The Wayro route from Cuautla to Metepec is 77 miles (124 km), about 1 h 57 min of driving without stops.
| Distance | 77 mi (124 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 1 h 57 min |
| Main roads, in order | MEX-160D → MEX-95D → MEX-106 → MEX-200 → EM 44 |
| 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 3.1 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 Cuautla to Metepec is like
MEX-160D (20 mi) and MEX-106 (18 mi) carry about 49% of the 77 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 9 stops listed below, 3 are within a mile of the road.
The route from Cuautla to Metepec, 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 | 54–58 | 4 | State of Mexico |
| local roads | 58–63 | 5 | State of Mexico |
| connecting roads | 63–66 | 3 | State of Mexico |
| EM 44 | 66–73 | 7 | State of Mexico |
| connecting roads | 73–74 | 1 | State of Mexico |
| local roads | 74–77 | 3 | State of Mexico |
- Mile 48 of this route: Morelos → State of Mexico (state line)
Stops between Cuautla and Metepec
- 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: El Tepozteco National Park (mile 20), Lagunas de Zempoala National Park (mile 45), Cumbres del Ajusco National Park (mile 47), La Marquesa National Park (mile 66)
- Museums and history: Tepoztlán Ex Convento Museum (mile 19), 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 National Park
Eroded volcanic hills of the Sierra de Tepoztlán fill this national park, about half of which lies in Mexico City's Milpa Alta borough. A short, steep climb leads to the Tepozteco archaeological zone; wear good shoes, since the rocks get slippery.
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.
La Marquesa National Park
Set in high-altitude conifer forest along the Mexico City–Toluca highway, La Marquesa National Park offers roadside eateries, horse and ATV rentals, mountain biking and camping, and marks the site of the 1810 Battle of Monte de las Cruces.
Ciénegas del Lerma
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.
When you get to Metepec
Museo Felipe Santiago Gutiérrez
In Toluca's historic center, a building from the late 18th and early 19th centuries holds about 225 watercolors, oils and drawings tracing the work of painter Felipe Santiago Gutiérrez. It opened in December 1992.
Museo Galería de Arte Mexiquense Torres Bicentenario
Set in Toluca's Torres Bicentenario complex, built to celebrate Mexican independence, this gallery shows paintings, prints and sculpture by artists from the State of Mexico, and many works are for sale.
Fine Arts Museum of Toluca
Toluca's Museo de Bellas Artes has filled a former Carmelite convent since 1945. Its galleries hold colonial-era paintings and sculpture, including an 18th-century funeral catafalque.
More drives to Metepec
- Zitácuaro to Metepec
- Salvatierra to Metepec
- Celaya to Metepec
- San Miguel de Allende to Metepec
- Uruapan to Metepec
- Pénjamo to Metepec
From Cuautla to other places in Mexico
- Cuautla to Malinalco
- 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 Metepec?
About 1 h 57 min of driving without stops, over 77 miles.
How far is Metepec from Cuautla by car?
About 77 miles (124 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 Metepec?
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 Metepec?
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 Metepec use?
In order: MEX-160D, MEX-95D, MEX-106, MEX-200 and EM 44. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.
What are good stops between Cuautla and Metepec?
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.