Atlixco to Tlayacapan Road Trip: Distance, Time & Stops

By admin, 3 October, 2026

The Wayro route from Atlixco to Tlayacapan is 58 miles (94 km), about 1 h 14 min of driving without stops.

U.S. State Department travel advisory: Puebla — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; Morelos — Level 3, Reconsider TravelAdvisory issued May 29, 2026; checked September 29, 2026. Morelos is the Mexican state that contains Tlayacapan. Check the full advisory for this state before you go.
Former convent of Saint Dominic de GuzmánConvento de Santiago ApóstolChalcatzingoLas Pilas archaeological siteMuseo Histórico del Oriente de Morelos "Casa de Morelos"Templo y Exconvento de San Juan Bautista de YecapixtlaAtlixcoTlayacapan
Route from Atlixco to Tlayacapan with the 6 stops listed below (blue dots).
Distance58 mi (94 km)
Driving time, no stops1 h 14 min
Main roads, in orderPUE 438D → MEX-160 → MEX-160D
Mexican states on the routePuebla (Level 2), Morelos (Level 3)
Toll roadsMEX-160D
Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg)about 2.3 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic
Stops listed below6

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 Tlayacapan is like

PUE 438D (25 mi) and MEX-160 (16 mi) carry about 71% of the 58 miles. MEX-160D is a toll highway (cuota); MEX-160 is a free federal road (libre). It runs through 2 states: Puebla, Morelos. None of the 6 stops below is right on the road, so plan each as a short side trip.

The route from Atlixco to Tlayacapan, road by road

RoadRoute miles (from–to)Length, miState
local roads0–77Puebla
PUE 438D7–3225Puebla, Morelos
MEX-16032–4816Morelos
MEX-160D48–535Morelos
local roads53–585Morelos
  • Mile 24 of this route: Puebla → Morelos (state line)

Stops between Atlixco and Tlayacapan

Former convent of Saint Dominic de Guzmán

Mile 22 · Convent · 4 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

In the town of Hueyapan, the 16th-century church and former convent of Santo Domingo de Guzmán keeps original frescoes and moldings inside, around a modest cloister typical of its era.

Convento de Santiago Apóstol

Mile 23 · Convent · 7 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

In the town of Ocuituco, the Temple and Ex-convent of Santiago Apóstol (Templo y Exconvento de Santiago Apóstol) belongs to the UNESCO-listed group of 16th-century monasteries on the slopes of Popocatépetl, inscribed in 1994.

Chalcatzingo

Mile 32 · Archaeological site · 2 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

At the foot of Cerro Chalcatzingo in eastern Morelos, this early site is known for stone reliefs carved mainly between 700 and 500 BC, some among the region's earliest stone sculpture and several in Olmec style, spread across the hillside.

Las Pilas archaeological site

Mile 33 · Archaeological site · 2 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Set inside a bathing park in Jonacatepec, Las Pilas was a ceremonial center devoted to water, where inhabitants built channels to collect and store underground water for irrigation; burials were found within the channel system.

Museo Histórico del Oriente de Morelos "Casa de Morelos"

Mile 46 · Museum · 2 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

In this 18th-century house in Cuautla, José María Morelos lived during the 1812 Siege of Cuautla. Its INAH galleries trace regional history through Morelos and Emiliano Zapata and display "El Niño," his first cannon, a gift from the Galeana family.

Templo y Exconvento de San Juan Bautista de Yecapixtla

Mile 47 · Convent · 5 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

The 16th-century church and former monastery of San Juan Bautista in Yecapixtla belongs to the Monasteries on the Slopes of Popocatepetl, inscribed by UNESCO in 1994 as early missionary architecture with large open courtyards.

When you get to Tlayacapan

Templo y Exconvento de San Juan Bautista de Tlayacapan

Convent · in Tlayacapan

Augustinian friars began this fortress-like church and monastery in the 16th century. Part of the UNESCO-listed group of monasteries on the slopes of Popocatépetl, its former cloister now holds a museum with 17th-century murals and religious art.

Templo y exconvento de San Guillermo

Convent · in Tlayacapan

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.

More drives to Tlayacapan

From Atlixco to other places in Mexico

Frequently asked questions

How long is the drive from Atlixco to Tlayacapan?

About 1 h 14 min of driving without stops, over 58 miles.

How far is Tlayacapan from Atlixco by car?

About 58 miles (94 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 Tlayacapan?

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 Tlayacapan?

The U.S. State Department rates Puebla 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 Atlixco to Tlayacapan use?

In order: PUE 438D, MEX-160 and MEX-160D. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.

What are good stops between Atlixco and Tlayacapan?

Closest to the road: Chalcatzingo (archaeological site, mile 32, 2 mi from the route); Las Pilas archaeological site (archaeological site, mile 33, 2 mi from the route); Museo Histórico del Oriente de Morelos "Casa de Morelos" (museum, mile 46, 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.