The Wayro route from San Juan de los Lagos to Barra de Navidad is 300 miles (482 km), about 5 h 16 min of driving without stops.
| Distance | 300 mi (482 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 5 h 16 min |
| Main roads, in order | MEX-80D → MEX-15D → MEX-15 → MEX-54D → MEX-54 → MEX-110 → MEX-200D → MEX-200 |
| Mexican states on the route | Jalisco (Level 3), Colima (Level 4) |
| Toll roads | MEX-80D, MEX-90D, MEX-15D, MEX-54D, MEX-200D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 12.0 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 San Juan de los Lagos to Barra de Navidad is like
MEX-54D (89 mi) and MEX-80D (81 mi) carry about 57% of the 300 miles. MEX-80D, MEX-15D, MEX-54D, MEX-200D are toll highways (cuota); MEX-15, MEX-54, MEX-110, MEX-200 are free federal roads (libre). It runs through 2 states: Jalisco, Colima. Of the 9 stops listed below, 1 are within a mile of the road.
The route from San Juan de los Lagos to Barra de Navidad, road by road
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–2 | 2 | Jalisco |
| MEX-80D | 2–83 | 81 | Jalisco |
| MEX-15D | 83–88 | 5 | Jalisco |
| local roads | 88–92 | 4 | Jalisco |
| MEX-15 | 92–109 | 17 | Jalisco |
| MEX-54D | 109–198 | 89 | Jalisco, Colima |
| MEX-54 | 198–206 | 8 | Colima |
| MEX-110 | 206–231 | 25 | Colima |
| connecting roads | 231–233 | 2 | Colima |
| MEX-200D | 233–270 | 37 | Colima |
| MEX-200 | 270–298 | 28 | Colima, Jalisco |
| local roads | 298–300 | 2 | Jalisco |
- Mile 190 of this route: Jalisco → Colima (state line)
- Mile 286 of this route: Colima → Jalisco (state line)
Stops between San Juan de los Lagos and Barra de Navidad
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Museo Comunitario de la Sal (mile 242)
- Nature and outdoors: Volcán Nevado de Colima National Park (mile 185)
- Museums and history: Teocaltitan Archaeological Site (mile 9), Museo Regional de la Ceramica, Tlaquepaque (mile 84), Museo de Cera (mile 88), Universidad de Guadalajara. Museo de las Artes (mile 88), El Ixtépete (mile 93), Ciudad Guzmán Cathedral (mile 165), Museo Universitario de Artes Populares María Teresa Pomar (mile 203), Museo Comunitario de la Sal (mile 242)
Teocaltitan Archaeological Site
Near Jalostotitlán in the Los Altos region, the Teocaltitán site holds pyramids, sunken patios and a ball court spread across about nine hectares, built by a people who dominated much of the area from AD 400 to 900.
Museo Regional de la Ceramica, Tlaquepaque
On Independencia Street in central Tlaquepaque, Jalisco, the Museo Regional de la Cerámica is one of the city's two main ceramics museums, alongside the Pantaleón Panduro Museum.
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.
Universidad de Guadalajara. Museo de las Artes
The University of Guadalajara's Museo de las Artes, known as MUSA, opened on October 10, 1994, and was expanded in 2013.
El Ixtépete
Zapopan's El Ixtépete preserves a pyramid built around AD 650-750, during the Grillo tradition, with at least seven superimposed construction phases; the site lies within the Guadalajara metro area near the Periférico and Avenida Mariano Otero.
Ciudad Guzmán Cathedral
Ciudad Guzmán's St. Joseph Cathedral (Catedral de San José) is the mother church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Ciudad Guzmán and the seat of its bishop.
Volcán Nevado de Colima National Park
This national park in western Mexico protects the upper slopes of two volcanic peaks, Volcán de Colima and Nevado de Colima, in the states of Jalisco and Colima.
Museo Universitario de Artes Populares María Teresa Pomar
Founded by collector María Teresa Pomar and run by the University of Colima, this museum is dedicated to Mexican folk art and handcrafts (artesanía), with pieces from across the country as well as the traditions of Colima state.
Museo Comunitario de la Sal
Set in an old warehouse in Cuyutlán, the community Salt Museum (Museo Comunitario de la Sal) explains how local salt has been harvested, from the old tapeixtle technique to modern methods, with historic photos of the salt works.
More drives to Barra de Navidad
- Cotija to Barra de Navidad
- Tepatitlán to Barra de Navidad
- Nochistlán to Barra de Navidad
- Jalpa to Barra de Navidad
- Pátzcuaro to Barra de Navidad
- Cuanajo to Barra de Navidad
From San Juan de los Lagos to other places in Mexico
- San Juan de los Lagos to Jerez, Zacatecas
- San Juan de los Lagos to Sombrerete
- San Juan de los Lagos to Nombre de Dios
- San Juan de los Lagos to El Rosario, Sinaloa
- San Juan de los Lagos to El Salto, Durango
- San Juan de los Lagos to San Ignacio, Sinaloa
Continue Your Adventure
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from San Juan de los Lagos to Barra de Navidad?
About 5 h 16 min of driving without stops, over 300 miles.
How far is Barra de Navidad from San Juan de los Lagos 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 San Juan de los Lagos to Barra de Navidad?
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 Juan de los Lagos to Barra de Navidad?
The U.S. State Department rates Jalisco Level 3: Reconsider Travel; Colima Level 4: Do Not Travel (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.
What roads does the drive from San Juan de los Lagos to Barra de Navidad use?
In order: MEX-80D, MEX-15D, MEX-15, MEX-54D, MEX-54, MEX-110, MEX-200D and MEX-200. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.
What are good stops between San Juan de los Lagos and Barra de Navidad?
Closest to the road: Museo Regional de la Ceramica, Tlaquepaque (museum, mile 84, 1 mi from the route); El Ixtépete (archaeological site, mile 93, 1 mi from the route); Museo Comunitario de la Sal (museum, mile 242, 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.