The Wayro route from Coatepec to Tonatico is 257 miles (414 km), about 4 h 52 min of driving without stops.
| Distance | 257 mi (414 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 4 h 52 min |
| Main roads, in order | VER 7 → MEX-140 → MEX-140D → MEX-190 → PUE 438D → MEX-94D → MEX-95 → MEX-55 |
| Mexican states on the route | Veracruz (Level 2), Puebla (Level 2), Tlaxcala (Level 2), Morelos (Level 3), Guerrero (Level 4), State of Mexico (Level 2) |
| Toll roads | MEX-140D, MEX-150D, MEX-94D, MEX-95D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 10.3 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 8 |
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 Coatepec to Tonatico is like
MEX-140D (91 mi) and MEX-94D (38 mi) carry about 50% of the 257 miles. MEX-140D, MEX-94D are toll highways (cuota); MEX-140, MEX-190, MEX-95, MEX-55 are free federal roads (libre). It runs through 6 states: Veracruz, Puebla, Tlaxcala, Morelos, Guerrero, State of Mexico. Of the 8 stops listed below, 2 are within a mile of the road.
The route from Coatepec to Tonatico, road by road
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–1 | 1 | Veracruz |
| VER 7 | 1–6 | 5 | Veracruz |
| connecting roads | 6–8 | 2 | Veracruz |
| MEX-140 | 8–13 | 5 | Veracruz |
| connecting roads | 13–14 | 1 | Veracruz |
| MEX-140D | 14–105 | 91 | Veracruz, Puebla, Tlaxcala |
| connecting roads | 105–107 | 2 | Puebla |
| MEX-190 | 107–122 | 15 | Puebla |
| local roads | 122–134 | 12 | Puebla |
| PUE 438D | 134–167 | 33 | Puebla, Morelos |
| MEX-94D | 167–205 | 38 | Morelos |
| connecting roads | 205–210 | 5 | Morelos |
| local roads | 210–217 | 7 | Morelos |
| MEX-95 | 217–232 | 15 | Morelos, Guerrero |
| MEX-55 | 232–256 | 24 | Guerrero, State of Mexico |
| local roads | 256–257 | 1 | State of Mexico |
- Mile 46 of this route: Veracruz → Puebla (state line)
- Mile 72 of this route: Puebla → Tlaxcala (state line)
- Mile 81 of this route: Tlaxcala → Puebla (state line)
- Mile 87 of this route: Puebla → Tlaxcala (state line)
- Mile 94 of this route: Tlaxcala → Puebla (state line)
- Mile 160 of this route: Puebla → Morelos (state line)
- Mile 230 of this route: Morelos → Guerrero (state line)
- Mile 238 of this route: Guerrero → State of Mexico (state line)
Stops between Coatepec and Tonatico
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Jardín de Esculturas (mile 7), Grutas de Cacahuamilpa National Park (mile 237)
- Nature and outdoors: Parque Nacional Cofre de Perote (mile 37), Jardín Botánico Universitario de la Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla (mile 116), Grutas de Cacahuamilpa National Park (mile 237)
- Museums and history: Jardín de Esculturas (mile 7), Cantona (mile 53), Chalcatzingo (mile 168)
Jardín de Esculturas
Xalapa's Jardín de Esculturas is an open-air sculpture garden and museum displaying works by nationally and internationally recognized artists.
Parque Nacional Cofre de Perote
Cofre de Perote National Park protects the forested slopes of the mountain, and its role is practical as well as scenic: a little over 40 percent of the water used in Xalapa comes from here.
Cantona
High on the Puebla plateau near the Veracruz line, Cantona was a fortified pre-Hispanic city that controlled trade toward the Gulf; its explored southern section reveals interconnected streets, walled residential units and more than two dozen ballgame courts.
Jardín Botánico Universitario de la Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla
On the Ciudad Universitaria campus of BUAP in Puebla, the university botanical garden covers about 10.7 hectares and was formerly named after Ignacio Rodríguez Alconedo.
Historic centre of Puebla
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.
Tonantzintla Observatory
The Tonantzintla Observatory in Puebla was home to the National Astrophysical Observatory directed by Guillermo Haro. Its main instrument, a Schmidt camera, was a wide-field telescope built for photographing the sky.
Chalcatzingo
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.
Grutas de Cacahuamilpa National Park
Protected as a national park since 1936, this area near Taxco centers on the Cacahuamilpa caverns, where a guided route of about 4 km passes chambers up to 80 meters high, decorated with flowstone and floor-to-ceiling columns.
More drives to Tonatico
- Valle de Bravo to Tonatico
- Zitácuaro to Tonatico
- Tlalpujahua to Tonatico
- Amealco to Tonatico
- San Juan del Río to Tonatico
- Tequisquiapan to Tonatico
From Coatepec to other places in Mexico
- Coatepec to Huamantla
- Coatepec to Ixtenco
- Coatepec to Apizaco
- Coatepec to Cuetzalan
- Coatepec to Chiautempan
- Coatepec to Tlaxcala
Continue Your Adventure
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Coatepec to Tonatico?
About 4 h 52 min of driving without stops, over 257 miles.
How far is Tonatico from Coatepec by car?
About 257 miles (414 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 Coatepec to Tonatico?
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 Coatepec to Tonatico?
The U.S. State Department rates Veracruz Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Puebla Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Tlaxcala Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Morelos Level 3: Reconsider Travel; Guerrero Level 4: Do Not Travel; State of Mexico Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.
What roads does the drive from Coatepec to Tonatico use?
In order: VER 7, MEX-140, MEX-140D, MEX-190, PUE 438D, MEX-94D, MEX-95 and MEX-55. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.
What are good stops between Coatepec and Tonatico?
Closest to the road: Jardín de Esculturas (museum, mile 7, 0.9 mi from the route); Chalcatzingo (archaeological site, mile 168, 2 mi from the route); Grutas de Cacahuamilpa National Park (National Park of Mexico, mile 237, 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.