The Wayro route from Naolinco to Malinalco is 242 miles (389 km), about 4 h 59 min of driving without stops.
| Distance | 242 mi (389 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 4 h 59 min |
| Main roads, in order | VER 65 → MEX-140D → MEX-190 → PUE 438D → MEX-94D → MOR 21 → MEX-185 → MEX-181 |
| Mexican states on the route | Veracruz (Level 2), Puebla (Level 2), Tlaxcala (Level 2), Morelos (Level 3), State of Mexico (Level 2) |
| Toll roads | MEX-140D, MEX-150D, MEX-94D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 9.7 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 Naolinco to Malinalco is like
MEX-140D (91 mi) and PUE 438D (34 mi) carry about 52% of the 242 miles. MEX-140D, MEX-94D are toll highways (cuota); MEX-190, MEX-185, MEX-181 are free federal roads (libre). It runs through 5 states: Veracruz, Puebla, Tlaxcala, Morelos, State of Mexico. None of the 9 stops below is right on the road, so plan each as a short side trip.
The route from Naolinco to Malinalco, road by road
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| VER 65 | 0–13 | 13 | Veracruz |
| connecting roads | 13–14 | 1 | Veracruz |
| MEX-140D | 14–105 | 91 | Veracruz, Puebla, Tlaxcala |
| connecting roads | 105–107 | 2 | Puebla |
| MEX-190 | 107–122 | 15 | Puebla |
| local roads | 122–134 | 12 | Puebla |
| PUE 438D | 134–168 | 34 | Puebla, Morelos |
| MEX-94D | 168–199 | 31 | Morelos |
| connecting roads | 199–203 | 4 | Morelos |
| MOR 21 | 203–212 | 9 | Morelos |
| connecting roads | 212–213 | 1 | Morelos |
| local roads | 213–232 | 19 | Morelos, State of Mexico |
| MEX-185 | 232–237 | 5 | State of Mexico |
| MEX-181 | 237–241 | 4 | State of Mexico |
| local roads | 241–242 | 1 | State of Mexico |
- Mile 46 of this route: Veracruz → Puebla (state line)
- Mile 72 of this route: Puebla → Tlaxcala (state line)
- Mile 81 of this route: Tlaxcala → Puebla (state line)
- Mile 88 of this route: Puebla → Tlaxcala (state line)
- Mile 95 of this route: Tlaxcala → Puebla (state line)
- Mile 160 of this route: Puebla → Morelos (state line)
- Mile 231 of this route: Morelos → State of Mexico (state line)
Stops between Naolinco and Malinalco
- Nature and outdoors: Parque Nacional Cofre de Perote (mile 37), Jardín Botánico Universitario de la Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla (mile 116), Grutas de Cacahuamilpa National Park (mile 222)
- Museums and history: Cantona (mile 54), Convent Church of Santo Domingo, Puebla (mile 112), Las Pilas archaeological site (mile 170), Xochicalco (mile 217), Museo de sitio de Xochicalco (mile 217)
Parque Nacional Cofre de Perote
Cofre de Perote National Park protects the forested slopes of the mountain, and its role is practical as well as scenic: a little over 40 percent of the water used in Xalapa comes from here.
Cantona
High on the Puebla plateau near the Veracruz line, Cantona was a fortified pre-Hispanic city that controlled trade toward the Gulf; its explored southern section reveals interconnected streets, walled residential units and more than two dozen ballgame courts.
Convent Church of Santo Domingo, Puebla
Behind the facade of Puebla's Santo Domingo church hides the Capilla del Rosario, inaugurated in 1690. Gold covers its walls, pilasters and vaults, and contemporaries hailed it as the eighth wonder of the New World.
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.
Historic centre of Puebla
Laid out from scratch in 1531, Puebla's UNESCO-listed core is a grid of tile-covered houses, colonial churches and the 16th–17th-century cathedral, with the old archbishop's palace that houses the Palafox Library, established in 1646.
Las Pilas archaeological site
Set inside a bathing park in Jonacatepec, Las Pilas was a ceremonial center devoted to water, where inhabitants built channels to collect and store underground water for irrigation; burials were found within the channel system.
Xochicalco
A fortified hilltop city that thrived between about 650 and 900, Xochicalco is a UNESCO World Heritage site where you can see the Pyramid of the Plumed Serpent with its carved reliefs, ball courts, an underground observatory and a site museum.
Museo de sitio de Xochicalco
Next to the Xochicalco archaeological zone in Morelos, the site museum sits along the Xochicalco–Tetlama federal road.
Grutas de Cacahuamilpa National Park
Protected as a national park since 1936, this area near Taxco centers on the Cacahuamilpa caverns, where a guided route of about 4 km passes chambers up to 80 meters high, decorated with flowstone and floor-to-ceiling columns.
When you get to Malinalco
Malinalco
Carved straight into the hillside above Malinalco, the Cuauhcalli is a rock-cut temple at the heart of this archaeological zone. The Mexica took the Matlatzinca town around 1476 and used it to train and consecrate elite warriors.
Desierto del Carmen National Park
Declared a national park on October 10, 1942, Desierto del Carmen is a protected area in the municipality of Tenancingo, in the State of Mexico.
More drives to Malinalco
- Valle de Bravo to Malinalco
- Zitácuaro to Malinalco
- Tlalpujahua to Malinalco
- San Juan del Río to Malinalco
- Tequisquiapan to Malinalco
- Salvatierra to Malinalco
From Naolinco to other places in Mexico
- Naolinco to Tlayacapan
- Naolinco to Huasca de Ocampo
- Naolinco to Tepoztlán
- Naolinco to Cadereyta
- Naolinco to Angangueo
- Naolinco to Mineral de Pozos
Continue Your Adventure
- Malinalco to Tetela de Ocampo Road Trip: Route, Stops & Safety
- Malinalco to Mineral de Pozos Road Trip: Route, Stops & Safety
- Malinalco to Pacanda Road Trip: Distance, Time & Stops
- Malinalco to Temacapulín Road Trip: Distance, Time & Stops
- Malinalco to Pinal de Amoles Road Trip: Route, Stops & Safety
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Naolinco to Malinalco?
About 4 h 59 min of driving without stops, over 242 miles.
How far is Malinalco from Naolinco by car?
About 242 miles (389 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 Naolinco to Malinalco?
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 Naolinco to Malinalco?
The U.S. State Department rates Veracruz Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Puebla Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Tlaxcala Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Morelos Level 3: Reconsider Travel; State of Mexico Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.
What roads does the drive from Naolinco to Malinalco use?
In order: VER 65, MEX-140D, MEX-190, PUE 438D, MEX-94D, MOR 21, MEX-185 and MEX-181. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.
What are good stops between Naolinco and Malinalco?
Closest to the road: Las Pilas archaeological site (archaeological site, mile 170, 1 mi from the route); Museo de sitio de Xochicalco (museum, mile 217, 1 mi from the route); Xochicalco (archaeological site, mile 217, 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 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.