Teapa to Zacualpan de Amilpas Road Trip: Route, Stops & Safety

By admin, 12 October, 2026

Teapa to Zacualpan de Amilpas is about 480 road miles (772 km): roughly 8 h 16 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 Zacualpan de Amilpas. Check the full advisory for this state before you go.
Villahermosa CathedralCasa Museo Cnel. Gregorio Méndez MagañaLa VentaHuatuscoCañón del Río Blanco National ParkLa Malinche National ParkConvent Church of Santo Domingo, PueblaHistoric centre of PueblaTonantzintla ObservatoryTeapaZacualpan de Amilpas
Route from Teapa to Zacualpan de Amilpas with the 9 stops listed below (blue dots).
Distance by road480 mi (772 km)
Time at the wheel, no stops8 h 16 min
Main roads, in orderMEX-195 → MEX-180 → MEX-180D → MEX-145D → MEX-150D → MEX-190 → PUE 438D
Mexican states on the routeTabasco, Veracruz, Puebla, Morelos
Toll roads (as marked in OpenStreetMap)MEX-180D, MEX-145D, MEX-150D
Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg)about 19.2 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.

The Teapa–Zacualpan de Amilpas drive in a few lines

MEX-145D (142 mi) and MEX-150D (131 mi) carry about 57% of the 480 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, 3 are within a mile of the road.

The route from Teapa to Zacualpan de Amilpas, road by road

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 438D449–47728Puebla, Morelos
local roads477–4803Morelos
  • 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)

Breaking up the drive: stops between Teapa and Zacualpan de Amilpas

  • Right off the route (under 1 mile): Villahermosa Cathedral (mile 34), Casa Museo Cnel. Gregorio Méndez Magaña (mile 34), Cañón del Río Blanco National Park (mile 346)
  • Nature and outdoors: Cañón del Río Blanco National Park (mile 346), La Malinche National Park (mile 420)
  • Museums and history: Villahermosa Cathedral (mile 34), Casa Museo Cnel. Gregorio Méndez Magaña (mile 34), La Venta (mile 108), Huatusco (mile 298), Convent Church of Santo Domingo, Puebla (mile 428), Historic centre of Puebla (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.

Casa Museo Cnel. Gregorio Méndez Magaña

Mile 34 · Museum · 0.7 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.

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.

Huatusco

Mile 298 · Archaeological site · 2 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Above the Atoyac River in Carrillo Puerto, Cuauhtochco has a Mexica-era temple that still keeps original surface finishes. Expect no visitor facilities, and consider hiring a local guide.

Cañón del Río Blanco National Park

Mile 346 · National park · 0.5 mi from the route

Cañón del Río Blanco National Park is a protected natural area in the Mexican state of Veracruz, set aside by the government as a national park.

La Malinche National Park

Mile 420 · National park · 11 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Tlaxcala's La Malinche National Park surrounds the inactive Matlalcuéyetl volcano, with pine, oak and fir forests on its slopes, hiking trails, birdwatching, and stone cabins and campsites at the Malintzi Vacation Center.

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.

Historic centre of Puebla

Mile 437 · Historic center · 4 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Laid out from scratch in 1531, Puebla's UNESCO-listed core is a grid of tile-covered houses, colonial churches and the 16th–17th-century cathedral, with the old archbishop's palace that houses the Palafox Library, established in 1646.

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.

More drives to Zacualpan de Amilpas

From Teapa to other places in Mexico

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to drive from Teapa to Zacualpan de Amilpas?

About 8 h 16 min of driving without stops, over 480 miles.

How far is Zacualpan de Amilpas from Teapa by car?

About 480 miles (772 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 Zacualpan de Amilpas?

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 Zacualpan de Amilpas?

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.

What roads does the drive from Teapa to Zacualpan de Amilpas use?

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

What are good stops between Teapa and Zacualpan de Amilpas?

Closest to the road: Villahermosa Cathedral (cathedral, mile 34, 0.7 mi from the route); Casa Museo Cnel. Gregorio Méndez Magaña (museum, mile 34, 0.7 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.