Makran Coastal Highway

The N10 was completed in 2004 and cut the journey from Karachi to Gwadar, which had taken at least two days on a dirt track, to six or seven hours. It runs for some 650 kilometres with the sea on one side and, for long stretches, eroded cliffs and badlands on the other, passing through Hingol National Park with its mud volcanoes and rock figures, the fishing settlements of Ormara and Pasni, headlands where the road climbs to viewpoints over empty beaches, and finally the hammerhead peninsula at Gwadar. Traffic is light, the surface is generally good, and the emptiness is the defining quality: there are stretches of an hour with no settlement at all. Fuel and food stops are far apart and worth planning around, and travellers are asked to register at posts in places, which is routine along this route.

History

Before the highway, Karachi was linked to Gwadar by a dirt track and the journey took at least two days, so many preferred the longer route through Quetta. The Frontier Works Organisation, which had built the Karakoram Highway, began work in 2002 and completed the 653-kilometre road on 14 December 2004, cutting the trip to six or seven hours (Wikipedia, Makran Coastal Highway).

What's there

• Cliff and sea driving - long stretches with the Arabian Sea beside the road.
• Hingol rock forms - the Princess of Hope and Sphinx beside the highway.
• Fishing towns - Ormara and Pasni with their harbours and boats.
• Empty beaches - long undeveloped sand at intervals along the coast.

When to go

November to February; summer is very hot and humid, and monsoon weather can close sections. Travelling in daylight only is the standard advice for the whole route. Allow more days than the distance suggests to enjoy the stops.

Practical notes

Fuel stations are sparse, so fill up whenever possible and carry water. Accommodation is basic and concentrated in the towns; camping is common. Arrangements for foreign travellers vary, so check current requirements before setting out. Mobile coverage drops for long stretches.

Nearby

Kund Malir and Hingol are on the eastern half; Gwadar is at the western end.

Key facts