Ocosingo to Xpujil Road Trip: Route, Stops & Safety

By admin, 13 October, 2026

Plan on about 7 h 9 min of driving for the 300-mile (482 km) trip from Ocosingo to Xpujil, before any stops.

U.S. State Department travel advisory: Chiapas — Level 3, Reconsider Travel; Tabasco — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; Campeche — Level 1, Exercise Normal PrecautionsAdvisory issued May 29, 2026; checked September 29, 2026. Campeche is the Mexican state that contains Xpujil. Check the full advisory for this state before you go.
Agua AzulMisol HáTemple of the InscriptionsPalenque National ParkBalamkuCalakmul Biosphere ReserveOcosingoXpujil
Route from Ocosingo to Xpujil with the 6 stops listed below (blue dots).
Total distance300 mi (482 km)
Time at the wheel, no stops7 h 9 min
Main roads, in orderMEX-199 → MEX-186
Mexican states on the routeChiapas, Tabasco, Campeche
Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg)about 12.0 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic
Stops listed below6

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.

The Ocosingo–Xpujil drive in a few lines

MEX-186 (211 mi) and MEX-199 (88 mi) carry about 100% of the 300 miles. It runs through 3 states: Chiapas, Tabasco, Campeche. Of the 6 stops listed below, 1 are within a mile of the road.

Roads you'll take from Ocosingo to Xpujil

RoadRoute miles (from–to)Length, miState
local roads0–11Chiapas
MEX-1991–8988Chiapas
MEX-18689–300211Chiapas, Tabasco, Campeche
  • Mile 109 of this route: Chiapas → Tabasco (state line)
  • Mile 117 of this route: Tabasco → Campeche (state line)

Where to stop on the way to Xpujil

  • Right off the route (under 1 mile): Misol Há (mile 62)
  • Nature and outdoors: Agua Azul (mile 36), Misol Há (mile 62), Palenque National Park (mile 73), Calakmul Biosphere Reserve (mile 288)

Agua Azul

Mile 36 · Waterfall · 1 mi from the route

The Agua Azul cascades are a series of waterfalls on the Xanil River in Chiapas, in Tumbalá municipality about 69 km from Palenque, near Federal Highway 199.

Misol Há

Mile 62 · Waterfall · 0.7 mi from the route

About 20 km from Palenque on the road to San Cristóbal de las Casas, Misol-Há is a single 35-meter waterfall dropping into a nearly round pool amid tropical vegetation.

Temple of the Inscriptions

Mile 73 · Step pyramid · 4 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

At the Maya site of Palenque, the Temple of the Inscriptions is a stepped pyramid built as the funerary monument of Kʼinich Janaabʼ Pakal, who ruled the city in the 7th century.

Palenque National Park

Mile 73 · National park · 4 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Palenque National Park protects about 1,772 hectares around the Palenque archaeological zone in Chiapas. It was established by presidential decree in July 1981.

Balamku

Mile 262 · Maya site · 1 mi from the route

Balamku is a small Maya archaeological site in Campeche, known for elaborate plaster facades from the Early Classic period.

Calakmul Biosphere Reserve

Mile 288 · Biosphere reserve · 6 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Bordering Guatemala's Petén department, the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve covers 7,231 square kilometers of southern Campeche, more than 14 percent of the state; it was established in 1989.

Once you reach Xpujil

Becan

Archaeological site · in Xpujil

Becan is a Maya archaeological site near the center of the Yucatán Peninsula in Campeche, about 150 km north of Tikal.

Xpuhil

Archaeological site · in Xpujil

Near the town of Xpujil in Campeche, Xpuhil is a Maya archaeological site along Federal Highway 186, in an area with other Maya sites such as Becan, Chicanná and Calakmul.

More drives to Xpujil

From Ocosingo to other places in Mexico

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to drive from Ocosingo to Xpujil?

About 7 h 9 min of driving without stops, over 300 miles.

How far is Xpujil from Ocosingo by car?

About 300 miles (482 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 Ocosingo to Xpujil?

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 Ocosingo to Xpujil?

The U.S. State Department rates Chiapas Level 3: Reconsider Travel; Tabasco Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Campeche Level 1: Exercise Normal Precautions (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.

What roads does the drive from Ocosingo to Xpujil use?

In order: MEX-199 and MEX-186. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.

Where can you stop on the way from Ocosingo to Xpujil?

Closest to the road: Agua Azul (waterfall, mile 36, 1 mi from the route); Misol Há (waterfall, mile 62, 0.7 mi from the route); Balamku (maya site, mile 262, 1 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.