Tetela de Ocampo to Metztitlán Road Trip: Route, Tolls & Stops

By admin, 3 October, 2026

The Wayro route from Tetela de Ocampo to Metztitlán is 132 miles (212 km), about 3 h 27 min of driving without stops.

U.S. State Department travel advisory: Puebla — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; Hidalgo — Level 2, Exercise Increased CautionAdvisory issued May 29, 2026; checked September 29, 2026. Hidalgo is the Mexican state that contains Metztitlán. See the full advisory for current details.
Santuario de Nuestro Padre Jesús de AquixtlaEl Santo MuseumBasaltic Prisms of Santa María ReglaEl Chico National ParkEl HilocheTemplo y exconvento de San AgustínBarranca de MetztitlánBiosphere Reserve Barranca de MetztitlánTetela de OcampoMetztitlán
Route from Tetela de Ocampo to Metztitlán with the 8 stops listed below (blue dots).
Distance132 mi (212 km)
Driving time, no stops3 h 27 min
Main roads, in orderPUE 148 → MEX-119D → MEX-132D → MEX-105 → HGO 37
Mexican states on the routePuebla (Level 2), Hidalgo (Level 2)
Toll roadsMEX-119D, MEX-132D
Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg)about 5.3 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.

What the drive from Tetela de Ocampo to Metztitlán is like

PUE 148 (28 mi) and MEX-105 (20 mi) carry about 36% of the 132 miles. MEX-119D, MEX-132D are toll highways (cuota); MEX-105 is a free federal road (libre). It runs through 2 states: Puebla, Hidalgo. Of the 8 stops listed below, 4 are within a mile of the road.

The route from Tetela de Ocampo to Metztitlán, road by road

RoadRoute miles (from–to)Length, miState
local roads0–11Puebla
PUE 1481–2928Puebla
connecting roads29–345Puebla
MEX-119D34–5218Puebla, Hidalgo
connecting roads52–542Hidalgo
MEX-132D54–7319Hidalgo
local roads73–9421Hidalgo
MEX-10594–984Hidalgo
local roads98–1013Hidalgo
MEX-105101–11716Hidalgo
HGO 37117–13215Hidalgo
  • Mile 49 of this route: Puebla → Hidalgo (state line)

Stops between Tetela de Ocampo and Metztitlán

  • Right off the route (under 1 mile): Santuario de Nuestro Padre Jesús de Aquixtla (mile 27), Templo y exconvento de San Agustín (mile 101), Barranca de Metztitlán (mile 117), Biosphere Reserve Barranca de Metztitlán (mile 124)
  • Nature and outdoors: Basaltic Prisms of Santa María Regla (mile 89), El Chico National Park (mile 94), El Hiloche (mile 94), Barranca de Metztitlán (mile 117), Biosphere Reserve Barranca de Metztitlán (mile 124)
  • Museums and history: El Santo Museum (mile 73)

Santuario de Nuestro Padre Jesús de Aquixtla

Mile 27 · Sanctuary · 0.7 mi from the route

In the Sierra Norte de Puebla, the sanctuary of Nuestro Padre Jesús in Aquixtla draws thousands of pilgrims during the year who come to give thanks for favors received.

El Santo Museum

Mile 73 · Museum · 2 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Wrestling fans can stop in Tulancingo, birthplace of the masked luchador El Santo, where this museum opened in 1985. Displays include original masks and ring outfits, movie promotional material and photos from his career and private life.

Basaltic Prisms of Santa María Regla

Mile 89 · Waterfall · 1 mi from the route

Basalt columns more than 40 meters tall line a ravine near Huasca de Ocampo, formed when lava cooled quickly on contact with water. Alexander von Humboldt described the Basaltic Prisms (Prismas Basálticos) after his visit in 1803.

El Chico National Park

Mile 94 · National Park of Mexico · 6 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

In Hidalgo, El Chico National Park is known for towering cliffs such as Las Ventanas and Peña del Cuervo, popular with climbers, and forest wildlife including gray foxes, ringtails, armadillos, hawks, falcons and woodpeckers.

El Hiloche

Mile 94 · State park · 6 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Bosque El Hiloche is a state park of about 100 hectares of forest in Mineral del Monte, Hidalgo, and one of the geosites of the Comarca Minera Geopark.

Templo y exconvento de San Agustín

Mile 101 · Convent · 0.7 mi from the route

Founded in 1536 and built between 1542 and 1562, the Augustinian church and former convent of San Agustín in Atotonilco el Grande has a Plateresque design and frescoes.

Barranca de Metztitlán

Mile 117 · Canyon · 0.1 mi from the route

Barranca de Metztitlán is a biosphere reserve in Hidalgo, protected for its steep cliffs, deep winding canyons and distinctive plants and wildlife.

Biosphere Reserve Barranca de Metztitlán

Mile 124 · Biosphere reserve · 0.6 mi from the route

The Barranca de Metztitlán Biosphere Reserve protects about 96,000 hectares of eastern-central Hidalgo, where the Amajac, Metztitlán, Almolón and Metzquititlán rivers have cut four canyons, the Metztitlán gorge being the main one.

When you get to Metztitlán

Los Reyes Magos monastery, Metztitlán

Convent · in Metztitlán

Augustinian friars built the fortress-like Santos Reyes convent in Metztitlán in the 16th century, enclosing its atrium with a wall, open chapels and an atrial cross; it stands inside the Barranca de Metztitlán Biosphere Reserve with wide canyon views.

More drives to Metztitlán

From Tetela de Ocampo to other places in Mexico

Frequently asked questions

How long is the drive from Tetela de Ocampo to Metztitlán?

About 3 h 27 min of driving without stops, over 132 miles.

How far is Metztitlán from Tetela de Ocampo by car?

About 132 miles (212 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 Tetela de Ocampo to Metztitlán?

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 Tetela de Ocampo to Metztitlán?

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

What roads does the drive from Tetela de Ocampo to Metztitlán use?

In order: PUE 148, MEX-119D, MEX-132D, MEX-105 and HGO 37. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.

What are good stops between Tetela de Ocampo and Metztitlán?

Closest to the road: Templo y exconvento de San Agustín (convent, mile 101, 0.7 mi from the route); Barranca de Metztitlán (canyon, mile 117, 0.1 mi from the route); Biosphere Reserve Barranca de Metztitlán (biosphere reserve, mile 124, 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 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.