Sisal to Kohunlich is about 291 road miles (469 km): roughly 7 h 19 min at the wheel if you don't stop.
| Distance by road | 291 mi (469 km) |
|---|---|
| Time at the wheel, no stops | 7 h 19 min |
| Main roads, in order | MEX-281 → MEX-180 → MEX-184 → YUC 18 → MEX- → MEX-293 → MEX-307 → MEX-186 |
| Mexican states on the route | Yucatán, Quintana Roo |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 11.7 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 7 |
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.
How the Sisal to Kohunlich drive plays out
MEX-184 (108 mi) and MEX-293 (62 mi) carry about 58% of the 291 miles. It runs through 2 states: Yucatán, Quintana Roo. Of the 7 stops listed below, 6 are within a mile of the road.
Sisal to Kohunlich: the road sequence
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| MEX-281 | 0–32 | 32 | Yucatán |
| local roads | 32–35 | 3 | Yucatán |
| MEX-180 | 35–42 | 7 | Yucatán |
| MEX-184 | 42–117 | 75 | Yucatán |
| YUC 18 | 117–121 | 4 | Yucatán |
| MEX- | 121–130 | 9 | Yucatán, Quintana Roo |
| MEX-184 | 130–163 | 33 | Quintana Roo |
| MEX-293 | 163–225 | 62 | Quintana Roo |
| MEX-307 | 225–260 | 35 | Quintana Roo |
| MEX-186 | 260–285 | 25 | Quintana Roo |
| local roads | 285–291 | 6 | Quintana Roo |
- Mile 129 of this route: Yucatán → Quintana Roo (state line)
Stops between Sisal and Kohunlich
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Palacio Canton (mile 33), Teatro Peón Contreras (mile 33), Xiol (mile 43), Mayapan (mile 65), Chacchoben (mile 220), San Felipe Fortress (mile 249)
- Museums and history: Palacio Canton (mile 33), Teatro Peón Contreras (mile 33), Xiol (mile 43), Acanceh (mile 52), Mayapan (mile 65), Chacchoben (mile 220), San Felipe Fortress (mile 249)
Palacio Canton
Built in the first decade of the 20th century as a residence for the Cantón Rosado family, Palacio Cantón in Mérida, Yucatán, now houses the Regional Museum of Anthropology of Yucatán.
Teatro Peón Contreras
Designed by European architects and built in Mérida in the early 20th century, Teatro Peón Contreras is an opera house that hosted Yucatán's First Feminist Congress in 1916.
Xiol
Xiol is a Maya archaeological site in Kanasín, about 10 kilometers from Mérida, found by accident in 2018 during construction of an industrial complex. Its Maya name means "the spirit of man."
Acanceh
Inside the modern town of Acanceh, this Maya archaeological site was a major center of northern Yucatán, founded in the Middle Preclassic and at its peak in the Classic period. Its name means "lament of the deer."
Mayapan
About 40 km southeast of Mérida near Telchaquillo, Mayapan is a pre-Columbian Maya site that was the political and cultural capital of the Yucatán Maya from the 1220s to the 1440s.
Chacchoben
About 110 miles south of Tulum, Chacchoben is a Maya ruin some 7 miles from the village that gave it its name.
San Felipe Fortress
San Felipe Fortress (Fuerte de San Felipe de Bacalar) was an 18th-century Spanish colonial garrison in Bacalar, Quintana Roo. Today it houses the Bacalar Piracy Museum.
Once you reach Kohunlich
Kohunlich
Kohunlich is an archaeological site of the Maya civilization in Quintana Roo, about 65 km west of Chetumal on Highway 186; its original name is unknown.
More drives to Kohunlich
- Akumal to Kohunlich
- Punta Allen to Kohunlich
- Puerto Morelos to Kohunlich
- Espita to Kohunlich
- Calkiní to Kohunlich
- Maxcanú to Kohunlich
From Sisal to other places in Mexico
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to drive from Sisal to Kohunlich?
About 7 h 19 min of driving without stops, over 291 miles.
What is the driving distance from Sisal to Kohunlich?
About 291 miles (469 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 Sisal to Kohunlich?
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 Sisal to Kohunlich?
The U.S. State Department rates Yucatán Level 1: Exercise Normal Precautions; Quintana Roo Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.
What roads does the drive from Sisal to Kohunlich use?
In order: MEX-281, MEX-180, MEX-184, YUC 18, MEX-, MEX-293, MEX-307 and MEX-186. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between Sisal and Kohunlich?
Closest to the road: Teatro Peón Contreras (opera house, mile 33, 0.1 mi from the route); Xiol (archaeological site, mile 43, 0.1 mi from the route); Mayapan (archaeological site, mile 65, 0.2 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.