The Wayro route from Cuautla to Sayula is 434 miles (698 km), about 7 h 56 min of driving without stops.
| Distance | 434 mi (698 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 7 h 56 min |
| Main roads, in order | MEX-160D → MEX-95D → MEX-106 → MEX-200 → EM 44 → MEX-55 → MEX-55D → MEX-15D → JAL 122 → MEX-35 → MEX-GUA 10D → MEX-54D → MEX-54 |
| Mexican states on the route | Morelos (Level 3), State of Mexico (Level 2), Michoacán (Level 4), Jalisco (Level 3) |
| Toll roads | MEX-160D, MEX-95D, MEX-55D, MEX-15D, MEX-GUA 10D, MEX-54D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 17.3 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 Sayula is like
MEX-15D (204 mi) and MEX-54D (40 mi) carry about 56% of the 434 miles. MEX-160D, MEX-95D, MEX-55D, MEX-15D, MEX-GUA 10D, MEX-54D are toll highways (cuota); MEX-106, MEX-200, MEX-55, MEX-35, MEX-54 are free federal roads (libre). It runs through 4 states: Morelos, State of Mexico, Michoacán, Jalisco. Of the 9 stops listed below, 2 are within a mile of the road.
The route from Cuautla to Sayula, 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 | 74–80 | 6 | State of Mexico |
| MEX-55 | 80–90 | 10 | State of Mexico |
| MEX-55D | 90–119 | 29 | State of Mexico |
| MEX-55 | 119–122 | 3 | State of Mexico |
| MEX-15D | 122–326 | 204 | State of Mexico, Michoacán, Jalisco |
| JAL 122 | 326–331 | 5 | Jalisco |
| MEX-35 | 331–362 | 31 | Jalisco |
| MEX-GUA 10D | 362–385 | 23 | Jalisco |
| connecting roads | 385–386 | 1 | Jalisco |
| MEX-54D | 386–426 | 40 | Jalisco |
| connecting roads | 426–429 | 3 | Jalisco |
| MEX-54 | 429–432 | 3 | Jalisco |
| local roads | 432–434 | 2 | Jalisco |
- 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 Sayula
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Museo Carlos Pellicer (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), La Marquesa National Park (mile 66), Rayón National Park (mile 144)
- Museums and history: Museo Carlos Pellicer (mile 19), El Tepozteco (mile 20), Cuernavaca Cathedral (mile 31), Teatro Morelos de Maravatío (mile 162)
Museo Carlos Pellicer
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
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.
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.
Rayón National Park
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.
Teatro Morelos de Maravatío
Maravatío's Teatro Morelos is a late-19th-century theater in a French-influenced neoclassical style, designed by architect Rafael Guerrero Torres. It opened on January 11, 1879, with a performance by opera singer Ángela Peralta.
More drives to Sayula
- Tepatitlán to Sayula
- San Juan de los Lagos to Sayula
- Lagos de Moreno to Sayula
- León to Sayula
- Aguascalientes to Sayula
- Pabellón de Arteaga to Sayula
From Cuautla to other places in Mexico
- Cuautla to Malinalco
- Cuautla to Metepec
- Cuautla to Zitácuaro
- Cuautla to Tlalpujahua
- Cuautla to Amealco
- Cuautla to Tequisquiapan
Continue Your Adventure
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Cuautla to Sayula?
About 7 h 56 min of driving without stops, over 434 miles.
How far is Sayula from Cuautla by car?
About 434 miles (698 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 Sayula?
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 Sayula?
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 Sayula use?
In order: MEX-160D, MEX-95D, MEX-106, MEX-200, EM 44, MEX-55, MEX-55D, MEX-15D, JAL 122, MEX-35, MEX-GUA 10D, MEX-54D and MEX-54. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.
What are good stops between Cuautla and Sayula?
Closest to the road: Museo Carlos Pellicer (museum, mile 19, 0.6 mi from the route); El Tepozteco (archaeological site, mile 20, 1 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.