Naolinco to Tlayacapan Road Trip: Where to Stop on the Way

By admin, 3 October, 2026

The Wayro route from Naolinco to Tlayacapan is 194 miles (312 km), about 3 h 41 min of driving without stops.

U.S. State Department travel advisory: Veracruz — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; Puebla — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; Tlaxcala — 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 Tlayacapan. Check the full advisory for this state before you go.
Parque Nacional Cofre de PeroteCantonaLa Malinche National ParkConvent Church of Santo Domingo, PueblaJardín Botánico Universitario de la Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de PueblaHistoric centre of PueblaInternational Museum of the BaroqueChalcatzingoTemplo y Exconvento de San Juan Bautista de YecapixtlaNaolincoTlayacapan
Route from Naolinco to Tlayacapan with the 9 stops listed below (blue dots).
Distance194 mi (312 km)
Driving time, no stops3 h 41 min
Main roads, in orderVER 65 → MEX-140D → MEX-190 → PUE 438D → MEX-160 → MEX-160D
Mexican states on the routeVeracruz (Level 2), Puebla (Level 2), Tlaxcala (Level 2), Morelos (Level 3)
Toll roadsMEX-140D, MEX-150D, MEX-160D
Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg)about 7.8 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 Naolinco to Tlayacapan is like

MEX-140D (91 mi) and PUE 438D (33 mi) carry about 64% of the 194 miles. MEX-140D, MEX-160D are toll highways (cuota); MEX-190, MEX-160 are free federal roads (libre). It runs through 4 states: Veracruz, Puebla, Tlaxcala, Morelos. None of the 9 stops below is right on the road, so plan each as a short side trip.

The route from Naolinco to Tlayacapan, road by road

RoadRoute miles (from–to)Length, miState
VER 650–1313Veracruz
connecting roads13–141Veracruz
MEX-140D14–10591Veracruz, Puebla, Tlaxcala
connecting roads105–1072Puebla
MEX-190107–12215Puebla
local roads122–13412Puebla
PUE 438D134–16733Puebla, Morelos
connecting roads167–1681Morelos
MEX-160168–18315Morelos
MEX-160D183–1896Morelos
local roads189–1945Morelos
  • 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)

Stops between Naolinco and Tlayacapan

  • Nature and outdoors: Parque Nacional Cofre de Perote (mile 37), La Malinche National Park (mile 96), Jardín Botánico Universitario de la Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla (mile 116)
  • Museums and history: Cantona (mile 54), Convent Church of Santo Domingo, Puebla (mile 112), International Museum of the Baroque (mile 122), Chalcatzingo (mile 168)

Parque Nacional Cofre de Perote

Mile 37 · National Park of Mexico · 10 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

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

Mile 54 · Archaeological site · 3 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

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.

La Malinche National Park

Mile 96 · National Park of Mexico · 6 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Tlaxcala's La Malinche National Park surrounds the inactive Matlalcuéyetl volcano, with pine, oak and fir forests on its slopes, hiking trails, birdwatching, and stone cabins and campsites at the Malintzi Vacation Center.

Convent Church of Santo Domingo, Puebla

Mile 112 · Church building · 4 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

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

Mile 116 · Botanical garden · 2 mi from the route

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

Mile 122 · Urban area · 4 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

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.

International Museum of the Baroque

Mile 122 · Art museum · 1 mi from the route

Designed by Japanese architect Toyo Ito and opened in 2016, Puebla's baroque museum wraps its galleries in curving white concrete walls beside a reflecting pond. Exhibits cover baroque painting, sculpture, architecture, music, theater and literature.

Chalcatzingo

Mile 168 · Archaeological site · 2 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

At the foot of Cerro Chalcatzingo in eastern Morelos, this early site is known for stone reliefs carved mainly between 700 and 500 BC, some among the region's earliest stone sculpture and several in Olmec style, spread across the hillside.

Templo y Exconvento de San Juan Bautista de Yecapixtla

Mile 183 · Convent · 5 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

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 Tlayacapan

Templo y exconvento de San Guillermo

Convent · in Tlayacapan

Augustinian friars began the Templo y Exconvento de San Guillermo in Totolapan in the mid-16th century; part of the UNESCO-listed Popocatépetl monasteries, it was badly damaged in the 2017 earthquake, and INAH has supervised its restoration.

Templo y Exconvento de San Juan Bautista de Tlayacapan

Convent · in Tlayacapan

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.

More drives to Tlayacapan

From Naolinco to other places in Mexico

Frequently asked questions

How long is the drive from Naolinco to Tlayacapan?

About 3 h 41 min of driving without stops, over 194 miles.

How far is Tlayacapan from Naolinco by car?

About 194 miles (312 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 Tlayacapan?

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 Tlayacapan?

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 (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.

What roads does the drive from Naolinco to Tlayacapan use?

In order: VER 65, MEX-140D, MEX-190, PUE 438D, MEX-160 and MEX-160D. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.

What are good stops between Naolinco and Tlayacapan?

Closest to the road: Jardín Botánico Universitario de la Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla (botanical garden, mile 116, 2 mi from the route); International Museum of the Baroque (art museum, mile 122, 1 mi from the route); Chalcatzingo (archaeological site, mile 168, 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.