Metepec to Tetela del Volcán Road Trip: Route, Stops & Safety

By admin, 3 October, 2026

The Wayro route from Metepec to Tetela del Volcán is 91 miles (146 km), about 2 h 23 min of driving without stops.

U.S. State Department travel advisory: State of Mexico — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; Morelos — Level 3, Reconsider TravelAdvisory issued May 29, 2026; checked September 29, 2026. Morelos is the Mexican state that contains Tetela del Volcán. Check the full advisory for this state before you go.
Ciénegas del LermaLa Marquesa National ParkCumbres del Ajusco National ParkLagunas de Zempoala National ParkJardín BordaMuseo Fotográfico de CuernavacaTemplo y Exconvento de San Juan Bautista de TlayacapanTemplo y Exconvento de San Mateo ApóstolTemplo y Exconvento de San Juan Bautista de YecapixtlaMetepecTetela del Volcán
Route from Metepec to Tetela del Volcán with the 9 stops listed below (blue dots).
Distance91 mi (146 km)
Driving time, no stops2 h 23 min
Main roads, in orderEM 44 → MEX-200 → MEX-95D → MEX-160D → MEX-115 → MOR 10
Mexican states on the routeState of Mexico (Level 2), Morelos (Level 3)
Toll roadsMEX-95D, MEX-160D
Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg)about 3.6 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic
Stops listed below9

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 Metepec to Tetela del Volcán is like

MEX-160D (21 mi) and EM 44 (9 mi) carry about 33% of the 91 miles. MEX-95D, MEX-160D are toll highways (cuota); MEX-200, MEX-115 are free federal roads (libre). It runs through 2 states: State of Mexico, Morelos. Of the 9 stops listed below, 2 are within a mile of the road.

The route from Metepec to Tetela del Volcán, road by road

RoadRoute miles (from–to)Length, miState
local roads0–44State of Mexico
EM 444–139State of Mexico
connecting roads13–163State of Mexico
local roads16–204State of Mexico
MEX-20020–244State of Mexico
local roads24–3915State of Mexico, Morelos
connecting roads39–467Morelos
MEX-95D46–526Morelos
MEX-160D52–7321Morelos
MEX-11573–763Morelos
connecting roads76–815Morelos
MOR 1081–898Morelos
local roads89–912Morelos
  • Mile 31 of this route: State of Mexico → Morelos (state line)

Stops between Metepec and Tetela del Volcán

  • Right off the route (under 1 mile): Lagunas de Zempoala National Park (mile 33), Templo y Exconvento de San Juan Bautista de Yecapixtla (mile 80)
  • Nature and outdoors: La Marquesa National Park (mile 13), Cumbres del Ajusco National Park (mile 32), Lagunas de Zempoala National Park (mile 33), Jardín Borda (mile 45)
  • Museums and history: Museo Fotográfico de Cuernavaca (mile 45)

Ciénegas del Lerma

Mile 11 · Flora and fauna protection area · 2 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

These marshes in the Toluca Valley are three lakes left from a wetland of about 27,000 hectares in the late 19th century. A Ramsar site since 2004, they hold dozens of endemic and threatened species and are a key stop for migratory species.

La Marquesa National Park

Mile 13 · National Park of Mexico · 11 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

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

Mile 32 · National Park of Mexico · 11 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

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

Mile 33 · National Park of Mexico · 0.4 mi from the route

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.

Jardín Borda

Mile 45 · Garden · 3 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Built in the first half of the 18th century for silver miner José de la Borda, this colonial-era house has an artificial lake, fountains and gardens once fed by the hydraulic engineering of its day.

Museo Fotográfico de Cuernavaca

Mile 45 · Museum · 3 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

The Museo Fotográfico de Cuernavaca is a photography museum in Cuernavaca, Morelos, housed in a building that resembles a French-style castle.

Templo y Exconvento de San Juan Bautista de Tlayacapan

Mile 66 · Convent · 3 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Augustinian friars began this fortress-like church and monastery in the 16th century. Part of the UNESCO-listed group of monasteries on the slopes of Popocatépetl, its former cloister now holds a museum with 17th-century murals and religious art.

Templo y Exconvento de San Mateo Apóstol

Mile 77 · Convent · 3 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Built by Augustinian friars, the Templo y Exconvento de San Mateo Apóstol in Atlatlahucan is well preserved, with murals and decorated vaults, and is associated with the origins of the Chinelo dancers.

Templo y Exconvento de San Juan Bautista de Yecapixtla

Mile 80 · Convent · 0.4 mi from the route

The 16th-century church and former monastery of San Juan Bautista in Yecapixtla belongs to the Monasteries on the Slopes of Popocatepetl, inscribed by UNESCO in 1994 as early missionary architecture with large open courtyards.

When you get to Tetela del Volcán

Convento de Santiago Apóstol

Convent · in Tetela del Volcán

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.

Former convent of Saint Dominic de Guzmán

Convent · in Tetela del Volcán

In the town of Hueyapan, the 16th-century church and former convent of Santo Domingo de Guzmán keeps original frescoes and moldings inside, around a modest cloister typical of its era.

Convento de San Juan Bautista

Convent · in Tetela del Volcán

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 Tetela del Volcán

From Metepec to other places in Mexico

Frequently asked questions

How long is the drive from Metepec to Tetela del Volcán?

About 2 h 23 min of driving without stops, over 91 miles.

How far is Tetela del Volcán from Metepec by car?

About 91 miles (146 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 Metepec to Tetela del Volcán?

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 Metepec to Tetela del Volcán?

The U.S. State Department rates 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 Metepec to Tetela del Volcán use?

In order: EM 44, MEX-200, MEX-95D, MEX-160D, MEX-115 and MOR 10. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.

What are good stops between Metepec and Tetela del Volcán?

Closest to the road: Ciénegas del Lerma (flora and fauna protection area, mile 11, 2 mi from the route); Lagunas de Zempoala National Park (National Park of Mexico, mile 33, 0.4 mi from the route); Templo y Exconvento de San Juan Bautista de Yecapixtla (convent, mile 80, 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.