Ezequiel Montes to Barra de Navidad Road Trip: Stops & Tolls

By admin, 3 October, 2026

The Wayro route from Ezequiel Montes to Barra de Navidad is 421 miles (678 km), about 8 h 43 min of driving without stops.

U.S. State Department travel advisory: Querétaro — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; Guanajuato — Level 3, Reconsider Travel; Michoacán — Level 4, Do Not Travel; Jalisco — Level 3, Reconsider Travel; Colima — Level 4, Do Not TravelAdvisory issued May 29, 2026; checked September 29, 2026. Jalisco is the Mexican state that contains Barra de Navidad. This route passes through a state at the advisory's highest level. Read the full advisory before you plan this drive.
Teatro de la RepúblicaCelaya CathedralTequila CorralejoPlazuelasVolcán Nevado de Colima National ParkMuseo Regional de Historia de ColimaMuseo Comunitario de la SalEzequiel MontesBarra de Navidad
Route from Ezequiel Montes to Barra de Navidad with the 7 stops listed below (blue dots).
Distance421 mi (678 km)
Driving time, no stops8 h 43 min
Main roads, in orderQRO 5 → QRO 4 → MEX-57D → MEX-45D → MEX-90 → MEX-90D → MEX-110 → MEX-35 → MEX-15 → MEX-54 → MEX-54D → MEX-200D → MEX-200
Mexican states on the routeQuerétaro (Level 2), Guanajuato (Level 3), Michoacán (Level 4), Jalisco (Level 3), Colima (Level 4)
Toll roadsMEX-57D, MEX-45D, MEX-90D, MEX-54D, MEX-200D
Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg)about 16.9 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic
Stops listed below7

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 Ezequiel Montes to Barra de Navidad is like

MEX-110 (133 mi) and MEX-45D (65 mi) carry about 47% of the 421 miles. MEX-57D, MEX-45D, MEX-90D, MEX-54D, MEX-200D are toll highways (cuota); MEX-90, MEX-110, MEX-35, MEX-15, MEX-54, MEX-200 are free federal roads (libre). It runs through 5 states: Querétaro, Guanajuato, Michoacán, Jalisco, Colima. Of the 7 stops listed below, 1 are within a mile of the road.

The route from Ezequiel Montes to Barra de Navidad, road by road

RoadRoute miles (from–to)Length, miState
QRO 50–77Querétaro
QRO 47–2518Querétaro
connecting roads25–261Querétaro
MEX-57D26–3812Querétaro
MEX-45D38–10365Querétaro, Guanajuato
connecting roads103–1041Guanajuato
MEX-90104–14945Guanajuato
MEX-90D149–16213Guanajuato, Michoacán
MEX-110162–18725Michoacán
MEX-35187–1947Michoacán
MEX-110194–21218Michoacán
MEX-15212–2175Michoacán
connecting roads217–2192Michoacán
MEX-110219–28465Michoacán, Jalisco
MEX-54284–2939Jalisco
connecting roads293–2963Jalisco
MEX-54D296–32024Jalisco, Colima
MEX-54320–3277Colima
MEX-110327–35225Colima
connecting roads352–3542Colima
MEX-200D354–39238Colima
MEX-200392–41927Colima, Jalisco
local roads419–4212Jalisco
  • Mile 45 of this route: Querétaro → Guanajuato (state line)
  • Mile 161 of this route: Guanajuato → Michoacán (state line)
  • Mile 242 of this route: Michoacán → Jalisco (state line)
  • Mile 311 of this route: Jalisco → Colima (state line)
  • Mile 408 of this route: Colima → Jalisco (state line)

Stops between Ezequiel Montes and Barra de Navidad

  • Right off the route (under 1 mile): Museo Comunitario de la Sal (mile 364)
  • Nature and outdoors: Volcán Nevado de Colima National Park (mile 307)
  • Museums and history: Teatro de la República (mile 37), Celaya Cathedral (mile 65), Plazuelas (mile 141), Museo Regional de Historia de Colima (mile 326), Museo Comunitario de la Sal (mile 364)

Teatro de la República

Mile 37 · Opera house · 1 mi from the route

Originally named Teatro Iturbide, the Teatro de la República stands in Querétaro's historic center. The neoclassical building has a three-level hall with about 500 seats.

Celaya Cathedral

Mile 65 · Church building · 2 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Celaya's main Catholic church, the Immaculate Conception Cathedral, occupies the space of a former chapel that was annexed to the neighboring Temple of St. Francis.

Tequila Corralejo

Mile 126 · Distillery · 1 mi from the route

Tequila Corralejo is distilled in Pénjamo, Guanajuato, at the historic Hacienda de Corralejo, where the brand, established in 1996, offers guided tours and hosts social events.

Plazuelas

Mile 141 · Archaeological site · 2 mi from the route

Near Pénjamo, Plazuelas flourished between AD 450 and 700. Trails lead to Casas Tapadas, a platform crowned by four pyramid bases, a ball court, and rocks carved with spirals and La Maqueta, a low-relief model of Casas Tapadas.

Volcán Nevado de Colima National Park

Mile 307 · National Park of Mexico · 4 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

This national park in western Mexico protects the upper slopes of two volcanic peaks, Volcán de Colima and Nevado de Colima, in the states of Jalisco and Colima.

Museo Regional de Historia de Colima

Mile 326 · Museum · 2 mi from the route

An early 19th-century mansion on Colima's Portal Morelos holds this regional history museum, run jointly by INAH, the University of Colima and the state. Exhibits range from Capacha and Comala pottery and shaft tombs to Philippine trade and the Revolution.

Museo Comunitario de la Sal

Mile 364 · Museum · 0.5 mi from the route

Set in an old warehouse in Cuyutlán, the community Salt Museum (Museo Comunitario de la Sal) explains how local salt has been harvested, from the old tapeixtle technique to modern methods, with historic photos of the salt works.

More drives to Barra de Navidad

From Ezequiel Montes to other places in Mexico

Frequently asked questions

How long is the drive from Ezequiel Montes to Barra de Navidad?

About 8 h 43 min of driving without stops, over 421 miles.

How far is Barra de Navidad from Ezequiel Montes by car?

About 421 miles (678 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 Ezequiel Montes to Barra de Navidad?

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 Ezequiel Montes to Barra de Navidad?

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

What roads does the drive from Ezequiel Montes to Barra de Navidad use?

In order: QRO 5, QRO 4, MEX-57D, MEX-45D, MEX-90, MEX-90D, MEX-110, MEX-35, MEX-15, MEX-54, MEX-54D, MEX-200D and MEX-200. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.

What are good stops between Ezequiel Montes and Barra de Navidad?

Closest to the road: Teatro de la República (opera house, mile 37, 1 mi from the route); Tequila Corralejo (distillery, mile 126, 1 mi from the route); Museo Comunitario de la Sal (museum, mile 364, 0.5 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.