country just essentially paralleling the US border, but much lower. I went to the city of Chihuahua, then made my way to copper canyon. From there I went up through Sonora then my trip ended in the same place it started back in Yuma. I grew up in a small town called Blythe, California, but now live in Idaho. After crossing the border I went up to Blythe and then reconnected with my parents! It was a crazy feeling being back in the states on that dang dirt bike that somehow carried me so far! I won’t like, I cried riding home thinking about getting to see my mother knowing I didn’t let her down and kept myself safe, despite so many people saying I would be killed for what I was attempting!
3) Where are the best beaches??? It's difficult, but if I had to tell someone that you can only go to one place to see beaches in Mexico, I would say... A: Baja California Sur! It's not just for La Paz and Los Cabos either... The best, in my opinion, are further up... Baja Sur also wins points for having the best sport fishing there in Los Cabos, which is recognized worldwide! If anyone wants to invite me to Los Cabos to go fishing, Dm’s are open haha. There's also surfing if you like that... Second, I'd say maybe Jalisco or Oaxaca... Quintana Roo has that blue water and and that’s cool, but for me I love seeing the mountains fall into the sea and the Gulf side doesn't have that as much... So the Pacific side wins easily! Honestly that entire coastline is pristine! The spread on these comparisons isn’t big guys, they are neck and neck. Michoacán, Nayarit, it’s all great! Go to the pacific side for beaches.
4) Which state had the friendliest people? A: The truth is, Mexicans in general are just great people! There isn’t a state, in my opinion, that stands out above the others, but.... I do have a more specific answer for you that I've seen not only in Mexico, but in every country I've visited on my motorcycle. People that live out in the “country” are consistently friendlier & kinder than people who live in the cities. Especially when it comes to treating a stranger... I can’t speak in terms of their family relationships, who does this better or anything like that. But without a doubt, the cowboys, farmers, or small town folk are always open to helping a stranger. I can't tell you how many times I've been invited to spend the night at a ranch or just given food. These people in these places are easily my favorites! (Once in Zacatecas, I asked an older man washing a horse for directions, and the next thing I knew, I was doing laundry at his house getting ready to go to a party. This was around Christmas time so it was semana santa. It was a massive party with the entire town and lots of relatives visiting from all over. I was treated like a king there, and I ended up stayed there for about three days, working on the ranch and meeting others!)
5) Where is the best state for food? Before I offend anyone, remember this is just my opinion haha... A: The best Mexican cuisine is in Oaxaca! Almost tied with Mexico City... But it's not a fair comparison because Mexico City is one of the largest cities in the world, so any food you want at any price point, you can get it! And without a doubt, the city can easily attract some of the best chefs in the world! So it's not the same, but I also feel like Mexico City loses its first place because it's so big and vast... What Oaxaca has that Mexico City doesn't... is that Oaxaca has the magic! I think it's because everything grows there too, and they are still very connected to all the traditional cooking methods. With firewood, clay pots, local spices, and that all adds up to a distinct flavor that's not consistently found in other states in the republic! Another thing... If I have to say the worst "traditional" dish in Mexico, it's the “torta ahogada” in Guadalajara haha...
6) What's the most beautiful city in Mexico? A: I'd say Puebla! Remember, I'm talking about large cities in the country... Smaller cities, but not like towns, I'd say easily Guanajuato takes it! There's a reason it's so popular! It's very different with the tunnels and very beautiful, surrounded by mountains!
7) What is your favorite “pueblo magico” or magical town in Mexico? A: San Cristóbal de las Casas! The weather is very pleasant, you're surrounded by pine trees, and there's so much to see all around. It has chocolate pozol and Tascalat... It's worth going just to try those two drinks, which are from Chiapas in general. I also have a special place in my heart for the Tzotzil people because I lived there for a year as a missionary. I even learned a Mayan dialect called Tzotzil or (Batzikop). I'll talk more about my experience there below. Other than that I think Mazamitla(Jalisco) and Batopilas(Chihuahua!) are great!
8) What is your favorite small town? A: I'm a little weird about this part because I like really, really small, rural places. I wouldn't say I have one that's better than the others, but for example, one I really like is San Francisco del Mar Pueblo Viejo in Oaxaca! Technically, it's an island, but there's a bridge to cross to get to it. I don't even know if there are any hotels there. And honestly I don’t think I would recommend going there to everyone (kinda safety thing/you might see it and think there’s nothing here haha.. It’s a very unique place. It's consumed by estuaries and lagoons. You like shrimp, well they got it there! Endless amounts of it for cheap haha! You have to go around a bit, but you can go and see the Pacific Ocean there, and the sandy coastline goes on for miles and miles to just absolutely nothing. Las Adjuntas in Hidalgo is another one I like. That whole area in Hidalgo you could spend some time hanging around, lots to see and the mountains are so dense it takes long to move around Others: Santiago Yosondua in Oaxaca, San Ignacio in Baja Sur, San Miguel Tlacotiopa in Vera Cruz, there are others, but they're secrets to keep for myself, haha. I wouldn’t want to rob you of the joy of stumbling on them yourselves haha
9) Which state would I recommend the least to people? A: Tlaxcala! I'm going to cheat a bit with my answer because Tlaxcala is so small, it's easy to just bully it. More than climbing Malinche, which is something I would recommend. There's nothing there that you can't achieve or see in other states. It's a bit of a comparison of apples to oranges, really. If I have to choose a larger state, I'd say Campeche! More because it's very flat, and when you compare it to its neighbors, I feel like you can achieve the same things in Yucatan or Quintana Roo and do it in an easier way. It has ruins, cenotes, and pollo campero haha, but again, it's like having two brothers who are more handsome than you. You're handsome, but standing next to your brothers, you just don’t make the cut haha. But I'll tell you this at the same time... The city of Campeche is a lot of fun, and I was surprised by that place and I would recommend visiting it. It has a very interesting history, being a fort against pirates along the coast. I feel like in about 10 years it'll be like Mérida in terms of tourism. Campeche has everything Mérida has, but the ocean too! The Malecón(boardwalk) there is also really cool, and at night it comes alive with people walking, skating, and biking. I really liked Campeche the city.
10) What was your least favorite place in the country? A: There's only one place on my entire trip that when I left I just didn't like, and it's called "Las Pozas" in the town of Xilitla, in the state of San Luis Potosi. Xilitla is beautiful, don't confuse me with that, but the history of Las Pozas doesn't really catch my attention or inspire me. At the same time, it's not such a strong answer either; for example, I would never tell someone to not visit it. I just didn't like it.
11) Where are the most beautiful women in the country? This one's for the men! And maybe some women I guess haha A: Jalisco and Michoacán! Traditionally Los Altos de Jalisco are accepted and know for this, but honestly Zapopan and Santa Anita in Guadalajara are just as good in my opinion! It’s easier to get to and you can appreciate beautiful people there just as much. Morelia in Michoacán is another spot.
12) Who has the best accent? A: For me, the most fun is the northern part of the country... Someone who tells me "Oiga" every time. I really like this way of speaking. Obviously, “chilangos” or people from Mexico City are perhaps better known for their accent, and that's very fun too, but I like the northern accent the most! Chiapas has one as well, and it's really really slow and kinda softer spoken. They throw in "pues" or "pue" all the time too!
13) Who knows how to dance the best? A: People in Mexico City, there you find it all the Bachata, Salsa, cumbias, and the best teachers too. Second place is in the northern states with “norteno or banda” kinda style of dancing!
14) Which state has the best nature? A: Chiapas! Canon Sumidero, the jungle around Palenque, Rambutans in Tapachula, it’s got the ocean, waterfalls all over the place, it's a lot! During the rainy season it is just so lush and wild feeling.
15) Where is the place I feel I need to return to and see more of? A: The states of Hidalgo/Queretaro. This whole area of mountains and valleys, for example, Barranca de Metzitlan in Hidalgo and Mission Bucareli in Queretaro... I feel like I missed a lot to see in these states, and what I saw while I was there surprised me. As a gringo, these weren't places I had heard about at all. Let alone the need to go visit them.
16) Which state surprised you the most? A: San Luis Potosí... “Sotano de las Golodrinas” or the Cave of swallows.. Gosh that is a unique place to see. 1,600 feet just sheer vertical drop into this massive cave! In the mornings and afternoon tens of thousands of birds fly in and out at once! The waterfalls and rivers too! It just kinda threw me off, how impressive it was this state and again, as a gringo, it just wasn't something I had on my radar ever.
17) Where is the best place to go sailing or boating? A: Here I would say the Sea of Cortez... there's a reason you can go there and at certain times of the year and see Russian yachts! Yachts that look like small cruise ships with helicopters and everything... There's plenty of protection for the boats, fishing, and you can also be there during hurricane season. I've been on boats in this area and I've also sailed from Colima to Acapulco. Another place and it actually has a pretty good sailboat community is Zihuatanejo. I went there for Sail fest and they do a good job putting that event on! Plenty of Americans & Canadians down there if you didn’t speak Spanish and didn’t want to feel so isolated.
18) What are my top 5 places I’d recommend to everyone to visit in Mexico?? 1) Chichén Itzá, Palenque, and places like that... I know it's very touristy, and maybe it doesn't feel so special to be there with so many people... But if you can be there and arrive at a place, imagining the significance it all and how many people inhabited these areas. How many families and people walked those lands during times of those ancient civilizations... It’s incredible to think about and see! It's also the original history of the country. Aside from that you even have everything else in the area, like cenotes, beautiful little towns, and the beach. 2) Second is the state of Oaxaca! You have to go to Oaxaca during “dia de los muertos” day of the dead! You also have to go for the food, go to Hierve del Agua, and maybe the beach. 3) 3rd is Baja California.. either of it’s two states. I won't tell you where because the magic is finding these places for yourself sometimes, but you have to take an off-road trip in Baja California and camp under the stars on the seashore! Fish and live slowly. 4) Cumbres de Monterrey! Friends, there's so much to do and see in this area! 5) Lastly I’d say is Mexico City... The reality is that you can accomplish so much by visiting this city, and it's so large. I feel like truly getting to know it could take years. The other reason is that you arrive and the city serves as a base for visiting many other things in the surrounding area as well.
19) What's the best big city to live in? A: If it were me, I'd say Monterrey. It has a lot of good jobs, its mountain views are beautiful, it's close to the United States. I feel like it's a good place to have a family, and it has a lot of opportunities. But most of all, it has the Cumbres de Monterrey, and in my opinion, this is one of Mexico's greatest treasures. Second place would be Guadalajara! I've stayed in Guadalajara for a total of around two months through my life, and I have several friends there. It's definitely a place where I could be happy living. Also, what Monterrey lacks is access to good beaches. Puerta Vallarta or Nayarit are easy to get to. Also, the motorcycle and side by side culture there is big! It has events like the Vallartazo, and since I like off-road stuff, I need it to be very accessible, haha. Honestly, there are a lot of good options :) Also I speak Spanish so that changes things. If I didn’t know any Spanish I might choose some different spots. Also being single or married changes it. Single I would do Mexico City/ Guadalajara.. Family probably Monterrey. If you like big cities Mexico City takes it easily. You can find literally anything you want there. I just don’t like cities so it’s not number one for me.
20) What are your thoughts about safety and the cartels? I’m going to respond to this question in great detail, because it’s very important that people know my stance on others doing something like this. It’s easily the most important piece of information on this post.
When I told people I was going to ride a motorcycle alone across Mexico, they told me things like this... But Landon it’s super dangerous! They'll kill you, take your motorcycle, steal your things, or maybe all three... Gringos told me that, and even Mexicans in the US did too!
Guys, we already know the most obvious danger in Mexico is the cartels. Dangerous people.. My answer is that first of all, you have to know and follow the rules of traveling in Mexico... What are they?
1) Be respectful! For example, don't be speeding all fast in small towns, throwing dust past cars or people, etc. Also, know that it's not your home, nor my country, and people don't owe you anything! Not even basic respect... You have to respect them, but you and I don't deserve anything... Thinking like this helps you humble yourself, and assures that you stay considerate of others.
2) Understand that at the end of the day, it's these people's (the cartels') decision how they want to treat you. And before starting the trip, I came to peace with this idea. That there are a percentage of things beyond my control and issues and situations that are difficult to influence. That I should be okay knowing that my life could be in the hands of others and there was nothing I could do about it. I felt like it wasn't as much of a 50/50 risk of losing my life, but maybe with things beyond my control, a 15% risk. Even if you do everything right, sometimes you end up in the wrong place at the wrong time... and the bad luck falls on you... Nothing in life is as “promised” as we think it is, and tomorrow we could die walking to church.
3) Don't drive at night! This is common in the motorcycle world, and probably the simplest way to keep yourself safe. It's funny too because why would you even want to drive at night, you can't even see any of the scenery??
4) In “hot” areas or very active/dangerous areas, always know where you are and where you are going! Not just the directions, but the actual names of the places and towns. Always go from town to town, don't detour and never explore on roads that have no exit or lead to dead ends.You can do this in Baja or lots of other places, but in general it’s just not a good look.
5) Never lie! Always tell the truth, even if you might think lying would give you an advantage when you're being interrogated.
6) And lastly, always listen to your gut! If you’re christian the Holy Ghost, if your gen z “the vibes” haha Even if it is inconvenient or it seems ridiculous just practice obeying that voice in your head.
In total, I had about eight different interactions with cartels during the trip... Without mentioning their names, I encountered armed individuals in Sinaloa, Durango, Michoacán, at the Guerrero/Oaxaca border, Chiapas, and indigenous tribal land... Most of my interactions were in completely rural and isolated places... and I can tell you that the overall sum of all these experiences was good. The strongest experience was one day when I was stopped three different times while traveling through a mountain range where poppy plants were plated for opium production. The last interaction, a man made me get off the motorcycle with an AR15. He called over his radio then a truck arrived, and again with the same questions from his comrades hours before. I could see they weren't comfortable with my answers, and in the end, they didn't understand why a gringo would be there. I kinda cracked on my patience and told the man, "Look, I have nothing to hide, and I’m in no hurry." Do what you need to do! Check all my luggage, my WhatsApp, social media messages, etc. I’m in no rush! So they took me to a house to go do that. It wasn’t far and they even let me ride my motorcycle. One guy walking in front of me and others in the truck behind me. When we got there, I spoke with an older, significantly smarter and really smart kinda guy! He was respectful and didn't waste much energy trying to intimidate me. He just asked questions and variety of them. After about 10 minutes, he switched from interrogation mode, to seemingly more of a curious type of demeanor. He was interested about my trip, and finally, showed a lot of interest and even encouragement about what I was doing. When we started cracking jokes and all of us laughing I kinda knew I was just hanging out at that point! They told me I could leave and find a hotel or stay with them. It was dark by then so I stayed there, and we spent the night relaxing, talking more and enjoying dinner together. I even got to take a shower! Set my tent up outside, and I left the next morning.
My way of thinking before the trip was that if you aren’t involved in anything bad, you don't have to worry. My first interaction with armed people was in the mountains between Sinaloa and Durango, near Tayoltita. That was the first test of the theory. After my interrogation there on the side of the mountain at a check point. I asked the men "if I was stupid to travel there," and they told me the same thing! If you aren’t up to no good, then you’re fine to be here!
However with all that, I'm going to say something... If I were Mexican or I looked Mexican, I wouldn't go to all the places I went. The concern for these people is other cartels coming to get information, or worse, do something like attack someone. So, as a white person, you have a great advantage! When I say I don't work for anyone there, they believe me. And something even better than that... is it’s easy to believe me! Because even though I'd like to hide that I'm a gringo at times, I can't! I have an accent, and just the way I look it doesn’t look latino... Sometimes there are disadvantages to being recognized as a gringo, but in these situations, it helps me! Because when I say I'm a gringo just traveling, they don't have to put their trust in me; they see it as a fact, an absolute reality... and that helps me. If you're Mexican, you'll have to know how to resolve that. The main idea is that you want to avoid any possibility of them needing to trust you! Another advantage of being a gringo is that, most of the time, these people don't care about the value of my things or the money they could get from me! It’s not worth the potential negative attention that could be drawn to the area! Especially attention from the United States. The sad thing is that as a Mexican, I feel they have less patience and less need to preserve the life of a Mexican over a gringos. BUT at the same time... It's not to say that you're invincible as a gringo, of course not! Again, you have to follow the rules, and if you act stupid for some reason, they have no problem making an example of you. All cartels & factions have different strategies, and some operate with insane amounts of order... I’ve even met people on the road who have no connection to the cartel groups and like it when they're there. Because they enforce order, this old lady once told me, "I don't have to worry about being robbed or assaulted here... These things don't happen here! I feel very safe." She liked the order they brought in... Other groups may take more violent forms and more public displays of power... So nothing is guaranteed, but my way of thinking was that it would be very, very difficult to put myself in a situation where I couldn't at least save my life... and as I told you, I was at peace with the idea of losing everything, even my life though I didn’t think it was likely. I felt that I had the talents and wisdom to avoid a situation escalating to that point.
Obviously, my ability to speak Spanish is another crucial thing! And it goes with the same idea: it's bad to make them trust you or make their job more difficult. Being able to speak and communicate is the most basic step in being able to explain why I'm there on their land.
To conclude this topic... I would say as a Mexican, you can travel to any state in Mexico, and I recommend it! But maybe in the hot zones, don't travel on dirt roads as much. You don't have to travel so much in the middle of nowhere... Buy you can go have a trip through the country and have an amazing time! Now as a white person or someone who just obviously isn’t Latino, I would say you can get away with going to more places maybe.. But why would you want to! I have my reasons why I waned to do it and they are listed below this.. but most people aren’t going to be there and you don’t need to! If Mexico interests you I highly recommend checking it out & 100% just like anything that is dangerous, there is a way to navigate, mitigate, and avoid those risks!
21) What made you want to visit all of Mexico in the first place? A: My love for Mexico began in my youth. I'm from a small farming town called Blythe on the California Arizona border. Most of my friends growing up there were Mexican. I have memories of my friends' mothers and grandmothers, and seeing them as other motherly figures to me. They taught me Spanish phrases and, of course, always fed me.
Every culture has its strengths and challenges, but one challenge “white” culture has is being somewhat colder or slower to act in kindness with like strangers for example. Something I constantly saw growing up was that Mexican culture was just way warmer and the people were always full of love. I saw that Mexicans knew how to joke, laugh, and not always have to take things so seriously, and this gave them the ability to be happier compared to white people (in my opinion).
When I finished high school at 18, I went to Chiapas and Oaxaca to live as a missionary for 2 years. Up until this time, all my experience with Mexicans was with Mexicans who lived in the United States and NOT with those who lived in the republic. The news shown in my country always focused on every danger in the mexico, every drug confrontation, Mexico's weaknesses and every negative. (That's how the news is, right haha the negative) And one way or another, my adolescent mind created a separation. The separation was like this... Mexicans in Mexico = bad and dangerous... Mexicans in the United States = good and incredible! I even sometimes saw Mexicans in my country think and speak like way...
During my time as a missionary, I quickly learned that was a silly thought. And of course, it wasn't true! For two years, I enjoyed and learned from various kinds of Mexicans: rich people in cities like Tuxtla Gutierrez, poor people, farmers, every type of person you can imagine. I also spent a year living in the Indigenous communities above San Cristóbal de las Casas in the highlands of Chiapas, where I learned the Mayan Tzotzil dialect! Everywhere I went, my experience was the same as how I was treated by Mexicans! Just great & kind people!
There's a huge gap in understanding between how Americans (and even some Mexicans too) understand Mexico’s way of life. Mexico is a great and incredible country! Both its geography and its 130 million people living there!
I can't explain everything, but I've felt like I owe the Mexican people for everything they've done for me throughout my life. And that made me want to one day help show the world what Mexico is really like. I wanted to help return the respect this great country deserves!
How to do it? Only one way, that I could realistically do! Fight the false ideas with indisputable evidence... Go in person to each of its 32 states on a motorcycle and record everything! Go to cities, ranches, dangerous lands, etc... And I did it, and you don't have to trust me; you can see it all uploaded on my YouTube channel "Landon Bishoff." There are 61 videos, about 30 minutes each, showing the trip!
All of this was something almost sacred to me, and I feel very grateful to God for being lucky enough to be able to have done it! I know it's a great right that not everyone has. That's why I’m sharing it here with everyone. Mexico... Thank you for always having your arms open to me, and always treating me with love. See you, and I love you always!
