A man and woman in traditional Mexican costumes joyfully dancing together at a festive celebration.San Luis, Arizona, is one of the fastest-growing cities in the state, strategically located at the southwestern corner of Arizona along the border with San Luis Río Colorado, Sonora, Mexico, and near California. Daily cross-border travel between the sister cities creates a unique sense of fluidity that influences the region’s culture, language, heritage, environment, and economy. Visitors enjoy a vibrant downtown shopping district adjacent to the border, offering diverse retail options, while the nearby Mexican border town features popular open-air markets, souvenirs, restaurants, and convenient access to medical and dental services within walking distance.

San Luis’s rich heritage and cultural appeal are celebrated through signature events, including the annual Fourth of July celebration featuring live music and one of the premier fireworks displays in the Desert Southwest. The City also partners with San Luis Río Colorado to promote well-known regional events such as the Corn Festival in December and Semana Santa celebrations in El Golfo de Santa Clara each March. As the gateway to the Sea of Cortez, San Luis provides easy access to El Golfo de Santa Clara, located just seventy miles south of the border, offering recreational driving, sailing, swimming, and renowned seafood dining. The La Costera coastal toll road connects Puerto Peñasco (Rocky Point) to El Golfo de Santa Clara, providing a safe and scenic route to pristine beaches, resorts, cruises, deep-sea fishing, snorkeling, kayaking, scuba diving, and iconic events such as the Harley-Davidson motorcycle rally. 

Border Wait Cameras

Travel Times:

  • El Golfo: 1 hour
  • Puerto Peñasco: 2 ½ hours

A person holding a passport in their hand, ready for travel or identification purposes.Border Cross Information:

Citizens of Canada and other countries should bring passports from their country of origin - plus a visa if one was required for your original entry into the United States.

U.S. citizens should bring one of the following:

  • U.S. passport - This is the internationally recognized travel document that verifies a person's identity and nationality, accepted for travel by air, land and sea.
  • U.S. passport card - This new, limited-use travel document fits into your wallet and costs less than a passport, but is only valid for travel by land and sea.
  • Enhanced driver's license - Several states and Canadian provinces are issuing special drivers licenses that denote both identity and citizenship specifically for cross-border travel by land or sea. Check Web site below for issuing states.
  • Trusted traveler program cards - Enrollment cards from the NEXUS, SENTRI or FAST programs are issued to approved, low-risk travelers for travel by land or sea or to airports with a NEXUS kiosk.
  • U.S. and Canadian citizen children under the age of 16 may also present an original or copy of a birth certificate, a Consular Report of Birth Abroad, a Naturalization Certificate, or a Canadian Citizenship Card.
  • U.S. lawful permanent residents document requirements have not changed - present a permanent resident card (Form I-551) or other valid evidence of permanent residence status.
  • Other requirements may apply for groups such as Native Americans, military traveling on official orders or merchant mariners - check with authorities in advance.

Items allowed back to the United States:

  • U.S. residents must declare purchases when re-entering the country, even from a day trip to Mexico.
  • If you have not used your duty-free exemption in the past 30 days, you may bring back $800 worth of items for your personal or household use, including - if you're 21 -- not more than one carton of cigarettes and 100 non-Cuban cigars and one liter of alcohol.
  • If you have used any part of your duty-free exemption within 30 days, different rules apply. If in doubt, ask U.S. border officials before you cross and buy more.
  • Prescription drugs:
  • As a matter of law, U.S. law prohibits "importation" of prescription drugs from outside the United States. But as a matter of enforcement, an exception is generally made for declared purchases of FDA-approved drugs in amounts reasonable for "personal use" (usually a 60 to 90-day supply).
  • If your prescription contains a narcotic or other controlled substance, you may need a prescription from a Mexican doctor to purchase it - and one from a U.S. doctor to bring it back across the border. For details, visit the U.S. Food and Drug Administration website and the U.S. Customs and Border Control website.
  • There are risks associated with buying drugs in Mexico. Before you do, talk to your doctor and do some homework to find out how to minimize those risks.

For more information about traveling to Mexico, please visit the following: