Atlixco to Salvatierra Road Trip: Where to Stop on the Way

By admin, 3 October, 2026

The Wayro route from Atlixco to Salvatierra is 260 miles (419 km), about 4 h 36 min of driving without stops.

U.S. State Department travel advisory: Puebla — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; Tlaxcala — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; Hidalgo — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; State of Mexico — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; Michoacán — Level 4, Do Not Travel; Guanajuato — Level 3, Reconsider TravelAdvisory issued May 29, 2026; checked September 29, 2026. Guanajuato is the Mexican state that contains Salvatierra. This route passes through a state at the advisory's highest level. Read the full advisory before you plan this drive.
International Museum of the BaroqueHistoric centre of PueblaMuseo Regional de CholulaTeotihuacanChurch and former convent of Todos los SantosAtlantean figuresRayón National ParkTeatro Morelos de MaravatíoAtlixcoSalvatierra
Route from Atlixco to Salvatierra with the 8 stops listed below (blue dots).
Distance260 mi (419 km)
Driving time, no stops4 h 36 min
Main roads, in orderMEX-190D → MEX-190 → MEX-150D → MEX-M40D → MEX-15D → MEX-126 → MEX-61 → MEX-51
Mexican states on the routePuebla (Level 2), Tlaxcala (Level 2), Hidalgo (Level 2), State of Mexico (Level 2), Michoacán (Level 4), Guanajuato (Level 3)
Toll roadsMEX-190D, MEX-150D, MEX-M40D, MEX-15D
Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg)about 10.4 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic
Stops listed below8

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 insuranceRequired 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 Atlixco to Salvatierra is like

MEX-M40D (139 mi) and MEX-15D (39 mi) carry about 68% of the 260 miles. MEX-190D, MEX-150D, MEX-M40D, MEX-15D are toll highways (cuota); MEX-190, MEX-126, MEX-61, MEX-51 are free federal roads (libre). It runs through 6 states: Puebla, Tlaxcala, Hidalgo, State of Mexico, Michoacán, Guanajuato. None of the 8 stops below is right on the road, so plan each as a short side trip.

The route from Atlixco to Salvatierra, road by road

RoadRoute miles (from–to)Length, miState
local roads0–33Puebla
MEX-190D3–1613Puebla
MEX-19016–259Puebla
connecting roads25–261Puebla
MEX-150D26–3913Puebla
MEX-M40D39–178139Puebla, Tlaxcala, Hidalgo, State of Mexico
connecting roads178–1791State of Mexico
MEX-15D179–21839State of Mexico, Michoacán
connecting roads218–2191Michoacán
MEX-126219–2289Michoacán, Guanajuato
MEX-61228–24012Guanajuato
connecting roads240–2411Guanajuato
MEX-51241–26019Guanajuato
  • Mile 43 of this route: Puebla → Tlaxcala (state line)
  • Mile 66 of this route: Tlaxcala → Hidalgo (state line)
  • Mile 74 of this route: Hidalgo → State of Mexico (state line)
  • Mile 87 of this route: State of Mexico → Hidalgo (state line)
  • Mile 104 of this route: Hidalgo → State of Mexico (state line)
  • Mile 117 of this route: State of Mexico → Hidalgo (state line)
  • Mile 148 of this route: Hidalgo → State of Mexico (state line)
  • Mile 197 of this route: State of Mexico → Michoacán (state line)
  • Mile 222 of this route: Michoacán → Guanajuato (state line)

Stops between Atlixco and Salvatierra

  • Nature and outdoors: Rayón National Park (mile 200)
  • Museums and history: International Museum of the Baroque (mile 16), Museo Regional de Cholula (mile 21), Teotihuacan (mile 86), Teatro Morelos de Maravatío (mile 218)

International Museum of the Baroque

Mile 16 · Art museum · 1 mi from the route

Designed by Japanese architect Toyo Ito and opened in 2016, Puebla's baroque museum wraps its galleries in curving white concrete walls beside a reflecting pond. Exhibits cover baroque painting, sculpture, architecture, music, theater and literature.

Historic centre of Puebla

Mile 17 · Urban area · 4 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Laid out from scratch in 1531, Puebla's UNESCO-listed core is a grid of tile-covered houses, colonial churches and the 16th–17th-century cathedral, with the old archbishop's palace that houses the Palafox Library, established in 1646.

Museo Regional de Cholula

Mile 21 · Anthropology museum · 1 mi from the route

Right beside the Great Pyramid and archaeological zone of Cholula, this public museum displays collections ranging from pre-Hispanic and colonial art to contemporary and folk art.

Teotihuacan

Mile 86 · Historic site · 13 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

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.

Church and former convent of Todos los Santos

Mile 88 · Convent · 5 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Franciscan friars built this fortress-style convent in Zempoala, and the complex still keeps the classic layout of atrium, church, open chapel and cloister. It pairs well with a drive through the area's old pulque haciendas.

Atlantean figures

Mile 134 · Atlantean figures · 1 mi from the route

Crowning the main pyramid at the Tula archaeological zone, these basalt sculptures of Toltec warriors stand more than four meters tall in what was once the Toltec capital; the nearby Wall of Snakes shows carved serpents devouring skeletons.

Rayón National Park

Mile 200 · National Park of Mexico · 5 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

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.

Teatro Morelos de Maravatío

Mile 218 · Opera house · 1 mi from the route

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.

More drives to Salvatierra

From Atlixco to other places in Mexico

Frequently asked questions

How long is the drive from Atlixco to Salvatierra?

About 4 h 36 min of driving without stops, over 260 miles.

How far is Salvatierra from Atlixco by car?

About 260 miles (419 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 Atlixco to Salvatierra?

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 Atlixco to Salvatierra?

The U.S. State Department rates Puebla Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Tlaxcala Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Hidalgo Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; State of Mexico Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Michoacán Level 4: Do Not Travel; Guanajuato Level 3: Reconsider Travel (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.

What roads does the drive from Atlixco to Salvatierra use?

In order: MEX-190D, MEX-190, MEX-150D, MEX-M40D, MEX-15D, MEX-126, MEX-61 and MEX-51. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.

What are good stops between Atlixco and Salvatierra?

Closest to the road: International Museum of the Baroque (art museum, mile 16, 1 mi from the route); Atlantean figures (atlantean figures, mile 134, 1 mi from the route); Teatro Morelos de Maravatío (opera house, mile 218, 1 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.