Cholula to Huatulco is about 393 road miles (632 km): roughly 7 h 11 min at the wheel if you don't stop.
| Total distance | 393 mi (632 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 7 h 11 min |
| Main roads, in order | MEX-190 → MEX-150D → MEX-135D → MEX-175 → MEX-175D → MEX-200 |
| Mexican states on the route | Puebla, Oaxaca |
| Toll roads (as marked in OpenStreetMap) | MEX-150D, MEX-135D, MEX-175D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 15.7 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.
What the drive from Cholula to Huatulco is like
MEX-135D (151 mi) and MEX-175D (64 mi) carry about 55% of the 393 miles. It runs through 2 states: Puebla, Oaxaca. OpenStreetMap marks tolled sections on MEX-150D, MEX-135D and MEX-175D. Of the 9 stops listed below, 3 are within a mile of the road.
Cholula to Huatulco: the road sequence
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–1 | 1 | Puebla |
| MEX-190 | 1–5 | 4 | Puebla |
| connecting roads | 5–6 | 1 | Puebla |
| local roads | 6–10 | 4 | Puebla |
| connecting roads | 10–12 | 2 | Puebla |
| MEX-150D | 12–58 | 46 | Puebla |
| MEX-135D | 58–209 | 151 | Puebla, Oaxaca |
| MEX-190 | 209–215 | 6 | Oaxaca |
| local roads | 215–221 | 6 | Oaxaca |
| MEX-175 | 221–232 | 11 | Oaxaca |
| local roads | 232–242 | 10 | Oaxaca |
| MEX-175 | 242–254 | 12 | Oaxaca |
| local roads | 254–260 | 6 | Oaxaca |
| connecting roads | 260–265 | 5 | Oaxaca |
| MEX-175D | 265–329 | 64 | Oaxaca |
| MEX-200 | 329–390 | 61 | Oaxaca |
| local roads | 390–393 | 3 | Oaxaca |
- Mile 111 of this route: Puebla → Oaxaca (state line)
Places worth a stop between Cholula and Huatulco
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Museo Nacional de los Ferrocarriles Mexicanos (mile 7), Museo Rufino Tamayo, Oaxaca (mile 216), Historic centre of Oaxaca (mile 217)
- Nature and outdoors: Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Biosphere Reserve (mile 102), Benito Juárez National Park (mile 209), Mermejita (mile 357)
- Museums and history: Museo Nacional de los Ferrocarriles Mexicanos (mile 7), Casa del Deán (mile 7), Museo del Valle de Tehuacán (mile 87), Museo Rufino Tamayo, Oaxaca (mile 216), Historic centre of Oaxaca (mile 217), Zaachila (mile 225)
Museo Nacional de los Ferrocarriles Mexicanos
In Puebla's historic center, this national railway museum studies, preserves and shares Mexico's railroad heritage through exhibits on the history of the trains.
Casa del Deán
Built in 1563 for Tomás de la Plaza y Goes, dean of Puebla Cathedral, the Casa del Deán is a historic house in Puebla that takes its name from his post.
Museo del Valle de Tehuacán
The history of corn and how it connects to the valley's early peoples is the focus of the Valley of Tehuacán Museum, which opened in 2002 in a former Carmelite convent.
Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Biosphere Reserve
This arid valley straddling Puebla and Oaxaca joined UNESCO's World Heritage List in 2018 as a mixed site. It is a major center of cactus diversity and preserves ancient canals, wells, terraces and dams built to manage scarce water.
Benito Juárez National Park
Hikers heading just north of Oaxaca City reach Benito Juárez National Park, where trails cross roughly 2,737 hectares of pine and oak. La Coronilla, a moderate loop, runs about 5 km.
Museo Rufino Tamayo, Oaxaca
The Museo Rufino Tamayo is an art museum you can visit in the city of Oaxaca, in southern Mexico.
Historic centre of Oaxaca
The historic center of Oaxaca de Juárez has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987, listed together with the archaeological site of Monte Albán as an example of Spanish colonial town planning.
Zaachila
Zaachila was a Zapotec city, later shared with Mixtecs, that was still inhabited when the Spanish arrived; its occupation reaches back to about 1500 BC. Visitors come for its excavated tombs, including Tomb 1 with stucco figures of those buried there.
Mermejita
On Oaxaca's central coast just west of Mazunte and San Agustinillo, Mermejita is a small beach village where newcomers have built simple houses from local materials.
More drives to Huatulco
- Oaxaca to Huatulco
- Tehuacán to Huatulco
- Acapulco to Huatulco
- San Cristóbal de las Casas to Huatulco
- Orizaba to Huatulco
- Chilpancingo to Huatulco
From Cholula to other places in Mexico
- Cholula to Apizaco
- Cholula to Calpulalpan
- Cholula to Otumba
- Cholula to Omitlán
- Cholula to Tepotzotlán
- Cholula to Huasca de Ocampo
Continue Your Adventure
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Cholula to Huatulco?
About 7 h 11 min of driving without stops, over 393 miles.
How far is Huatulco from Cholula by car?
About 393 miles (632 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 Cholula to Huatulco?
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 Cholula to Huatulco?
The U.S. State Department rates Puebla Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Oaxaca Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.
Which highways go from Cholula to Huatulco?
In order: MEX-190, MEX-150D, MEX-135D, MEX-175, MEX-175D and MEX-200. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
Where can you stop on the way from Cholula to Huatulco?
Closest to the road: Museo Nacional de los Ferrocarriles Mexicanos (railway museum, mile 7, 0.5 mi from the route); Museo Rufino Tamayo, Oaxaca (art museum, mile 216, 0.7 mi from the route); Historic centre of Oaxaca (historic center, mile 217, 0.9 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.