Plan on about 6 h 39 min of driving for the 377-mile (607 km) trip from Puerto Escondido to Zacualpan de Amilpas, before any stops.
| Total distance | 377 mi (607 km) |
|---|---|
| Drive time without stops | 6 h 39 min |
| Main roads, in order | MEX-200 → MEX-175D → MEX-175 → MEX-190 → MEX-135D → MEX-150D → PUE 438D |
| Mexican states on the route | Oaxaca, Puebla, Morelos |
| Toll roads (as marked in OpenStreetMap) | MEX-175D, MEX-135D, MEX-150D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 15.1 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 Puerto Escondido to Zacualpan de Amilpas is like
MEX-135D (151 mi) and MEX-175D (64 mi) carry about 57% of the 377 miles. It runs through 3 states: Oaxaca, Puebla, Morelos. OpenStreetMap marks tolled sections on MEX-175D, MEX-135D and MEX-150D. Of the 9 stops listed below, 4 are within a mile of the road.
Road-by-road breakdown: Puerto Escondido to Zacualpan de Amilpas
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| MEX-200 | 0–7 | 7 | Oaxaca |
| MEX-175D | 7–71 | 64 | Oaxaca |
| connecting roads | 71–75 | 4 | Oaxaca |
| local roads | 75–81 | 6 | Oaxaca |
| MEX-175 | 81–93 | 12 | Oaxaca |
| local roads | 93–103 | 10 | Oaxaca |
| MEX-175 | 103–117 | 14 | Oaxaca |
| connecting roads | 117–120 | 3 | Oaxaca |
| MEX-190 | 120–126 | 6 | Oaxaca |
| MEX-135D | 126–277 | 151 | Oaxaca, Puebla |
| MEX-150D | 277–319 | 42 | Puebla |
| connecting roads | 319–320 | 1 | Puebla |
| MEX-190 | 320–335 | 15 | Puebla |
| local roads | 335–346 | 11 | Puebla |
| PUE 438D | 346–374 | 28 | Puebla, Morelos |
| local roads | 374–377 | 3 | Morelos |
- Mile 225 of this route: Oaxaca → Puebla (state line)
- Mile 372 of this route: Puebla → Morelos (state line)
Places worth a stop between Puerto Escondido and Zacualpan de Amilpas
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Museo Estatal de Arte Popular de Oaxaca (mile 111), Museo de los Pintores Oaxaqueños (mile 118), Church of Santo Domingo de Guzmán (mile 119), Suchilquitongo (mile 137)
- Nature and outdoors: Benito Juárez National Park (mile 126), Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Biosphere Reserve (mile 234)
- Museums and history: Zaachila (mile 110), Museo Estatal de Arte Popular de Oaxaca (mile 111), Museo de los Pintores Oaxaqueños (mile 118), Church of Santo Domingo de Guzmán (mile 119), Suchilquitongo (mile 137), Historic centre of Puebla (mile 335)
Zaachila
Zaachila was a Zapotec city, later shared with Mixtecs, that was still inhabited when the Spanish arrived; its occupation reaches back to about 1500 BC. Visitors come for its excavated tombs, including Tomb 1 with stucco figures of those buried there.
Museo Estatal de Arte Popular de Oaxaca
In San Bartolo Coyotepec, the town known for its black clay pottery (barro negro), this state-run museum traces the history of that craft and shows works by Oaxaca's folk art masters alongside temporary exhibitions.
Museo de los Pintores Oaxaqueños
Created in 2004 to showcase Oaxacan artists, this museum occupies a 17th-century colonial building at Independencia and García Vigil in the historic center of Oaxaca de Juárez.
Church of Santo Domingo de Guzmán
An example of New Spanish Baroque architecture, the Church and Convent of Santo Domingo de Guzmán in Oaxaca de Juárez traces back to 1551, when the city council granted 24 lots to the Dominican Order for a convent.
Benito Juárez National Park
Just north of Oaxaca City, Benito Juárez National Park covers about 2,737 hectares of pine and oak forest. Trails wind through the woods, including La Coronilla, a moderate loop of roughly 5 km.
Suchilquitongo
Tomb 5 at Cerro de la Campana, excavated in 1985, holds murals and stucco carvings ranked among the finest funerary art of ancient Mexico. The Zapotec site crowns a hill in the northern Etla Valley.
Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Biosphere Reserve
Cactus diversity reaches one of its peaks in the Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Valley, a dry landscape shared by Puebla and Oaxaca. Ancient canals, wells, terraces and dams show how people managed its scarce water.
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.
Former convent of Saint Dominic de Guzmán
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.
More drives to Zacualpan de Amilpas
- Puebla to Zacualpan de Amilpas
- Cuernavaca to Zacualpan de Amilpas
- Zacatelco to Zacualpan de Amilpas
- Mexico City to Zacualpan de Amilpas
- Chiautempan to Zacualpan de Amilpas
- Apizaco to Zacualpan de Amilpas
From Puerto Escondido to other places in Mexico
- Puerto Escondido to Tlacotalpan
- Puerto Escondido to Boca del Cielo
- Puerto Escondido to Ixtenco
- Puerto Escondido to Huejotzingo
- Puerto Escondido to Tlaxco
- Puerto Escondido to San Miguel, Morelos
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Puerto Escondido to Zacualpan de Amilpas?
About 6 h 39 min of driving without stops, over 377 miles.
What is the driving distance from Puerto Escondido to Zacualpan de Amilpas?
About 377 miles (607 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 Puerto Escondido to Zacualpan de Amilpas?
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 Puerto Escondido to Zacualpan de Amilpas?
The U.S. State Department rates Oaxaca Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Puebla Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Morelos Level 3: Reconsider Travel (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.
Which highways go from Puerto Escondido to Zacualpan de Amilpas?
In order: MEX-200, MEX-175D, MEX-175, MEX-190, MEX-135D, MEX-150D and PUE 438D. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between Puerto Escondido and Zacualpan de Amilpas?
Closest to the road: Museo Estatal de Arte Popular de Oaxaca (folk art museum, mile 111, 0.1 mi from the route); Museo de los Pintores Oaxaqueños (art museum, mile 118, 0.7 mi from the route); Suchilquitongo (archaeological site, mile 137, 0.3 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.