Huatulco to Ocuituco is about 439 road miles (707 km): roughly 8 h 18 min at the wheel if you don't stop.
| Distance by road | 439 mi (707 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 8 h 18 min |
| Main roads, in order | MEX-200 → MEX-175D → MEX-175 → MEX-190 → MEX-135D → MEX-150D → PUE 438D |
| Mexican states on the route | Oaxaca, Puebla, Morelos |
| Toll roads (as marked in OpenStreetMap) | MEX-175D, MEX-135D, MEX-150D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 17.6 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 Huatulco to Ocuituco is like
MEX-135D (152 mi) and MEX-175D (63 mi) carry about 49% of the 439 miles. It runs through 3 states: Oaxaca, Puebla, Morelos. OpenStreetMap marks tolled sections on MEX-175D, MEX-135D and MEX-150D. Of the 8 stops listed below, 1 are within a mile of the road.
Roads you'll take from Huatulco to Ocuituco
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–3 | 3 | Oaxaca |
| MEX-200 | 3–63 | 60 | Oaxaca |
| connecting roads | 63–64 | 1 | Oaxaca |
| MEX-175D | 64–127 | 63 | Oaxaca |
| connecting roads | 127–131 | 4 | Oaxaca |
| local roads | 131–138 | 7 | Oaxaca |
| MEX-175 | 138–150 | 12 | Oaxaca |
| local roads | 150–160 | 10 | Oaxaca |
| MEX-175 | 160–173 | 13 | Oaxaca |
| connecting roads | 173–176 | 3 | Oaxaca |
| MEX-190 | 176–181 | 5 | Oaxaca |
| MEX-135D | 181–333 | 152 | Oaxaca, Puebla |
| MEX-150D | 333–376 | 43 | Puebla |
| connecting roads | 376–377 | 1 | Puebla |
| MEX-190 | 377–391 | 14 | Puebla |
| local roads | 391–403 | 12 | Puebla |
| PUE 438D | 403–424 | 21 | Puebla |
| local roads | 424–439 | 15 | Puebla, Morelos |
- Mile 281 of this route: Oaxaca → Puebla (state line)
- Mile 429 of this route: Puebla → Morelos (state line)
Stops between Huatulco and Ocuituco
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Teatro Macedonio Alcalá (mile 174)
- Nature and outdoors: Mermejita (mile 35), Benito Juárez National Park (mile 181), Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Biosphere Reserve (mile 290), Jardín Botánico Universitario de la Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla (mile 385)
- Museums and history: Zaachila (mile 167), Teatro Macedonio Alcalá (mile 174), Museo del Valle de Tehuacán (mile 304)
Mermejita
On Oaxaca's central coast just west of Mazunte and San Agustinillo, Mermejita is a small beach village where newcomers have built simple houses from local materials.
Zaachila
Zaachila was a Zapotec city, later shared with Mixtecs, that was still inhabited when the Spanish arrived; its occupation reaches back to about 1500 BC. Visitors come for its excavated tombs, including Tomb 1 with stucco figures of those buried there.
Teatro Macedonio Alcalá
In the center of Oaxaca de Juárez, Teatro Macedonio Alcalá is a performance venue built in 1909 in the Art Nouveau style.
Benito Juárez National Park
Pine and oak forest covers about 2,737 hectares in Benito Juárez National Park, a short way north of Oaxaca City. Among its trails is La Coronilla, a loop of around 5 km at moderate difficulty.
Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Biosphere Reserve
Cactus diversity reaches one of its peaks in the Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Valley, a dry landscape shared by Puebla and Oaxaca. Ancient canals, wells, terraces and dams show how people managed its scarce water.
Museo del Valle de Tehuacán
The history of corn and how it connects to the valley's early peoples is the focus of the Valley of Tehuacán Museum, which opened in 2002 in a former Carmelite convent.
Jardín Botánico Universitario de la Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla
On the Ciudad Universitaria campus of BUAP in Puebla, the university botanical garden covers about 10.7 hectares and was formerly named after Ignacio Rodríguez Alconedo.
Tonantzintla Observatory
The Tonantzintla Observatory in Puebla was home to the National Astrophysical Observatory directed by Guillermo Haro. Its main instrument, a Schmidt camera, was a wide-field telescope built for photographing the sky.
Once you reach Ocuituco
Convento de Santiago Apóstol
In the town of Ocuituco, the Temple and Ex-convent of Santiago Apóstol (Templo y Exconvento de Santiago Apóstol) belongs to the UNESCO-listed group of 16th-century monasteries on the slopes of Popocatépetl, inscribed in 1994.
Convento de San Juan Bautista
This convent in Tetela del Volcán, known for its carved wooden sacristy and light-filled cloister walks, was cleaned of soot left from its use as a barracks during the Mexican Revolution in a conservation project completed in 2009.
More drives to Ocuituco
- Tepoztlán to Ocuituco
- Cuernavaca to Ocuituco
- Mexico City to Ocuituco
- Zacatelco to Ocuituco
- Tlaxcala to Ocuituco
- Chiautempan to Ocuituco
From Huatulco to other places in Mexico
- Huatulco to Capulalpam de Méndez
- Huatulco to San Juan Chamula
- Huatulco to Chipilo
- Huatulco to San Miguel, Morelos
- Huatulco to Oaxtepec
- Huatulco to Tetela de Ocampo
Continue Your Adventure
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to drive from Huatulco to Ocuituco?
About 8 h 18 min of driving without stops, over 439 miles.
What is the driving distance from Huatulco to Ocuituco?
About 439 miles (707 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 Huatulco to Ocuituco?
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 Huatulco to Ocuituco?
The U.S. State Department rates Oaxaca Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Puebla Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Morelos Level 3: Reconsider Travel (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.
Which highways go from Huatulco to Ocuituco?
In order: MEX-200, MEX-175D, MEX-175, MEX-190, MEX-135D, MEX-150D and PUE 438D. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between Huatulco and Ocuituco?
Closest to the road: Teatro Macedonio Alcalá (opera house, mile 174, 0.8 mi from the route); Museo del Valle de Tehuacán (museum, mile 304, 3 mi from the route); Jardín Botánico Universitario de la Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla (botanical garden, mile 385, 2 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 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: at least one strong stop for each stretch of the drive, then the best-known places nearest the road, up to nine in all. Places that are closed, private or not open to visitors are removed. Place 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.