The Wayro route from Manzanillo to Tepoztlán is 490 miles (788 km), about 9 h 44 min of driving without stops.
| Distance | 490 mi (788 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 9 h 44 min |
| Main roads, in order | MEX-200 → MEX-200D → MEX-110 → MEX-54 → MEX-54D → MEX-15 → MEX-15D → MEX-55D → MEX-55 → EM 44 → MEX-95D → MEX-160D |
| Mexican states on the route | Colima (Level 4), Jalisco (Level 3), Michoacán (Level 4), State of Mexico (Level 2), Morelos (Level 3) |
| Toll roads | MEX-200D, MEX-54D, MEX-15D, MEX-M40D, MEX-55D, MEX-95D, MEX-160D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 19.6 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
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 Manzanillo to Tepoztlán is like
MEX-15D (188 mi) and MEX-110 (107 mi) carry about 60% of the 490 miles. MEX-200D, MEX-54D, MEX-15D, MEX-55D, MEX-95D, MEX-160D are toll highways (cuota); MEX-200, MEX-110, MEX-54, MEX-15, MEX-55 are free federal roads (libre). It runs through 5 states: Colima, Jalisco, Michoacán, State of Mexico, Morelos. Of the 9 stops listed below, 2 are within a mile of the road.
The route from Manzanillo to Tepoztlán, road by road
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–3 | 3 | Colima |
| MEX-200 | 3–9 | 6 | Colima |
| MEX-200D | 9–35 | 26 | Colima |
| connecting roads | 35–38 | 3 | Colima |
| MEX-110 | 38–63 | 25 | Colima |
| MEX-54 | 63–70 | 7 | Colima |
| MEX-54D | 70–94 | 24 | Colima, Jalisco |
| MEX-54 | 94–104 | 10 | Jalisco |
| MEX-110 | 104–168 | 64 | Jalisco, Michoacán |
| connecting roads | 168–170 | 2 | Michoacán |
| MEX-15 | 170–176 | 6 | Michoacán |
| MEX-110 | 176–194 | 18 | Michoacán |
| connecting roads | 194–198 | 4 | Michoacán, Jalisco |
| MEX-15D | 198–386 | 188 | Jalisco, Michoacán, State of Mexico |
| connecting roads | 386–390 | 4 | State of Mexico |
| MEX-55D | 390–424 | 34 | State of Mexico |
| MEX-55 | 424–429 | 5 | State of Mexico |
| local roads | 429–435 | 6 | State of Mexico |
| connecting roads | 435–436 | 1 | State of Mexico |
| EM 44 | 436–444 | 8 | State of Mexico |
| connecting roads | 444–447 | 3 | State of Mexico |
| local roads | 447–451 | 4 | State of Mexico |
| MEX-200 | 451–455 | 4 | State of Mexico |
| local roads | 455–470 | 15 | State of Mexico, Morelos |
| connecting roads | 470–478 | 8 | Morelos |
| MEX-95D | 478–483 | 5 | Morelos |
| MEX-160D | 483–488 | 5 | Morelos |
| local roads | 488–490 | 2 | Morelos |
- Mile 80 of this route: Colima → Jalisco (state line)
- Mile 146 of this route: Jalisco → Michoacán (state line)
- Mile 195 of this route: Michoacán → Jalisco (state line)
- Mile 201 of this route: Jalisco → Michoacán (state line)
- Mile 369 of this route: Michoacán → State of Mexico (state line)
- Mile 462 of this route: State of Mexico → Morelos (state line)
Stops between Manzanillo and Tepoztlán
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Museo Comunitario de la Sal (mile 26), Lagunas de Zempoala National Park (mile 464)
- Nature and outdoors: Rayón National Park (mile 366), La Marquesa National Park (mile 444), Cumbres del Ajusco National Park (mile 462), Lagunas de Zempoala National Park (mile 464)
- Museums and history: Museo Comunitario de la Sal (mile 26), Museo Universitario de Artes Populares María Teresa Pomar (mile 65), Museo Felipe Santiago Gutiérrez (mile 428), Teopanzolco (mile 477), Museo Fotográfico de Cuernavaca (mile 477)
Museo Comunitario de la Sal
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.
Museo Universitario de Artes Populares María Teresa Pomar
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.
Rayón National Park
Just outside Tlalpujahua, Rayón National Park (Parque Nacional Rayón) marks the start of the area's famous butterfly reserve country, which stretches south and west from here.
Museo Felipe Santiago Gutiérrez
In Toluca's historic center, a building from the late 18th and early 19th centuries holds about 225 watercolors, oils and drawings tracing the work of painter Felipe Santiago Gutiérrez. It opened in December 1992.
La Marquesa National Park
Set in high-altitude conifer forest along the Mexico City–Toluca highway, La Marquesa National Park offers roadside eateries, horse and ATV rentals, mountain biking and camping, and marks the site of the 1810 Battle of Monte de las Cruces.
Cumbres del Ajusco National Park
Pine and oak forests climb toward alpine meadows in Cumbres del Ajusco National Park, on Mexico City's southern edge. It draws hikers, climbers and cyclists, and it gets occasional snow, a rarity for the region.
Lagunas de Zempoala National Park
Seven lagoons, three of them permanent, sit among pine, oak and fir forest above 3,000 meters in this park, decreed in 1936 on the Morelos–State of Mexico line. Hiking, horseback riding, camping and rowboats are popular here.
Teopanzolco
Now surrounded by the city of Cuernavaca, Teopanzolco preserves a Late Postclassic pyramid base that once carried twin temples to Tlaloc and Huitzilopochtli, a layout closely tied to Tenochtitlan's sacred precinct.
Museo Fotográfico de Cuernavaca
The Museo Fotográfico de Cuernavaca is a photography museum in Cuernavaca, Morelos, housed in a building that resembles a French-style castle.
When you get to Tepoztlán
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.
Museo Carlos Pellicer
Tepoztlán's Museo de Arte Prehispánico Carlos Pellicer, opened in 1965 and named for the poet and museographer, displays a collection of pre-Hispanic objects in the former granary of the Church of Nuestra Señora de la Natividad.
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.
More drives to Tepoztlán
- Mexico City to Tepoztlán
- Metepec to Tepoztlán
- Toluca to Tepoztlán
- Atlixco to Tepoztlán
- Taxco to Tepoztlán
- Tepotzotlán to Tepoztlán
From Manzanillo to other places in Mexico
- Manzanillo to Comala
- Manzanillo to Mazamitla
- Manzanillo to Cotija
- Manzanillo to San Luis Soyatlán
- Manzanillo to Ajijic
- Manzanillo to Tequila
Continue Your Adventure
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Manzanillo to Tepoztlán?
About 9 h 44 min of driving without stops, over 490 miles.
How far is Tepoztlán from Manzanillo by car?
About 490 miles (788 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 Manzanillo to Tepoztlán?
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 Manzanillo to Tepoztlán?
The U.S. State Department rates Colima Level 4: Do Not Travel; Jalisco Level 3: Reconsider Travel; Michoacán Level 4: Do Not Travel; State of Mexico Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Morelos Level 3: Reconsider Travel (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.
What roads does the drive from Manzanillo to Tepoztlán use?
In order: MEX-200, MEX-200D, MEX-110, MEX-54, MEX-54D, MEX-15, MEX-15D, MEX-55D, MEX-55, EM 44, MEX-95D and MEX-160D. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.
What are good stops between Manzanillo and Tepoztlán?
Closest to the road: Museo Comunitario de la Sal (museum, mile 26, 0.4 mi from the route); Museo Felipe Santiago Gutiérrez (art museum, mile 428, 1 mi from the route); Lagunas de Zempoala National Park (National Park of Mexico, mile 464, 0.3 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.