The Wayro route from Cuautla to Malinalco is 69 miles (111 km), about 1 h 47 min of driving without stops.
| Distance | 69 mi (111 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 1 h 47 min |
| Main roads, in order | MEX-160D → MEX-95D → MEX-106 → MEX-200 |
| Mexican states on the route | Morelos (Level 3), State of Mexico (Level 2) |
| Toll roads | MEX-160D, MEX-95D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 2.8 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 Cuautla to Malinalco is like
MEX-160D (20 mi) and MEX-106 (18 mi) carry about 55% of the 69 miles. MEX-160D, MEX-95D are toll highways (cuota); MEX-106, MEX-200 are free federal roads (libre). It runs through 2 states: Morelos, State of Mexico. Of the 8 stops listed below, 3 are within a mile of the road.
The route from Cuautla to Malinalco, road by road
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–4 | 4 | Morelos |
| MEX-160D | 4–24 | 20 | Morelos |
| connecting roads | 24–25 | 1 | Morelos |
| MEX-95D | 25–35 | 10 | Morelos |
| connecting roads | 35–36 | 1 | Morelos |
| MEX-106 | 36–54 | 18 | Morelos, State of Mexico |
| MEX-200 | 54–60 | 6 | State of Mexico |
| local roads | 60–69 | 9 | State of Mexico |
- Mile 48 of this route: Morelos → State of Mexico (state line)
Stops between Cuautla and Malinalco
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Former convent of Saint Dominic de Guzmán (mile 8), Tepoztlán Ex Convento Museum (mile 19), Lagunas de Zempoala National Park (mile 45)
- Nature and outdoors: Lagunas de Zempoala National Park (mile 45), Cumbres del Ajusco National Park (mile 47)
- Museums and history: Tepoztlán Ex Convento Museum (mile 19), El Tepozteco (mile 20), Cuernavaca Cathedral (mile 31), Xochicalco (mile 41)
Former convent of Saint Dominic de Guzmán
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
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.
Tepoztlán Ex Convento Museum
Tepoztlán's Dominican monastery, built between 1555 and 1580, keeps original 16th-century murals in its cloister. Upstairs, the museum covers local daily life, faith, festivals and dances, and the complex is part of a UNESCO World Heritage listing.
El Tepozteco
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.
Cuernavaca Cathedral
Franciscans built this 16th-century convent church, now Cuernavaca's cathedral and part of the UNESCO-listed monasteries on the slopes of Popocatépetl; visitors can see its murals, side chapels and a sacred art museum.
Xochicalco
A fortified hilltop city that thrived between about 650 and 900, Xochicalco is a UNESCO World Heritage site where you can see the Pyramid of the Plumed Serpent with its carved reliefs, ball courts, an underground observatory and a site museum.
Lagunas de Zempoala National Park
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.
Cumbres del Ajusco National Park
Pine and oak forests climb toward alpine meadows in Cumbres del Ajusco National Park, on Mexico City's southern edge. It draws hikers, climbers and cyclists, and it gets occasional snow, a rarity for the region.
When you get to Malinalco
Malinalco
Carved straight into the hillside above Malinalco, the Cuauhcalli is a rock-cut temple at the heart of this archaeological zone. The Mexica took the Matlatzinca town around 1476 and used it to train and consecrate elite warriors.
Desierto del Carmen National Park
Declared a national park on October 10, 1942, Desierto del Carmen is a protected area in the municipality of Tenancingo, in the State of Mexico.
More drives to Malinalco
- Valle de Bravo to Malinalco
- Zitácuaro to Malinalco
- Tlalpujahua to Malinalco
- San Juan del Río to Malinalco
- Tequisquiapan to Malinalco
- Salvatierra to Malinalco
From Cuautla to other places in Mexico
- Cuautla to Metepec
- Cuautla to Zitácuaro
- Cuautla to Tlalpujahua
- Cuautla to Amealco
- Cuautla to Tequisquiapan
- Cuautla to Pedro Escobedo
Continue Your Adventure
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Cuautla to Malinalco?
About 1 h 47 min of driving without stops, over 69 miles.
How far is Malinalco from Cuautla by car?
About 69 miles (111 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 Malinalco?
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 Malinalco?
The U.S. State Department rates Morelos Level 3: Reconsider 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 Cuautla to Malinalco use?
In order: MEX-160D, MEX-95D, MEX-106 and MEX-200. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.
What are good stops between Cuautla and Malinalco?
Closest to the road: Former convent of Saint Dominic de Guzmán (convent, mile 8, 0.8 mi from the route); Tepoztlán Ex Convento Museum (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). 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.