Lo de Marcos to Boca de Pascuales Road Trip: Route & Stops

By admin, 12 October, 2026

Lo de Marcos to Boca de Pascuales is about 261 road miles (420 km): roughly 5 h 9 min at the wheel if you don't stop.

U.S. State Department travel advisory: Nayarit — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; 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 Boca de Pascuales. This route passes through a state at the advisory's highest level. Read the full advisory before you plan this drive.
CostalegreLas Glorias BeachVallarta Botanical GardenChamela-Cuixmala Biosphere ReserveMuseo Comunitario de la SalLo de MarcosBoca de Pascuales
Route from Lo de Marcos to Boca de Pascuales with the 5 stops listed below (blue dots).
Distance by road261 mi (420 km)
Drive time without stops5 h 9 min
Main roads, in orderMEX-200 → MEX-200D
Mexican states on the routeNayarit, Jalisco, Colima
Toll roads (as marked in OpenStreetMap)MEX-200D
Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg)about 10.4 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic
Stops listed below5

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.

Driving Lo de Marcos to Boca de Pascuales: the shape of the trip

MEX-200 (189 mi) and MEX-200D (66 mi) carry about 98% of the 261 miles. It runs through 3 states: Nayarit, Jalisco, Colima. OpenStreetMap marks tolled sections on MEX-200D. Of the 5 stops listed below, 3 are within a mile of the road.

Lo de Marcos to Boca de Pascuales: the road sequence

RoadRoute miles (from–to)Length, miState
local roads0–11Nayarit
MEX-2001–43Nayarit
MEX-200D4–4339Nayarit, Jalisco
MEX-20043–223180Jalisco, Colima
MEX-200D223–25027Colima
connecting roads250–2555Colima
MEX-200255–2616Colima
  • Mile 34 of this route: Nayarit → Jalisco (state line)
  • Mile 198 of this route: Jalisco → Colima (state line)

Stops between Lo de Marcos and Boca de Pascuales

  • Right off the route (under 1 mile): Las Glorias Beach (mile 48), Vallarta Botanical Garden (mile 65), Museo Comunitario de la Sal (mile 240)
  • Nature and outdoors: Costalegre (mile 45), Las Glorias Beach (mile 48), Vallarta Botanical Garden (mile 65), Chamela-Cuixmala Biosphere Reserve (mile 148)
  • Museums and history: Museo Comunitario de la Sal (mile 240)

Costalegre

Mile 45 · Beach · 1 mi from the route

Costalegre is a string of beaches, capes and bays of many sizes along Jalisco's Pacific coast, between Puerto Vallarta and Manzanillo.

Las Glorias Beach

Mile 48 · Beach · 0.2 mi from the route

Las Glorias Beach in Puerto Vallarta runs about 3,080 feet between Los Tules Beach and Tranquila Beach.

Vallarta Botanical Garden

Mile 65 · Botanical garden · 0.1 mi from the route

At about 1,300 feet above sea level near Puerto Vallarta, the Vallarta Botanical Garden covers 79 acres, 73 of them set aside as a reserve, and has been open to the public since 2005.

Chamela-Cuixmala Biosphere Reserve

Mile 148 · Biosphere reserve · 3 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

On the Pacific coast of Jalisco in La Huerta municipality, the Chamela-Cuixmala Biosphere Reserve was founded in 1993 and covers about 131 square kilometers.

Museo Comunitario de la Sal

Mile 240 · 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 Boca de Pascuales

From Lo de Marcos to other places in Mexico

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to drive from Lo de Marcos to Boca de Pascuales?

About 5 h 9 min of driving without stops, over 261 miles.

How far is Boca de Pascuales from Lo de Marcos by car?

About 261 miles (420 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 Lo de Marcos to Boca de Pascuales?

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 Lo de Marcos to Boca de Pascuales?

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

Which highways go from Lo de Marcos to Boca de Pascuales?

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

Where can you stop on the way from Lo de Marcos to Boca de Pascuales?

Closest to the road: Las Glorias Beach (beach, mile 48, 0.2 mi from the route); Vallarta Botanical Garden (botanical garden, mile 65, 0.1 mi from the route); Museo Comunitario de la Sal (museum, mile 240, 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 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.