Salvatierra to Atlatlahucan Road Trip: Route, Stops & Safety

By admin, 3 October, 2026

The Wayro route from Salvatierra to Atlatlahucan is 227 miles (365 km), about 4 h 18 min of driving without stops.

U.S. State Department travel advisory: Guanajuato — Level 3, Reconsider Travel; Michoacán — Level 4, Do Not Travel; State of Mexico — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; Hidalgo — 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 Atlatlahucan. This route passes through a state at the advisory's highest level. Read the full advisory before you plan this drive.
Teatro Morelos de MaravatíoRayón National ParkTemplo y exconvento de San FranciscoHistoric center of Mexico CityLuis Barragán House and StudioMuseo del Centro Cultural Mexiquense BicentenarioMolino de Flores Nezahualcóyotl National ParkIztaccíhuatl–Popocatépetl National ParkSacromonte National ParkSalvatierraAtlatlahucan
Route from Salvatierra to Atlatlahucan with the 9 stops listed below (blue dots).
Distance227 mi (365 km)
Driving time, no stops4 h 18 min
Main roads, in orderMEX-51 → MEX-61 → MEX-15D → MEX-M40D → MEX-57D → MEX-5D → MEX-115
Mexican states on the routeGuanajuato (Level 3), Michoacán (Level 4), State of Mexico (Level 2), Hidalgo (Level 2), Morelos (Level 3)
Toll roadsMEX-15D, MEX-M40D, MEX-57D, MEX-5D, MEX-115D
Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg)about 9.1 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 Salvatierra to Atlatlahucan is like

MEX-5D (54 mi) and MEX-15D (41 mi) carry about 42% of the 227 miles. MEX-15D, MEX-M40D, MEX-57D, MEX-5D are toll highways (cuota); MEX-51, MEX-61, MEX-115 are free federal roads (libre). It runs through 5 states: Guanajuato, Michoacán, State of Mexico, Hidalgo, Morelos. Of the 9 stops listed below, 3 are within a mile of the road.

The route from Salvatierra to Atlatlahucan, road by road

RoadRoute miles (from–to)Length, miState
local roads0–11Guanajuato
MEX-511–2019Guanajuato
connecting roads20–211Guanajuato
MEX-6121–4221Guanajuato, Michoacán
MEX-15D42–8341Michoacán, State of Mexico
MEX-M40D83–11633State of Mexico, Hidalgo
MEX-57D116–13721Hidalgo, State of Mexico
MEX-5D137–19154State of Mexico
connecting roads191–1932State of Mexico
MEX-115193–20815State of Mexico
local roads208–22214State of Mexico, Morelos
MEX-115222–2264Morelos
local roads226–2271Morelos
  • Mile 39 of this route: Guanajuato → Michoacán (state line)
  • Mile 65 of this route: Michoacán → State of Mexico (state line)
  • Mile 114 of this route: State of Mexico → Hidalgo (state line)
  • Mile 135 of this route: Hidalgo → State of Mexico (state line)
  • Mile 216 of this route: State of Mexico → Morelos (state line)

Stops between Salvatierra and Atlatlahucan

  • Right off the route (under 1 mile): Templo y exconvento de San Francisco (mile 127), Museo del Centro Cultural Mexiquense Bicentenario (mile 180), Sacromonte National Park (mile 208)
  • Nature and outdoors: Rayón National Park (mile 61), Molino de Flores Nezahualcóyotl National Park (mile 180), Iztaccíhuatl–Popocatépetl National Park (mile 206), Sacromonte National Park (mile 208)
  • Museums and history: Teatro Morelos de Maravatío (mile 43), Luis Barragán House and Studio (mile 169), Museo del Centro Cultural Mexiquense Bicentenario (mile 180)

Teatro Morelos de Maravatío

Mile 43 · Opera house · 1 mi from the route

Maravatío's Teatro Morelos is a late-19th-century theater in a French-influenced neoclassical style, designed by architect Rafael Guerrero Torres. It opened on January 11, 1879, with a performance by opera singer Ángela Peralta.

Rayón National Park

Mile 61 · National Park of Mexico · 5 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Just outside Tlalpujahua, Rayón National Park (Parque Nacional Rayón) marks the start of the area's famous butterfly reserve country, which stretches south and west from here.

Templo y exconvento de San Francisco

Mile 127 · Convent · 0.5 mi from the route

The Templo y Exconvento de San Francisco is a church and former convent located in the city of Tepeji del Río, in the Mexican state of Hidalgo.

Historic center of Mexico City

Mile 169 · Old town · 8 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Built by the Spanish in the 16th century on the ruins of Tenochtitlan, Mexico City's Centro Histórico holds the Metropolitan Cathedral, the excavated Aztec Templo Mayor and the Palacio de Bellas Artes. UNESCO added it to the World Heritage List in 1987.

Luis Barragán House and Studio

Mile 169 · Museum · 12 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Luis Barragán built his own house and studio in Mexico City in 1948, blending modern design with Mexican vernacular touches. The concrete house and its private garden joined UNESCO's World Heritage List in 2004.

Museo del Centro Cultural Mexiquense Bicentenario

Mile 180 · Museum · 0.1 mi from the route

The museum at the Centro Cultural Mexiquense Bicentenario opened in 2011 with a permanent exhibit, Encuentro con Nuestras Raíces, a hall of art from the State of Mexico and three temporary galleries.

Molino de Flores Nezahualcóyotl National Park

Mile 180 · National Park of Mexico · 6 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Named for Antonio Flores de Valdés, who inherited the estate in 1642, this former hacienda and mill near Texcoco became a national park in 1937. Visitors walk among its ruins, the San Joaquín church remains and a chapel built on rock.

Iztaccíhuatl–Popocatépetl National Park

Mile 206 · National Park of Mexico · 8 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Iztaccíhuatl–Popocatépetl National Park, also called Izta-Popo Zoquiapan, protects the land around Popocatépetl and Iztaccíhuatl, Mexico's second- and third-highest peaks, where the states of México, Puebla and Morelos meet.

Sacromonte National Park

Mile 208 · National Park of Mexico · 0.4 mi from the route

Sacromonte National Park is a national park and protected area in the State of Mexico, established in 1952 and covering roughly 0.44 square kilometers.

When you get to Atlatlahucan

Monasteries on the slopes of Popocatépetl

World Heritage Site · in Atlatlahucan

Inscribed by UNESCO in 1994, this World Heritage site groups early 16th-century monasteries that Franciscan, Dominican and Augustinian friars built on the slopes of Popocatépetl, with large open spaces used to evangelize the Indigenous population.

Templo y Exconvento de San Mateo Apóstol

Convent · in Atlatlahucan

Built by Augustinian friars, the Templo y Exconvento de San Mateo Apóstol in Atlatlahucan is well preserved, with murals and decorated vaults, and is associated with the origins of the Chinelo dancers.

Templo y exconvento de San Guillermo

Convent · in Atlatlahucan

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.

More drives to Atlatlahucan

From Salvatierra to other places in Mexico

Frequently asked questions

How long is the drive from Salvatierra to Atlatlahucan?

About 4 h 18 min of driving without stops, over 227 miles.

How far is Atlatlahucan from Salvatierra by car?

About 227 miles (365 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 Salvatierra to Atlatlahucan?

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 Salvatierra to Atlatlahucan?

The U.S. State Department rates Guanajuato Level 3: Reconsider Travel; Michoacán Level 4: Do Not Travel; State of Mexico Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Hidalgo 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 Salvatierra to Atlatlahucan use?

In order: MEX-51, MEX-61, MEX-15D, MEX-M40D, MEX-57D, MEX-5D and MEX-115. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.

What are good stops between Salvatierra and Atlatlahucan?

Closest to the road: Templo y exconvento de San Francisco (convent, mile 127, 0.5 mi from the route); Museo del Centro Cultural Mexiquense Bicentenario (museum, mile 180, 0.1 mi from the route); Sacromonte National Park (National Park of Mexico, mile 208, 0.4 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.