Cuautla to Amatitán Road Trip: Where to Stop on the Way

By admin, 3 October, 2026

The Wayro route from Cuautla to Amatitán is 402 miles (647 km), about 7 h 15 min of driving without stops.

U.S. State Department travel advisory: Morelos — Level 3, Reconsider Travel; State of Mexico — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; Michoacán — Level 4, Do Not Travel; Jalisco — Level 3, Reconsider TravelAdvisory issued May 29, 2026; checked September 29, 2026. Jalisco is the Mexican state that contains Amatitán. This route passes through a state at the advisory's highest level. Read the full advisory before you plan this drive.
Former convent of Saint Dominic de GuzmánTemplo y Exconvento de San Juan Bautista de TlayacapanMuseo Carlos PellicerEl TepoztecoLagunas de Zempoala National ParkCiénegas del LermaCathedral of AtlacomulcoRayón National ParkMuseo de las Artes Populares de JaliscoCuautlaAmatitán
Route from Cuautla to Amatitán with the 9 stops listed below (blue dots).
Distance402 mi (647 km)
Driving time, no stops7 h 15 min
Main roads, in orderMEX-160D → MEX-95D → MEX-106 → MEX-200 → EM 44 → MEX-55 → MEX-55D → MEX-15D → MEX-15
Mexican states on the routeMorelos (Level 3), State of Mexico (Level 2), Michoacán (Level 4), Jalisco (Level 3)
Toll roadsMEX-160D, MEX-95D, MEX-55D, MEX-15D
Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg)about 16.1 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic
Stops listed below9

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 Cuautla to Amatitán is like

MEX-15D (257 mi) and MEX-55D (29 mi) carry about 71% of the 402 miles. MEX-160D, MEX-95D, MEX-55D, MEX-15D are toll highways (cuota); MEX-106, MEX-200, MEX-55, MEX-15 are free federal roads (libre). It runs through 4 states: Morelos, State of Mexico, Michoacán, Jalisco. Of the 9 stops listed below, 4 are within a mile of the road.

The route from Cuautla to Amatitán, road by road

RoadRoute miles (from–to)Length, miState
local roads0–44Morelos
MEX-160D4–2420Morelos
connecting roads24–251Morelos
MEX-95D25–3510Morelos
connecting roads35–361Morelos
MEX-10636–5418Morelos, State of Mexico
MEX-20054–584State of Mexico
local roads58–635State of Mexico
connecting roads63–663State of Mexico
EM 4466–737State of Mexico
connecting roads73–741State of Mexico
local roads74–806State of Mexico
MEX-5580–9010State of Mexico
MEX-55D90–11929State of Mexico
MEX-55119–1223State of Mexico
MEX-15D122–379257State of Mexico, Michoacán, Jalisco
MEX-15379–40223Jalisco
  • Mile 48 of this route: Morelos → State of Mexico (state line)
  • Mile 141 of this route: State of Mexico → Michoacán (state line)
  • Mile 309 of this route: Michoacán → Jalisco (state line)

Stops between Cuautla and Amatitán

  • Right off the route (under 1 mile): Former convent of Saint Dominic de Guzmán (mile 8), Museo Carlos Pellicer (mile 19), Lagunas de Zempoala National Park (mile 45), Cathedral of Atlacomulco (mile 121)
  • Nature and outdoors: Lagunas de Zempoala National Park (mile 45), Rayón National Park (mile 144)
  • Museums and history: Museo Carlos Pellicer (mile 19), El Tepozteco (mile 20), Cathedral of Atlacomulco (mile 121), Museo de las Artes Populares de Jalisco (mile 372)

Former convent of Saint Dominic de Guzmán

Mile 8 · Convent · 0.8 mi from the route

In Oaxtepec, the Exconvento de Santo Domingo de Guzmán is among the first convents the Dominicans built in Mexico, and its walls preserve extensive fresco painting from the colonial era.

Templo y Exconvento de San Juan Bautista de Tlayacapan

Mile 10 · Convent · 3 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

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.

Museo Carlos Pellicer

Mile 19 · Museum · 0.6 mi from the route

Tepoztlán's Museo de Arte Prehispánico Carlos Pellicer, opened in 1965 and named for the poet and museographer, displays a collection of pre-Hispanic objects in the former granary of the Church of Nuestra Señora de la Natividad.

El Tepozteco

Mile 20 · Archaeological site · 1 mi from the route

High on a hill above Tepoztlán, El Tepozteco holds the remains of a shrine to Ometochtli-Tepoztécatl, god of pulque, fertility and the harvest, along with terraced platforms built from around AD 1200.

Lagunas de Zempoala National Park

Mile 45 · National Park of Mexico · 0.3 mi from the route

Seven lagoons, three of them permanent, sit among pine, oak and fir forest above 3,000 meters in this park, decreed in 1936 on the Morelos–State of Mexico line. Hiking, horseback riding, camping and rowboats are popular here.

Ciénegas del Lerma

Mile 68 · Flora and fauna protection area · 2 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

These marshes in the Toluca Valley are three lakes left from a wetland of about 27,000 hectares in the late 19th century. A Ramsar site since 2004, they hold dozens of endemic and threatened species and are a key stop for migratory species.

Cathedral of Atlacomulco

Mile 121 · Catholic cathedral · 0.3 mi from the route

Atlacomulco's cathedral, the Catedral de la Divina Providencia, is the seat of the Diocese of Atlacomulco and is dedicated to Divine Providence, making it the town's principal Catholic church.

Rayón National Park

Mile 144 · 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.

Museo de las Artes Populares de Jalisco

Mile 372 · Museum · 2 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Opened on May 31, 2000, in Guadalajara's historic center, this museum researches, safeguards and promotes the crafts and folk art of Jalisco.

More drives to Amatitán

From Cuautla to other places in Mexico

Frequently asked questions

How long is the drive from Cuautla to Amatitán?

About 7 h 15 min of driving without stops, over 402 miles.

How far is Amatitán from Cuautla by car?

About 402 miles (647 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 Cuautla to Amatitán?

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 Cuautla to Amatitán?

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

What roads does the drive from Cuautla to Amatitán use?

In order: MEX-160D, MEX-95D, MEX-106, MEX-200, EM 44, MEX-55, MEX-55D, MEX-15D and MEX-15. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.

What are good stops between Cuautla and Amatitán?

Closest to the road: Museo Carlos Pellicer (museum, mile 19, 0.6 mi from the route); Lagunas de Zempoala National Park (National Park of Mexico, mile 45, 0.3 mi from the route); Cathedral of Atlacomulco (catholic cathedral, mile 121, 0.3 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.