Coatzacoalcos to Xpujil Road Trip: Where to Stop on the Way

By admin, 13 October, 2026

Coatzacoalcos to Xpujil is about 386 road miles (622 km): roughly 8 h 30 min at the wheel if you don't stop.

U.S. State Department travel advisory: Veracruz — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; Tabasco — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; Chiapas — Level 3, Reconsider Travel; Campeche — Level 1, Exercise Normal PrecautionsAdvisory issued May 29, 2026; checked September 29, 2026. Campeche is the Mexican state that contains Xpujil. Check the full advisory for this state before you go.
La VentaVillahermosa CathedralMuseo de Antropología Carlos PellicerBalamkuCalakmul Biosphere ReserveCoatzacoalcosXpujil
Route from Coatzacoalcos to Xpujil with the 5 stops listed below (blue dots).
Total distance386 mi (622 km)
Time at the wheel, no stops8 h 30 min
Main roads, in orderMEX-180 → MEX-180D → MEX-186
Mexican states on the routeVeracruz, Tabasco, Chiapas, Campeche
Toll roads (as marked in OpenStreetMap)MEX-180D
Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg)about 15.5 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic
Stops listed below5

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.

Driving Coatzacoalcos to Xpujil: the shape of the trip

MEX-186 (279 mi) and MEX-180 (68 mi) carry about 90% of the 386 miles. It runs through 4 states: Veracruz, Tabasco, Chiapas, Campeche. OpenStreetMap marks tolled sections on MEX-180D. Of the 5 stops listed below, 1 are within a mile of the road.

The route from Coatzacoalcos to Xpujil, road by road

RoadRoute miles (from–to)Length, miState
local roads0–22
MEX-1802–3028Veracruz, Tabasco
MEX-180D30–6333Tabasco
MEX-18063–10340Tabasco
local roads103–1074Tabasco
MEX-186107–386279Tabasco, Chiapas, Campeche
  • Mile 29 of this route: Veracruz → Tabasco (state line)
  • Mile 153 of this route: Tabasco → Chiapas (state line)
  • Mile 196 of this route: Chiapas → Tabasco (state line)
  • Mile 204 of this route: Tabasco → Campeche (state line)

Breaking up the drive: stops between Coatzacoalcos and Xpujil

  • Right off the route (under 1 mile): Villahermosa Cathedral (mile 105)
  • Nature and outdoors: Calakmul Biosphere Reserve (mile 375)
  • Museums and history: La Venta (mile 31), Villahermosa Cathedral (mile 105), Museo de Antropología Carlos Pellicer (mile 106)

La Venta

Mile 31 · Archaeological site · 3 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

La Venta was an important city of the Olmec civilization, in Tabasco near Huimanguillo. Its site museum displays more than 200 artifacts, including monumental sandstone sculptures found at the foot of the main pyramid.

Villahermosa Cathedral

Mile 105 · Cathedral · 0.9 mi from the route

Rising on Paseo Tabasco in Villahermosa, the Cathedral of the Lord of Tabasco has tall towers above a monumental facade. The current building dates from 1960–1963; an earlier cathedral was destroyed in the anticlerical campaigns of 1928–1934.

Museo de Antropología Carlos Pellicer

Mile 106 · Museum · 1 mi from the route

Villahermosa's regional anthropology museum, named for poet Carlos Pellicer Cámara, displays Olmec and Maya pieces found across Tabasco, along with loans from other parts of Mexico such as Teotihuacan. It opened in 1980.

Balamku

Mile 349 · Maya site · 1 mi from the route

Balamku is a small Maya archaeological site in Campeche, known for elaborate plaster facades from the Early Classic period.

Calakmul Biosphere Reserve

Mile 375 · Biosphere reserve · 6 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Bordering Guatemala's Petén department, the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve covers 7,231 square kilometers of southern Campeche, more than 14 percent of the state; it was established in 1989.

Arriving in Xpujil

Becan

Archaeological site · in Xpujil

Becan is a Maya archaeological site near the center of the Yucatán Peninsula in Campeche, about 150 km north of Tikal.

Xpuhil

Archaeological site · in Xpujil

Near the town of Xpujil in Campeche, Xpuhil is a Maya archaeological site along Federal Highway 186, in an area with other Maya sites such as Becan, Chicanná and Calakmul.

More drives to Xpujil

From Coatzacoalcos to other places in Mexico

Frequently asked questions

How long is the drive from Coatzacoalcos to Xpujil?

About 8 h 30 min of driving without stops, over 386 miles.

How far is Xpujil from Coatzacoalcos by car?

About 386 miles (622 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 Coatzacoalcos to Xpujil?

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 Coatzacoalcos to Xpujil?

The U.S. State Department rates Veracruz Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Tabasco Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Chiapas Level 3: Reconsider Travel; Campeche Level 1: Exercise Normal Precautions (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.

Which highways go from Coatzacoalcos to Xpujil?

In order: MEX-180, MEX-180D and MEX-186. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.

Where can you stop on the way from Coatzacoalcos to Xpujil?

Closest to the road: Villahermosa Cathedral (cathedral, mile 105, 0.9 mi from the route); Museo de Antropología Carlos Pellicer (museum, mile 106, 1 mi from the route); Balamku (maya site, mile 349, 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 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.