By road, Tlayacapan and Sayulita are about 531 miles (854 km) apart, or roughly 9 h 24 min of driving.
| Distance | 531 mi (854 km) |
|---|---|
| Time at the wheel, no stops | 9 h 24 min |
| Main roads, in order | MOR 2 → MEX-160D → MEX-95D → MEX-106 → MEX-200 → EM 44 → MEX-55 → MEX-55D → MEX-15D → MEX-15 → MEX-70D → MEX-200D |
| Mexican states on the route | Morelos, State of Mexico, Michoacán, Jalisco, Nayarit |
| Toll roads (as marked in OpenStreetMap) | MEX-160D, MEX-95D, MEX-55D, MEX-15D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 21.2 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
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.
What the drive from Tlayacapan to Sayulita is like
MEX-15D (321 mi) and MEX-55D (29 mi) carry about 66% of the 531 miles. It runs through 5 states: Morelos, State of Mexico, Michoacán, Jalisco, Nayarit. OpenStreetMap marks tolled sections on MEX-160D, MEX-95D and MEX-55D. Of the 9 stops listed below, 3 are within a mile of the road.
Roads you'll take from Tlayacapan to Sayulita
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–3 | 3 | Morelos |
| MOR 2 | 3–7 | 4 | Morelos |
| connecting roads | 7–8 | 1 | Morelos |
| MEX-160D | 8–20 | 12 | Morelos |
| connecting roads | 20–21 | 1 | Morelos |
| MEX-95D | 21–31 | 10 | Morelos |
| connecting roads | 31–32 | 1 | Morelos |
| MEX-106 | 32–50 | 18 | Morelos, State of Mexico |
| MEX-200 | 50–54 | 4 | State of Mexico |
| local roads | 54–59 | 5 | State of Mexico |
| connecting roads | 59–62 | 3 | State of Mexico |
| EM 44 | 62–70 | 8 | State of Mexico |
| local roads | 70–75 | 5 | State of Mexico |
| MEX-55 | 75–86 | 11 | State of Mexico |
| MEX-55D | 86–115 | 29 | State of Mexico |
| MEX-55 | 115–119 | 4 | State of Mexico |
| MEX-15D | 119–375 | 256 | State of Mexico, Michoacán, Jalisco |
| MEX-15 | 375–384 | 9 | Jalisco |
| MEX-15D | 384–449 | 65 | Jalisco, Nayarit |
| local roads | 449–483 | 34 | Nayarit |
| MEX-70D | 483–501 | 18 | Nayarit |
| MEX-200D | 501–516 | 15 | Nayarit |
| MEX-200 | 516–529 | 13 | Nayarit |
| local roads | 529–531 | 2 | Nayarit |
- Mile 44 of this route: Morelos → State of Mexico (state line)
- Mile 137 of this route: State of Mexico → Michoacán (state line)
- Mile 305 of this route: Michoacán → Jalisco (state line)
- Mile 432 of this route: Jalisco → Nayarit (state line)
What to see on the way from Tlayacapan to Sayulita
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Tepoztlán Ex Convento Museum (mile 16), Lagunas de Zempoala National Park (mile 41), Museo Interpretativo del Paisaje Agavero y la Minería (mile 413)
- Nature and outdoors: Lagunas de Zempoala National Park (mile 41), La Marquesa National Park (mile 62), Rayón National Park (mile 140), Rincón de Guayabitos (mile 512)
- Museums and history: El Tepozteco (mile 16), Tepoztlán Ex Convento Museum (mile 16), Basílica de San Felipe Neri (mile 368), Museo Interpretativo del Paisaje Agavero y la Minería (mile 413)
- With kids: Acuario Michin Guadalajara (mile 369)
El Tepozteco
High on a hill above Tepoztlán, El Tepozteco holds the remains of a shrine to Ometochtli-Tepoztécatl, god of pulque, fertility and the harvest, along with terraced platforms built from around AD 1200.
Tepoztlán Ex Convento Museum
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.
Lagunas de Zempoala National Park
Seven lagoons, three of them permanent, sit among pine, oak and fir forest above 3,000 meters in this park, decreed in 1936 on the Morelos–State of Mexico line. Hiking, horseback riding, camping and rowboats are popular here.
La Marquesa National Park
Set in high-altitude conifer forest along the Mexico City–Toluca highway, La Marquesa National Park offers roadside eateries, horse and ATV rentals, mountain biking and camping, and marks the site of the 1810 Battle of Monte de las Cruces.
Rayón National Park
Butterfly reserve country begins at Rayón National Park, on the edge of Tlalpujahua, and extends south and west from there across the region.
Basílica de San Felipe Neri
Guadalajara's Basilica of San Felipe Neri is a Catholic church built in baroque style between 1752 and 1802 by master builder Pedro José Ciprés.
Acuario Michin Guadalajara
Acuario Michin Guadalajara is an aquarium in the city of Guadalajara, in the Mexican state of Jalisco.
Museo Interpretativo del Paisaje Agavero y la Minería
Agave landscapes and mining are the twin themes of the Museo Interpretativo del Paisaje Agavero y la Minería, an interpretive museum in the municipality of Magdalena.
Rincón de Guayabitos
Visitors from Guadalajara and Tepic often head to this Nayarit beach town in the municipality of Compostela. Its shore runs about two kilometers, and the waves tend to be calm.
More drives to Sayulita
- Tepatitlán to Sayulita
- San Juan de los Lagos to Sayulita
- Jalpa to Sayulita
- León to Sayulita
- Aguascalientes to Sayulita
- Paracho to Sayulita
From Tlayacapan to other places in Mexico
- Tlayacapan to Malinalco
- Tlayacapan to Tonatico
- Tlayacapan to Ixtenco
- Tlayacapan to Omitlán
- Tlayacapan to Huasca de Ocampo
- Tlayacapan to El Oro
Continue Your Adventure
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to drive from Tlayacapan to Sayulita?
About 9 h 24 min of driving without stops, over 531 miles.
What is the driving distance from Tlayacapan to Sayulita?
About 531 miles (854 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 Tlayacapan to Sayulita?
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 Tlayacapan to Sayulita?
The U.S. State Department rates Morelos Level 3: Reconsider Travel; State of Mexico Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Michoacán Level 4: Do Not Travel; Jalisco Level 3: Reconsider Travel; Nayarit Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.
Which highways go from Tlayacapan to Sayulita?
In order: MOR 2, MEX-160D, MEX-95D, MEX-106, MEX-200, EM 44, MEX-55, MEX-55D, MEX-15D, MEX-15, MEX-70D and MEX-200D. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
Where can you stop on the way from Tlayacapan to Sayulita?
Closest to the road: Tepoztlán Ex Convento Museum (museum, mile 16, 0.5 mi from the route); Lagunas de Zempoala National Park (national park, mile 41, 0.3 mi from the route); Museo Interpretativo del Paisaje Agavero y la Minería (museum, mile 413, 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.