Guadalajara to Manzanillo Road Trip: Route, Stops & Safety

By admin, 3 October, 2026

The Wayro route from Guadalajara to Manzanillo is 183 miles (295 km), about 3 h 23 min of driving without stops.

U.S. State Department travel advisory: Jalisco — Level 3, Reconsider Travel; Colima — Level 4, Do Not TravelAdvisory issued May 29, 2026; checked September 29, 2026. Colima is the Mexican state that contains Manzanillo. This route passes through a state at the advisory's highest level. Read the full advisory before you plan this drive.
El IxtépeteCiudad Guzmán CathedralMuseo Arqueológico de Ciudad GuzmánVolcán Nevado de Colima National ParkMuseo Universitario de Artes Populares María Teresa PomarCathedral Basilica of ColimaMuseo Comunitario de la SalGuadalajaraManzanillo
Route from Guadalajara to Manzanillo with the 7 stops listed below (blue dots).
Distance183 mi (295 km)
Driving time, no stops3 h 23 min
Main roads, in orderMEX-15 → MEX-54D → MEX-54 → MEX-110 → MEX-200D
Mexican states on the routeJalisco (Level 3), Colima (Level 4)
Toll roadsMEX-54D, MEX-200D
Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg)about 7.3 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 Guadalajara to Manzanillo is like

MEX-54D (89 mi) and MEX-200D (32 mi) carry about 66% of the 183 miles. MEX-54D, MEX-200D are toll highways (cuota); MEX-15, MEX-54, MEX-110 are free federal roads (libre). It runs through 2 states: Jalisco, Colima. Of the 7 stops listed below, 1 are within a mile of the road.

The route from Guadalajara to Manzanillo, road by road

RoadRoute miles (from–to)Length, miState
local roads0–66Jalisco
MEX-156–2519Jalisco
MEX-54D25–11489Jalisco, Colima
MEX-54114–1217Colima
MEX-110121–14524Colima
connecting roads145–1483Colima
MEX-200D148–18032Colima
local roads180–1833Colima
  • Mile 105 of this route: Jalisco → Colima (state line)

Stops between Guadalajara and Manzanillo

  • Right off the route (under 1 mile): Museo Comunitario de la Sal (mile 157)
  • Nature and outdoors: Volcán Nevado de Colima National Park (mile 101)
  • Museums and history: El Ixtépete (mile 8), Ciudad Guzmán Cathedral (mile 80), Museo Arqueológico de Ciudad Guzmán (mile 80), Museo Universitario de Artes Populares María Teresa Pomar (mile 119), Cathedral Basilica of Colima (mile 119), Museo Comunitario de la Sal (mile 157)

El Ixtépete

Mile 8 · Archaeological site · 1 mi from the route

Zapopan's El Ixtépete preserves a pyramid built around AD 650-750, during the Grillo tradition, with at least seven superimposed construction phases; the site lies within the Guadalajara metro area near the Periférico and Avenida Mariano Otero.

Ciudad Guzmán Cathedral

Mile 80 · Cathedral · 2 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Ciudad Guzmán's St. Joseph Cathedral (Catedral de San José) is the mother church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Ciudad Guzmán and the seat of its bishop.

Museo Arqueológico de Ciudad Guzmán

Mile 80 · Museum · 2 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Founded in the 1950s with writer Juan José Arreola among its promoters, this INAH museum in Ciudad Guzmán shows stone and ceramic pieces from western Mexico, colonial-era religious art and sketches by muralist José Clemente Orozco.

Volcán Nevado de Colima National Park

Mile 101 · 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 Universitario de Artes Populares María Teresa Pomar

Mile 119 · Art gallery · 2 mi from the route

Founded by collector María Teresa Pomar and run by the University of Colima, this museum is dedicated to Mexican folk art and handcrafts (artesanía), with pieces from across the country as well as the traditions of Colima state.

Cathedral Basilica of Colima

Mile 119 · Cathedral · 2 mi from the route

Colima Cathedral, the Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, stands at a corner of the Jardín Libertad in the city center. Pope John Paul II named it a minor basilica on October 12, 1998.

Museo Comunitario de la Sal

Mile 157 · Museum · 0.4 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 Manzanillo

From Guadalajara to other places in Mexico

Frequently asked questions

How long is the drive from Guadalajara to Manzanillo?

About 3 h 23 min of driving without stops, over 183 miles.

How far is Manzanillo from Guadalajara by car?

About 183 miles (295 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 Guadalajara to Manzanillo?

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 Guadalajara to Manzanillo?

The U.S. State Department rates 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 Guadalajara to Manzanillo use?

In order: MEX-15, MEX-54D, MEX-54, MEX-110 and MEX-200D. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.

What are good stops between Guadalajara and Manzanillo?

Closest to the road: El Ixtépete (archaeological site, mile 8, 1 mi from the route); Museo Universitario de Artes Populares María Teresa Pomar (art gallery, mile 119, 2 mi from the route); Museo Comunitario de la Sal (museum, mile 157, 0.4 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.