Teapa to Río Lagartos Road Trip: Where to Stop on the Way

By admin, 13 October, 2026

The Wayro route from Teapa to Río Lagartos is 506 miles (815 km), about 10 h 53 min of driving without stops.

U.S. State Department travel advisory: Tabasco — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; Campeche — Level 1, Exercise Normal Precautions; Yucatán — Level 1, Exercise Normal PrecautionsAdvisory issued May 29, 2026; checked September 29, 2026. Yucatán is the Mexican state that contains Río Lagartos. See the full advisory for current details.
Museo de Historia de Tabasco Casa de los AzulejosCasa Museo Cnel. Gregorio Méndez MagañaHistoric Fortified Town of CampecheMuseo de Barcos y Armas Fuerte de San José el AltoMuseo de Arqueología Maya del Camino Real de HecelchakánUxmalOxkintokMuseo Conmemorativo de la Inmigración Coreana a YucatánTeapaRío Lagartos
Route from Teapa to Río Lagartos with the 8 stops listed below (blue dots).
Total distance506 mi (815 km)
Time at the wheel, no stops10 h 53 min
Main roads, in orderMEX-195 → MEX-180 → MEX-180D → MEX-202 → MEX-176
Mexican states on the routeTabasco, Campeche, Yucatán
Toll roads (as marked in OpenStreetMap)MEX-180D
Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg)about 20.2 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic
Stops listed below8

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.

On the road from Teapa to Río Lagartos

MEX-180 (299 mi) and MEX-176 (86 mi) carry about 76% of the 506 miles. It runs through 3 states: Tabasco, Campeche, Yucatán. OpenStreetMap marks tolled sections on MEX-180D. Of the 8 stops listed below, 3 are within a mile of the road.

Road-by-road breakdown: Teapa to Río Lagartos

RoadRoute miles (from–to)Length, miState
local roads0–11Tabasco
MEX-1951–3433Tabasco
connecting roads34–373Tabasco
MEX-18037–244207Tabasco, Campeche
MEX-180D244–26824Campeche
MEX-202268–27810Campeche
MEX-180278–37092Campeche, Yucatán
local roads370–38414Yucatán
MEX-176384–47086Yucatán
connecting roads470–4711Yucatán
local roads471–50635Yucatán
  • Mile 98 of this route: Tabasco → Campeche (state line)
  • Mile 331 of this route: Campeche → Yucatán (state line)

Breaking up the drive: stops between Teapa and Río Lagartos

  • Right off the route (under 1 mile): Museo de Historia de Tabasco Casa de los Azulejos (mile 35), Casa Museo Cnel. Gregorio Méndez Magaña (mile 35), Museo de Arqueología Maya del Camino Real de Hecelchakán (mile 309)
  • Museums and history: Museo de Historia de Tabasco Casa de los Azulejos (mile 35), Casa Museo Cnel. Gregorio Méndez Magaña (mile 35), Museo de Barcos y Armas Fuerte de San José el Alto (mile 274), Museo de Arqueología Maya del Camino Real de Hecelchakán (mile 309), Uxmal (mile 329), Oxkintok (mile 339), Museo Conmemorativo de la Inmigración Coreana a Yucatán (mile 377)

Museo de Historia de Tabasco Casa de los Azulejos

Mile 35 · Museum · 0.5 mi from the route

The Museo de Historia de Tabasco, housed in the Casa de los Azulejos, is a history museum in the historic center of Villahermosa, Tabasco.

Casa Museo Cnel. Gregorio Méndez Magaña

Mile 35 · Museum · 0.2 mi from the route

Colonel Gregorio Méndez Magaña, a hero of the fight against the French intervention in Tabasco, was born in this house in Jalpa de Méndez in 1836; today it serves as a house museum in his honor.

Historic Fortified Town of Campeche

Mile 268 · Old town · 4 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Founded by the Spanish on the Gulf of Mexico, Campeche's walled center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Sections of the hexagonal wall built from 1686 to 1704 against pirate raids survive with bastions and gates, framing a grid of colonial streets.

Museo de Barcos y Armas Fuerte de San José el Alto

Mile 274 · Museum · 3 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Inside Fuerte de San José el Alto in Campeche city, the museum displays more than 900 objects recovered from underwater archaeological sites in the Gulf of Mexico, the Mexican Caribbean and the cenotes, lakes and rivers of the Yucatán Peninsula.

Museo de Arqueología Maya del Camino Real de Hecelchakán

Mile 309 · Museum · 0.6 mi from the route

On Highway 180 about 40 miles north of Campeche city, Hecelchakán's INAH museum displays Maya archaeology from the Camino Real region. It is the only museum of its kind along this historic route toward Calkiní.

Uxmal

Mile 329 · Archaeological site · 17 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Founded around A.D. 700, the Maya city of Uxmal is a UNESCO World Heritage Site where Puuc-style buildings such as the Pyramid of the Soothsayer, the Governor's Palace and the Nunnery Quadrangle carry carvings of the rain god Chaac.

Oxkintok

Mile 339 · Archaeological site · 2 mi from the route

Oxkintok is a pre-Columbian Maya archaeological site in the Puuc region of Yucatán state, in southeastern Mexico.

Museo Conmemorativo de la Inmigración Coreana a Yucatán

Mile 377 · History museum · 3 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

In Mérida's historic center, this memorial museum tells the story of the first Korean immigrants to Yucatán and their work in the henequen industry, with more than 200 photos, documents, newspapers and pieces of traditional clothing.

More drives to Río Lagartos

From Teapa to other places in Mexico

Frequently asked questions

How long is the drive from Teapa to Río Lagartos?

About 10 h 53 min of driving without stops, over 506 miles.

How far is Río Lagartos from Teapa by car?

About 506 miles (815 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 Teapa to Río Lagartos?

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 Teapa to Río Lagartos?

The U.S. State Department rates Tabasco Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Campeche Level 1: Exercise Normal Precautions; Yucatán Level 1: Exercise Normal Precautions (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.

Which highways go from Teapa to Río Lagartos?

In order: MEX-195, MEX-180, MEX-180D, MEX-202 and MEX-176. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.

Where can you stop on the way from Teapa to Río Lagartos?

Closest to the road: Casa Museo Cnel. Gregorio Méndez Magaña (museum, mile 35, 0.2 mi from the route); Museo de Historia de Tabasco Casa de los Azulejos (museum, mile 35, 0.5 mi from the route); Museo de Arqueología Maya del Camino Real de Hecelchakán (museum, mile 309, 0.6 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.