Teapa to Tepoztlán Road Trip: Route, Stops & Safety

By admin, 12 October, 2026

Teapa to Tepoztlán is about 514 road miles (827 km): roughly 8 h 51 min at the wheel if you don't stop.

U.S. State Department travel advisory: Tabasco — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; Veracruz — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; Puebla — 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 Tepoztlán. Check the full advisory for this state before you go.
Villahermosa CathedralMuseo de Historia de Tabasco Casa de los AzulejosLa VentaCathedral of Córdoba, VeracruzCañón del Río Blanco National ParkConvent Church of Santo Domingo, PueblaInternational Museum of the BaroqueTonantzintla ObservatoryTemplo y Exconvento de San Mateo ApóstolTeapaTepoztlán
Route from Teapa to Tepoztlán with the 9 stops listed below (blue dots).
Distance514 mi (827 km)
Drive time without stops8 h 51 min
Main roads, in orderMEX-195 → MEX-180 → MEX-180D → MEX-145D → MEX-150D → MEX-190 → PUE 438D → MEX-160 → MEX-160D
Mexican states on the routeTabasco, Veracruz, Puebla, Morelos
Toll roads (as marked in OpenStreetMap)MEX-180D, MEX-145D, MEX-150D, MEX-160D
Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg)about 20.6 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.

How the Teapa to Tepoztlán drive plays out

MEX-145D (142 mi) and MEX-150D (131 mi) carry about 53% of the 514 miles. It runs through 4 states: Tabasco, Veracruz, Puebla, Morelos. OpenStreetMap marks tolled sections on MEX-180D, MEX-145D and MEX-150D. Of the 9 stops listed below, 2 are within a mile of the road.

Road-by-road breakdown: Teapa to Tepoztlán

RoadRoute miles (from–to)Length, miState
local roads0–11Tabasco
MEX-1951–3534Tabasco
connecting roads35–361Tabasco
MEX-18036–7539Tabasco
MEX-180D75–10833Tabasco
MEX-180108–12719Tabasco, Veracruz
MEX-180D127–14922Veracruz
MEX-145D149–291142Veracruz
MEX-150D291–422131Veracruz, Puebla
connecting roads422–4231Puebla
MEX-190423–43714Puebla
local roads437–44912Puebla
PUE 438D449–48233Puebla, Morelos
MEX-160482–49816Morelos
MEX-160D498–51113Morelos
local roads511–5143Morelos
  • Mile 111 of this route: Tabasco → Veracruz (state line)
  • Mile 359 of this route: Veracruz → Puebla (state line)
  • Mile 475 of this route: Puebla → Morelos (state line)

Places worth a stop between Teapa and Tepoztlán

  • Right off the route (under 1 mile): Villahermosa Cathedral (mile 34), Cañón del Río Blanco National Park (mile 346)
  • Nature and outdoors: Cañón del Río Blanco National Park (mile 346)
  • Museums and history: Villahermosa Cathedral (mile 34), Museo de Historia de Tabasco Casa de los Azulejos (mile 34), La Venta (mile 108), Cathedral of Córdoba, Veracruz (mile 324), Convent Church of Santo Domingo, Puebla (mile 428), International Museum of the Baroque (mile 437)

Villahermosa Cathedral

Mile 34 · Cathedral · 0.7 mi from the route

Rising on Paseo Tabasco in Villahermosa, the Cathedral of the Lord of Tabasco has tall towers above a monumental facade. The current building dates from 1960–1963; an earlier cathedral was destroyed in the anticlerical campaigns of 1928–1934.

Museo de Historia de Tabasco Casa de los Azulejos

Mile 34 · Museum · 1 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.

La Venta

Mile 108 · Archaeological site · 3 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

La Venta was an important city of the Olmec civilization, in Tabasco near Huimanguillo. Its site museum displays more than 200 artifacts, including monumental sandstone sculptures found at the foot of the main pyramid.

Cathedral of Córdoba, Veracruz

Mile 324 · Cathedral · 2 mi from the route

Built in the first half of the 17th century, Córdoba's Immaculate Conception Cathedral is the city's main church; look up to see its octagonal dome covered in tiles, finished in a neoclassical style.

Cañón del Río Blanco National Park

Mile 346 · National park · 0.5 mi from the route

Protected as a national park by Mexico's government, Cañón del Río Blanco is a natural area in Veracruz state.

Convent Church of Santo Domingo, Puebla

Mile 428 · Church · 4 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Behind the facade of Puebla's Santo Domingo church hides the Capilla del Rosario, inaugurated in 1690. Gold covers its walls, pilasters and vaults, and contemporaries hailed it as the eighth wonder of the New World.

International Museum of the Baroque

Mile 437 · Art museum · 1 mi from the route

Designed by Japanese architect Toyo Ito and opened in 2016, Puebla's baroque museum wraps its galleries in curving white concrete walls beside a reflecting pond. Exhibits cover baroque painting, sculpture, architecture, music, theater and literature.

Tonantzintla Observatory

Mile 440 · Observatory · 3 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

The Tonantzintla Observatory in Puebla was home to the National Astrophysical Observatory directed by Guillermo Haro. Its main instrument, a Schmidt camera, was a wide-field telescope built for photographing the sky.

Templo y Exconvento de San Mateo Apóstol

Mile 501 · Convent · 6 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

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.

In Tepoztlán itself

Tepoztlán Ex Convento Museum

Museum · in Tepoztlán

Tepoztlán's Dominican monastery, built between 1555 and 1580, keeps original 16th-century murals in its cloister. Upstairs, the museum covers local daily life, faith, festivals and dances, and the complex is part of a UNESCO World Heritage listing.

Museo Carlos Pellicer

Museum · in Tepoztlán

Tepoztlán's Museo de Arte Prehispánico Carlos Pellicer, opened in 1965 and named for the poet and museographer, displays a collection of pre-Hispanic objects in the former granary of the Church of Nuestra Señora de la Natividad.

El Tepozteco National Park

National park · in Tepoztlán

Eroded volcanic hills of the Sierra de Tepoztlán fill this national park, about half of which lies in Mexico City's Milpa Alta borough. A short, steep climb leads to the Tepozteco archaeological zone; wear good shoes, since the rocks get slippery.

More drives to Tepoztlán

From Teapa to other places in Mexico

Frequently asked questions

How long is the drive from Teapa to Tepoztlán?

About 8 h 51 min of driving without stops, over 514 miles.

How far is Tepoztlán from Teapa by car?

About 514 miles (827 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 Tepoztlán?

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 Tepoztlán?

The U.S. State Department rates Tabasco Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Veracruz Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Puebla Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Morelos Level 3: Reconsider Travel (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.

Which highways go from Teapa to Tepoztlán?

In order: MEX-195, MEX-180, MEX-180D, MEX-145D, MEX-150D, MEX-190, PUE 438D, MEX-160 and MEX-160D. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.

What are good stops between Teapa and Tepoztlán?

Closest to the road: Villahermosa Cathedral (cathedral, mile 34, 0.7 mi from the route); Museo de Historia de Tabasco Casa de los Azulejos (museum, mile 34, 1 mi from the route); Cañón del Río Blanco National Park (national park, mile 346, 0.5 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.