By road, San Blas and Real de Catorce are about 485 miles (780 km) apart, or roughly 9 h 19 min of driving.
| Total distance | 485 mi (780 km) |
|---|---|
| Drive time without stops | 9 h 19 min |
| Main roads, in order | MEX-76D → MEX-15D → MEX-15 → MEX-80D → MEX-80 → MEX-70 → MEX-57D → MEX-49 → MEX-63 → SLP 43 |
| Mexican states on the route | Nayarit, Jalisco, Guanajuato, San Luis Potosí |
| Toll roads (as marked in OpenStreetMap) | MEX-76D, MEX-15D, MEX-80D, MEX-57D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 19.4 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 8 |
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.
On the road from San Blas to Real de Catorce
MEX-15D (137 mi) and MEX-80D (113 mi) carry about 52% of the 485 miles. It runs through 4 states: Nayarit, Jalisco, Guanajuato, San Luis Potosí. OpenStreetMap marks tolled sections on MEX-76D, MEX-15D and MEX-80D. Of the 8 stops listed below, 2 are within a mile of the road.
Roads you'll take from San Blas to Real de Catorce
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–7 | 7 | Nayarit |
| MEX-76D | 7–27 | 20 | Nayarit |
| MEX-15D | 27–144 | 117 | Nayarit, Jalisco |
| MEX-15 | 144–155 | 11 | Jalisco |
| MEX-15D | 155–175 | 20 | Jalisco |
| connecting roads | 175–178 | 3 | Jalisco |
| MEX-80D | 178–250 | 72 | Jalisco |
| MEX-80 | 250–283 | 33 | Jalisco |
| MEX-80D | 283–324 | 41 | Jalisco, Guanajuato, San Luis Potosí |
| MEX-80 | 324–328 | 4 | San Luis Potosí |
| MEX-70 | 328–345 | 17 | San Luis Potosí |
| MEX-57D | 345–360 | 15 | San Luis Potosí |
| MEX-49 | 360–370 | 10 | San Luis Potosí |
| MEX-63 | 370–444 | 74 | San Luis Potosí |
| SLP 43 | 444–478 | 34 | San Luis Potosí |
| local roads | 478–485 | 7 | San Luis Potosí |
- Mile 96 of this route: Nayarit → Jalisco (state line)
- Mile 308 of this route: Jalisco → Guanajuato (state line)
- Mile 318 of this route: Guanajuato → San Luis Potosí (state line)
Places worth a stop between San Blas and Real de Catorce
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Ixtlán del Rio (mile 85), Teatro José Rosas Moreno (mile 273)
- Museums and history: Museo Regional de Nayarit (mile 33), Ixtlán del Rio (mile 85), Guadalajara Cathedral (mile 159), Museo de Cera (mile 159), Museo Regional de la Ceramica, Tlaquepaque (mile 163), Cathedral Basilica of San Juan de los Lagos (mile 245), Teatro José Rosas Moreno (mile 273), San Luis Potosí Cathedral (mile 353)
Museo Regional de Nayarit
In the city of Tepic, the Museo Regional de Nayarit focuses on the different cultural traditions of pre-Hispanic Nayarit.
Ixtlán del Rio
Known locally as Los Toriles, the Ixtlán del Río site is famous for a temple with a fully circular floor plan, rare in Mesoamerica. People lived here from about 300 BC to AD 600, and an introductory gallery explains the finds.
Guadalajara Cathedral
In the Centro of Guadalajara, the Cathedral of the Assumption of Our Lady is the seat of the Archdiocese of Guadalajara and a minor basilica.
Museo de Cera
On the Plaza de la Liberación in downtown Guadalajara, the Museo de Cera has 12 rooms with more than 130 wax figures of athletes, singers, actors, politicians and religious figures. It opened in 1994.
Museo Regional de la Ceramica, Tlaquepaque
Tlaquepaque has two main ceramics museums, and this is one of them: the Museo Regional de la Cerámica, on Independencia Street in the center of town. The other is the Pantaleón Panduro Museum.
Cathedral Basilica of San Juan de los Lagos
Raised between 1732 and 1769, the cathedral basilica of San Juan de los Lagos draws pilgrims from far away who come to visit the small image of the Virgin kept inside.
Teatro José Rosas Moreno
Named after Jalisco writer José Rosas Moreno, this theater in Lagos de Moreno took decades to finish: work started in 1867, and it opened on May 5, 1907.
San Luis Potosí Cathedral
San Luis Potosí's cathedral anchors the city's historic center, which UNESCO lists as a component of the Camino Real de Tierra Adentro World Heritage Site.
In Real de Catorce itself
High in the mountains of northern San Luis Potosí Real de Catorce is a former silver-mining town whose most prosperous era began in 1778. It joined the Pueblos Mágicos program in 2001, and its identity grew out of both its mining past and the culture of the Huichol (Wixárika) people.
- Túnel de Ogarrio: The Túnel de Ogarrio, the town's famous tunnel, is one of the landmarks SECTUR highlights for visitors to Real de Catorce. source
- Parroquia de la Purísima Concepción: The Parroquia de la Purísima Concepción is the parish church at the center of town life, and the feast of St. Francis of Assisi on October 4 is its biggest celebration. source
- Museo Parroquial Padre José Robledo: The Museo Parroquial Padre José Robledo preserves pieces of the town's religious history. source
More drives to Real de Catorce
- Comfort, TX to Real de Catorce
- San Antonio, TX to Real de Catorce
- Boerne, TX to Real de Catorce
- San Marcos, TX to Real de Catorce
- McAllen, TX to Real de Catorce
- Bandera, TX to Real de Catorce
From San Blas to other places in Mexico
- San Blas to Teúl de González Ortega
- San Blas to Temacapulín
- San Blas to Barra de Navidad
- San Blas to Comala
- San Blas to Jalpa de Cánovas
- San Blas to Boca de Pascuales
Coming to Real de Catorce from the United States? Border crossings, permits and routes from U.S. cities: Driving to Real de Catorce, Mexico from the U.S.
Continue Your Adventure
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from San Blas to Real de Catorce?
About 9 h 19 min of driving without stops, over 485 miles.
What is the driving distance from San Blas to Real de Catorce?
About 485 miles (780 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 San Blas to Real de Catorce?
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 San Blas to Real de Catorce?
The U.S. State Department rates Nayarit Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Jalisco Level 3: Reconsider Travel; Guanajuato Level 3: Reconsider Travel; San Luis Potosí Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.
Which highways go from San Blas to Real de Catorce?
In order: MEX-76D, MEX-15D, MEX-15, MEX-80D, MEX-80, MEX-70, MEX-57D, MEX-49, MEX-63 and SLP 43. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between San Blas and Real de Catorce?
Closest to the road: Ixtlán del Rio (archaeological site, mile 85, 0.5 mi from the route); Museo Regional de la Ceramica, Tlaquepaque (museum, mile 163, 1 mi from the route); Teatro José Rosas Moreno (opera house, mile 273, 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.