The Wayro route from Actopan to Sayulita is 492 miles (791 km), about 8 h 18 min of driving without stops.
| Distance by road | 492 mi (791 km) |
|---|---|
| Time at the wheel, no stops | 8 h 18 min |
| Main roads, in order | HGO 30 → HGO 17 → MEX-M40D → MEX-15D → MEX-15 → MEX-70D → MEX-200D → MEX-200 |
| Mexican states on the route | Hidalgo, State of Mexico, Michoacán, Jalisco, Nayarit |
| Toll roads (as marked in OpenStreetMap) | MEX-M40D, MEX-15D, MEX-70D, MEX-200D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 19.7 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
Driving this route in a car with U.S. plates
| Temporary vehicle import permit (TIP) | Required: this route is outside the zones where U.S.-registered cars can skip the temporary import permit (Baja California, Baja California Sur and part of Sonora) |
|---|---|
| Mexican auto insurance | Required for all vehicles: buy a Mexican policy before you drive |
Sources: U.S. State Department, Mexico travel information (updated August 11, 2026); permits are issued by Banjercito.
How the Actopan to Sayulita drive plays out
MEX-15D (321 mi) and MEX-M40D (48 mi) carry about 75% of the 492 miles. It runs through 5 states: Hidalgo, State of Mexico, Michoacán, Jalisco, Nayarit. OpenStreetMap marks tolled sections on MEX-M40D, MEX-15D and MEX-70D. Of the 9 stops listed below, 1 are within a mile of the road.
The route from Actopan to Sayulita, road by road
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–17 | 17 | Hidalgo |
| HGO 30 | 17–26 | 9 | Hidalgo |
| HGO 17 | 26–30 | 4 | Hidalgo |
| MEX-M40D | 30–78 | 48 | Hidalgo, State of Mexico |
| connecting roads | 78–80 | 2 | State of Mexico |
| MEX-15D | 80–336 | 256 | State of Mexico, Michoacán, Jalisco |
| MEX-15 | 336–344 | 8 | Jalisco |
| MEX-15D | 344–409 | 65 | Jalisco, Nayarit |
| local roads | 409–444 | 35 | Nayarit |
| MEX-70D | 444–462 | 18 | Nayarit |
| MEX-200D | 462–477 | 15 | Nayarit |
| MEX-200 | 477–490 | 13 | Nayarit |
| local roads | 490–492 | 2 | Nayarit |
- Mile 48 of this route: Hidalgo → State of Mexico (state line)
- Mile 97 of this route: State of Mexico → Michoacán (state line)
- Mile 265 of this route: Michoacán → Jalisco (state line)
- Mile 393 of this route: Jalisco → Nayarit (state line)
What to see on the way from Actopan to Sayulita
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Ixtlán del Rio (mile 403)
- Nature and outdoors: Parque Walt Disney (mile 327), Rincón de Guayabitos (mile 472)
- Museums and history: Cathedral of Atlacomulco (mile 80), Teatro Morelos de Maravatío (mile 118), Museo Regional de la Ceramica, Tlaquepaque (mile 325), National Museum of Tequila (mile 364), Ixtlán del Rio (mile 403)
- With kids: Acuario Michin Guadalajara (mile 329)
Hacienda Demiñho
Near Tunititlán in the Mezquital Valley, Hacienda Demiñho is a former Spanish-era estate that once ran cattle, farmed and rented land, becoming one of the region's important haciendas.
Cathedral of Atlacomulco
Dedicated to Divine Providence, the cathedral in Atlacomulco is the principal Catholic church in town and the seat of the local diocese.
Teatro Morelos de Maravatío
French influence shapes the neoclassical lines of the Teatro Morelos, a late-19th-century theater in Maravatío by architect Rafael Guerrero Torres. It first opened in January 1879.
Museo Regional de la Ceramica, Tlaquepaque
Ceramics lovers in central Tlaquepaque, Jalisco, can find the Museo Regional de la Cerámica on Independencia Street. Along with the Pantaleón Panduro Museum, it is one of the city's two principal pottery museums.
Parque Walt Disney
Despite sharing a name with Walt Disney, this recreational space in Guadalajara's Colonia Olímpica has no direct theme tied to Disney's amusement parks.
Acuario Michin Guadalajara
Acuario Michin Guadalajara is an aquarium in the city of Guadalajara, in the Mexican state of Jalisco.
National Museum of Tequila
Jalisco's state government took back the National Museum of Tequila in 2026, announcing a reopening with refreshed displays. The museum, known as MUNAT, tells the story of the spirit in the town that shares its name.
Ixtlán del Rio
Known locally as Los Toriles, the Ixtlán del Río site is famous for a temple with a fully circular floor plan, rare in Mesoamerica. People lived here from about 300 BC to AD 600, and an introductory gallery explains the finds.
Rincón de Guayabitos
Gentle waves are the draw at Rincón de Guayabitos, where roughly two kilometers of shoreline make this Compostela, Nayarit, beach town a favorite escape for people from Tepic and Guadalajara.
More drives to Sayulita
- Tepatitlán to Sayulita
- San Juan de los Lagos to Sayulita
- Jalpa to Sayulita
- León to Sayulita
- Aguascalientes to Sayulita
- Paracho to Sayulita
From Actopan to other places in Mexico
- Actopan to Otumba
- Actopan to Cadereyta
- Actopan to Ezequiel Montes
- Actopan to Amealco
- Actopan to Pedro Escobedo
- Actopan to El Oro
Continue Your Adventure
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to drive from Actopan to Sayulita?
About 8 h 18 min of driving without stops, over 492 miles.
How far is Sayulita from Actopan by car?
About 492 miles (791 km) on the Wayro route. Other map services may show a few miles more or less, depending on where they start and end in each city.
Do I need a permit to drive my U.S. car from Actopan to Sayulita?
Yes. A temporary vehicle import permit (TIP) is required for a U.S.-registered car on this route, which is outside the zones where it can be skipped. Mexican auto insurance is required for every vehicle.
Is it safe to drive from Actopan to Sayulita?
The U.S. State Department rates Hidalgo Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; State of Mexico Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Michoacán Level 4: Do Not Travel; Jalisco Level 3: Reconsider Travel; Nayarit Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.
What roads does the drive from Actopan to Sayulita use?
In order: HGO 30, HGO 17, MEX-M40D, MEX-15D, MEX-15, MEX-70D, MEX-200D and MEX-200. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
Where can you stop on the way from Actopan to Sayulita?
Closest to the road: Teatro Morelos de Maravatío (opera house, mile 118, 1 mi from the route); Museo Regional de la Ceramica, Tlaquepaque (museum, mile 325, 1 mi from the route); Ixtlán del Rio (archaeological site, mile 403, 0.5 mi from the route). All stops are described above.
How we put this guide together
Wayro calculates the route from OpenStreetMap road data; mile numbers are positions along this route, not highway markers, and "from the route" distances are straight-line, so the real detour depends on access roads. Stops are chosen from parks, natural sites, museums, historic sites and attractions close to the route: at least one strong stop for each stretch of the drive, then the best-known places nearest the road, up to nine in all. Places that are closed, private or not open to visitors are removed. Place descriptions are written by the Wayro team from official park, museum, tourism and government websites and other published sources. Safety levels and entry rules were checked against the U.S. Department of State on September 29, 2026. Conditions change, so check the linked sources before you travel.
Route data © OpenStreetMap contributors.