Motul to Kohunlich Road Trip: Route, Tolls & Stops

By admin, 13 October, 2026

By road, Motul and Kohunlich are about 285 miles (459 km) apart, or roughly 6 h 43 min of driving.

U.S. State Department travel advisory: Yucatán — Level 1, Exercise Normal Precautions; Quintana Roo — Level 2, Exercise Increased CautionAdvisory issued May 29, 2026; checked September 29, 2026. Quintana Roo is the Mexican state that contains Kohunlich. See the full advisory for current details.
Akab DzibIk KilSian Kaʼan Biosphere ReserveSan Felipe FortressMotulKohunlich
Route from Motul to Kohunlich with the 4 stops listed below (blue dots).
Total distance285 mi (459 km)
Time at the wheel, no stops6 h 43 min
Main roads, in orderMEX-180 → MEX-180D → MEX-295 → MEX-307 → MEX-186
Mexican states on the routeYucatán, Quintana Roo
Toll roads (as marked in OpenStreetMap)MEX-180D
Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg)about 11.4 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic
Stops listed below4

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.

On the road from Motul to Kohunlich

MEX-295 (83 mi) and MEX-307 (83 mi) carry about 58% of the 285 miles. It runs through 2 states: Yucatán, Quintana Roo. OpenStreetMap marks tolled sections on MEX-180D. Of the 4 stops listed below, 3 are within a mile of the road.

Motul to Kohunlich: the road sequence

RoadRoute miles (from–to)Length, miState
local roads0–1717Yucatán
MEX-18017–3013Yucatán
MEX-180D30–6030Yucatán
connecting roads60–622Yucatán
MEX-18062–8321Yucatán
local roads83–885Yucatán
MEX-29588–17183Yucatán, Quintana Roo
MEX-307171–25483Quintana Roo
MEX-186254–27824Quintana Roo
local roads278–2857Quintana Roo
  • Mile 103 of this route: Yucatán → Quintana Roo (state line)

Places worth a stop between Motul and Kohunlich

  • Right off the route (under 1 mile): Akab Dzib (mile 65), Ik Kil (mile 66), San Felipe Fortress (mile 242)
  • Nature and outdoors: Sian Kaʼan Biosphere Reserve (mile 179)
  • Museums and history: Akab Dzib (mile 65), San Felipe Fortress (mile 242)

Akab Dzib

Mile 65 · Ruins · 0.4 mi from the route

Akab Dzib is a pre-Columbian structure at the Maya site of Chichen Itza, catalogued by archaeologists as Structure 4D1 and also spelled Akab Tzib or Akabdzib.

Ik Kil

Mile 66 · Cenote · 0.3 mi from the route

Outside Pisté near Chichen Itza, Ik Kil is a cenote within the Ik Kil Archeological Park in Yucatán's Tinúm Municipality.

Sian Kaʼan Biosphere Reserve

Mile 179 · Biosphere reserve · 16 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Established in 1986 in Tulum Municipality, Quintana Roo, Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987.

San Felipe Fortress

Mile 242 · Museum · 0.2 mi from the route

San Felipe Fortress (Fuerte de San Felipe de Bacalar) was an 18th-century Spanish colonial garrison in Bacalar, Quintana Roo. Today it houses the Bacalar Piracy Museum.

In Kohunlich itself

Kohunlich

City · in Kohunlich

Kohunlich is an archaeological site of the Maya civilization in Quintana Roo, about 65 km west of Chetumal on Highway 186; its original name is unknown.

More drives to Kohunlich

From Motul to other places in Mexico

Frequently asked questions

How long is the drive from Motul to Kohunlich?

About 6 h 43 min of driving without stops, over 285 miles.

What is the driving distance from Motul to Kohunlich?

About 285 miles (459 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 Motul to Kohunlich?

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 Motul to Kohunlich?

The U.S. State Department rates Yucatán Level 1: Exercise Normal Precautions; Quintana Roo Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.

What roads does the drive from Motul to Kohunlich use?

In order: MEX-180, MEX-180D, MEX-295, MEX-307 and MEX-186. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.

What are good stops between Motul and Kohunlich?

Closest to the road: Akab Dzib (ruins, mile 65, 0.4 mi from the route); Ik Kil (cenote, mile 66, 0.3 mi from the route); San Felipe Fortress (museum, mile 242, 0.2 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.