The Wayro route from Ajijic to Atlatlahucan is 400 miles (643 km), about 6 h 59 min of driving without stops.
| Distance | 400 mi (643 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 6 h 59 min |
| Main roads, in order | MEX-23 → MEX-35 → JAL 122 → MEX-15D → MEX-M40D → MEX-57D → MEX-5D → MEX-115 |
| Mexican states on the route | Jalisco (Level 3), Michoacán (Level 4), State of Mexico (Level 2), Hidalgo (Level 2), Morelos (Level 3) |
| Toll roads | MEX-GUA 10D, MEX-15D, MEX-M40D, MEX-57D, MEX-5D, MEX-115D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 16.0 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.
What the drive from Ajijic to Atlatlahucan is like
MEX-15D (203 mi) and MEX-5D (55 mi) carry about 64% of the 400 miles. MEX-15D, MEX-M40D, MEX-57D, MEX-5D are toll highways (cuota); MEX-23, MEX-35, MEX-115 are free federal roads (libre). It runs through 5 states: Jalisco, Michoacán, State of Mexico, Hidalgo, Morelos. Of the 9 stops listed below, 2 are within a mile of the road.
The route from Ajijic to Atlatlahucan, road by road
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–1 | 1 | Jalisco |
| MEX-23 | 1–16 | 15 | Jalisco |
| connecting roads | 16–17 | 1 | Jalisco |
| MEX-35 | 17–46 | 29 | Jalisco |
| JAL 122 | 46–52 | 6 | Jalisco |
| MEX-15D | 52–255 | 203 | Jalisco, Michoacán, State of Mexico |
| MEX-M40D | 255–288 | 33 | State of Mexico, Hidalgo |
| connecting roads | 288–289 | 1 | Hidalgo |
| MEX-57D | 289–310 | 21 | Hidalgo, State of Mexico |
| MEX-5D | 310–365 | 55 | State of Mexico |
| MEX-115 | 365–381 | 16 | State of Mexico |
| local roads | 381–395 | 14 | State of Mexico, Morelos |
| connecting roads | 395–396 | 1 | Morelos |
| MEX-115 | 396–399 | 3 | Morelos |
| local roads | 399–400 | 1 | Morelos |
- Mile 69 of this route: Jalisco → Michoacán (state line)
- Mile 237 of this route: Michoacán → State of Mexico (state line)
- Mile 287 of this route: State of Mexico → Hidalgo (state line)
- Mile 308 of this route: Hidalgo → State of Mexico (state line)
- Mile 388 of this route: State of Mexico → Morelos (state line)
Stops between Ajijic and Atlatlahucan
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Sacred Heart of Jesus Cathedral, Ecatepec (mile 332), Museo del Centro Cultural Mexiquense Bicentenario (mile 352)
- Nature and outdoors: Rayón National Park (mile 234), Tula National Park (mile 292), El Tepeyac National Park (mile 340), Iztaccíhuatl–Popocatépetl National Park (mile 379)
- Museums and history: Teatro Morelos de Maravatío (mile 216), Teotihuacan (mile 332), Sacred Heart of Jesus Cathedral, Ecatepec (mile 332), Museo del Centro Cultural Mexiquense Bicentenario (mile 352)
Teatro Morelos de Maravatío
Maravatío's Teatro Morelos is a late-19th-century theater in a French-influenced neoclassical style, designed by architect Rafael Guerrero Torres. It opened on January 11, 1879, with a performance by opera singer Ángela Peralta.
Rayón National Park
Just outside Tlalpujahua, Rayón National Park (Parque Nacional Rayón) marks the start of the area's famous butterfly reserve country, which stretches south and west from here.
Tula National Park
This park protects the ruins of Tula, ancient capital of the Toltecs. Walk up to the main pyramid to stand beside the Atlantes, basalt warrior figures more than four meters tall, and look for the Coatepantli wall's reliefs of snakes devouring skeletons.
Teotihuacan
Built between the 1st and 7th centuries AD, this UNESCO-listed ancient city lines the Avenue of the Dead, where you can walk between the Pyramid of the Sun, the Pyramid of the Moon and the Temple of the Feathered Serpent.
Sacred Heart of Jesus Cathedral, Ecatepec
The Sacred Heart of Jesus Cathedral, also called Ecatepec Cathedral, is the main Catholic church and seat of the Diocese of Ecatepec in Mexico, dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
El Tepeyac National Park
Decreed in 1937 on reforested slopes of the Sierra de Guadalupe, including Cerro del Tepeyac, this national park was created for rest and recreation, with views toward Mexico City and the old Lake Texcoco plain.
Historic center of Mexico City
Built by the Spanish in the 16th century on the ruins of Tenochtitlan, Mexico City's Centro Histórico holds the Metropolitan Cathedral, the excavated Aztec Templo Mayor and the Palacio de Bellas Artes. UNESCO added it to the World Heritage List in 1987.
Museo del Centro Cultural Mexiquense Bicentenario
The museum at the Centro Cultural Mexiquense Bicentenario opened in 2011 with a permanent exhibit, Encuentro con Nuestras Raíces, a hall of art from the State of Mexico and three temporary galleries.
Iztaccíhuatl–Popocatépetl National Park
Iztaccíhuatl–Popocatépetl National Park, also called Izta-Popo Zoquiapan, protects the land around Popocatépetl and Iztaccíhuatl, Mexico's second- and third-highest peaks, where the states of México, Puebla and Morelos meet.
When you get to Atlatlahucan
Templo y exconvento de San Guillermo
Augustinian friars began the Templo y Exconvento de San Guillermo in Totolapan in the mid-16th century; part of the UNESCO-listed Popocatépetl monasteries, it was badly damaged in the 2017 earthquake, and INAH has supervised its restoration.
Monasteries on the slopes of Popocatépetl
Inscribed by UNESCO in 1994, this World Heritage site groups early 16th-century monasteries that Franciscan, Dominican and Augustinian friars built on the slopes of Popocatépetl, with large open spaces used to evangelize the Indigenous population.
Templo y Exconvento de San Mateo Apóstol
Built by Augustinian friars, the Templo y Exconvento de San Mateo Apóstol in Atlatlahucan is well preserved, with murals and decorated vaults, and is associated with the origins of the Chinelo dancers.
More drives to Atlatlahucan
- Cuernavaca to Atlatlahucan
- Metepec to Atlatlahucan
- Toluca to Atlatlahucan
- Valle de Bravo to Atlatlahucan
- Zitácuaro to Atlatlahucan
- San Juan del Río to Atlatlahucan
From Ajijic to other places in Mexico
- Ajijic to Pabellón de Hidalgo
- Ajijic to San José de Gracia, Aguascalientes
- Ajijic to Real de Asientos
- Ajijic to Nombre de Dios
- Ajijic to Mineral de Pozos
- Ajijic to Bernal
Continue Your Adventure
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Ajijic to Atlatlahucan?
About 6 h 59 min of driving without stops, over 400 miles.
How far is Atlatlahucan from Ajijic by car?
About 400 miles (643 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 Ajijic to Atlatlahucan?
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 Ajijic to Atlatlahucan?
The U.S. State Department rates Jalisco Level 3: Reconsider Travel; Michoacán Level 4: Do Not Travel; State of Mexico Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Hidalgo Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Morelos Level 3: Reconsider Travel (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.
What roads does the drive from Ajijic to Atlatlahucan use?
In order: MEX-23, MEX-35, JAL 122, MEX-15D, MEX-M40D, MEX-57D, MEX-5D and MEX-115. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.
What are good stops between Ajijic and Atlatlahucan?
Closest to the road: Teatro Morelos de Maravatío (opera house, mile 216, 1 mi from the route); Sacred Heart of Jesus Cathedral, Ecatepec (cathedral, mile 332, 0.7 mi from the route); Museo del Centro Cultural Mexiquense Bicentenario (museum, mile 352, 0.2 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 mile 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 (roughly 2 to 7 miles depending on the type, farther for World Heritage sites): at least one strong stop for each stretch of the drive, then the best-known places nearest the road, with no more than five of one type, up to nine in all. Places that are closed, private or not open to visitors are removed. Place and city 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.