The Wayro route from Cuernavaca to Coatepec is 213 miles (342 km), about 3 h 52 min of driving without stops.
| Distance | 213 mi (342 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 3 h 52 min |
| Main roads, in order | MEX-95D → MEX-160D → MEX-160 → PUE 438D → MEX-190D → MEX-190 → MEX-140D → VER 7 |
| Mexican states on the route | Morelos (Level 3), Puebla (Level 2), Tlaxcala (Level 2), Veracruz (Level 2) |
| Toll roads | MEX-95D, MEX-160D, MEX-190D, MEX-150D, MEX-140D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 8.5 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 Cuernavaca to Coatepec is like
MEX-140D (66 mi) and PUE 438D (34 mi) carry about 47% of the 213 miles. MEX-95D, MEX-160D, MEX-190D, MEX-140D are toll highways (cuota); MEX-160, MEX-190 are free federal roads (libre). It runs through 4 states: Morelos, Puebla, Tlaxcala, Veracruz. Of the 8 stops listed below, 2 are within a mile of the road.
The route from Cuernavaca to Coatepec, road by road
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–4 | 4 | Morelos |
| MEX-95D | 4–9 | 5 | Morelos |
| MEX-160D | 9–30 | 21 | Morelos |
| MEX-160 | 30–47 | 17 | Morelos |
| PUE 438D | 47–81 | 34 | Morelos, Puebla |
| MEX-190D | 81–91 | 10 | Puebla |
| connecting roads | 91–92 | 1 | Puebla |
| MEX-190 | 92–107 | 15 | Puebla |
| connecting roads | 107–109 | 2 | Puebla |
| local roads | 109–134 | 25 | Puebla, Tlaxcala |
| MEX-140D | 134–200 | 66 | Tlaxcala, Puebla, Veracruz |
| connecting roads | 200–203 | 3 | Veracruz |
| local roads | 203–208 | 5 | Veracruz |
| VER 7 | 208–211 | 3 | Veracruz |
| local roads | 211–213 | 2 | Veracruz |
- Mile 55 of this route: Morelos → Puebla (state line)
- Mile 120 of this route: Puebla → Tlaxcala (state line)
- Mile 127 of this route: Tlaxcala → Puebla (state line)
- Mile 134 of this route: Puebla → Tlaxcala (state line)
- Mile 143 of this route: Tlaxcala → Puebla (state line)
- Mile 169 of this route: Puebla → Veracruz (state line)
Stops between Cuernavaca and Coatepec
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Tepoztlán Ex Convento Museum (mile 15), Pinacoteca Diego Rivera (mile 206)
- Nature and outdoors: Parque Nacional Cofre de Perote (mile 178)
- Museums and history: El Tepozteco (mile 14), Tepoztlán Ex Convento Museum (mile 15), Chalcatzingo (mile 47), Cantona (mile 160), Pinacoteca Diego Rivera (mile 206)
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.
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.
Templo y Exconvento de San Mateo Apóstol
Built by Augustinian friars, the Templo y Exconvento de San Mateo Apóstol in Atlatlahucan is well preserved, with murals and decorated vaults, and is associated with the origins of the Chinelo dancers.
Chalcatzingo
At the foot of Cerro Chalcatzingo in eastern Morelos, this early site is known for stone reliefs carved mainly between 700 and 500 BC, some among the region's earliest stone sculpture and several in Olmec style, spread across the hillside.
Historic centre of Puebla
Laid out from scratch in 1531, Puebla's UNESCO-listed core is a grid of tile-covered houses, colonial churches and the 16th–17th-century cathedral, with the old archbishop's palace that houses the Palafox Library, established in 1646.
Cantona
High on the Puebla plateau near the Veracruz line, Cantona was a fortified pre-Hispanic city that controlled trade toward the Gulf; its explored southern section reveals interconnected streets, walled residential units and more than two dozen ballgame courts.
Parque Nacional Cofre de Perote
Cofre de Perote National Park protects the forested slopes of the mountain, and its role is practical as well as scenic: a little over 40 percent of the water used in Xalapa comes from here.
Pinacoteca Diego Rivera
In downtown Xalapa, the Pinacoteca Diego Rivera is an art museum with a large collection of works by the muralist Diego Rivera.
When you get to Coatepec
Cascada de Texolo
Two waterfalls on the Matlacobatl River, Texolo with a 20-meter drop and La Monja with about 8 meters, sit roughly 3 kilometers from Xico amid cloud forest included in a Ramsar wetland site.
Jardín Botánico Francisco J. Clavijero
Opened in 1977 by the Instituto de Ecología near Xalapa, this botanical garden sits in native cloud forest beside a 30-hectare forest sanctuary and keeps notable collections of Mexican cycads, bamboo and carnivorous butterworts.
More drives to Coatepec
- Teziutlán to Coatepec
- Puebla to Coatepec
- Cholula to Coatepec
- Tulancingo to Coatepec
- Pachuca to Coatepec
- Mexico City to Coatepec
From Cuernavaca to other places in Mexico
- Cuernavaca to Valle de Bravo
- Cuernavaca to Zitácuaro
- Cuernavaca to El Oro
- Cuernavaca to Tlalpujahua
- Cuernavaca to San Juan del Río
- Cuernavaca to Amealco
Continue Your Adventure
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Cuernavaca to Coatepec?
About 3 h 52 min of driving without stops, over 213 miles.
How far is Coatepec from Cuernavaca by car?
About 213 miles (342 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 Cuernavaca to Coatepec?
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 Cuernavaca to Coatepec?
The U.S. State Department rates Morelos Level 3: Reconsider Travel; Puebla Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Tlaxcala Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Veracruz Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.
What roads does the drive from Cuernavaca to Coatepec use?
In order: MEX-95D, MEX-160D, MEX-160, PUE 438D, MEX-190D, MEX-190, MEX-140D and VER 7. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.
What are good stops between Cuernavaca and Coatepec?
Closest to the road: El Tepozteco (archaeological site, mile 14, 1 mi from the route); Tepoztlán Ex Convento Museum (museum, mile 15, 0.6 mi from the route); Pinacoteca Diego Rivera (art museum, mile 206, 0.6 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.