By road, Araruama and Itanhaém are about 401 miles (646 km) apart, or roughly 8 h 26 min of driving.
- Level 4: Do Not Travel in Brazil: informal housing developments (favelas, vilas, comunidades or conglomerados).
Full advisory: Brazil. Advisory issued: Brazil August 31, 2026; checked October 10, 2026.
On the roads, the State Department says:
- Brazil: “Drivers must have their daytime running lights on during the day and headlights on at night on Federal Highways.”
| Distance by road | 401 mi (646 km) |
|---|---|
| Time at the wheel, no stops | 8 h 26 min |
| Main roads, in order | RJ-124 → BR-101 → BR-040 → BR-116 → SPI 117/070 → SP-070 → SP-021 → SP-160 → SP-055 |
| States on the route | Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 16.0 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 8 |
On the road from Araruama to Itanhaém
BR-116 (176 mi) and BR-101 (46 mi) carry about 55% of the 401 miles. It runs through 2 states: Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo. Of the 8 stops listed below, 2 are within a mile of the road.
Road-by-road breakdown: Araruama to Itanhaém
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–6 | 6 | Rio de Janeiro |
| RJ-124 | 6–24 | 18 | Rio de Janeiro |
| BR-101 | 24–70 | 46 | Rio de Janeiro |
| BR-040 | 70–79 | 9 | Rio de Janeiro |
| connecting roads | 79–81 | 2 | Rio de Janeiro |
| BR-116 | 81–257 | 176 | Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo |
| connecting roads | 257–258 | 1 | São Paulo |
| SPI 117/070 | 258–300 | 42 | São Paulo |
| SP-070 | 300–316 | 16 | São Paulo |
| connecting roads | 316–318 | 2 | São Paulo |
| SP-021 | 318–349 | 31 | São Paulo |
| connecting roads | 349–351 | 2 | São Paulo |
| SP-160 | 351–370 | 19 | São Paulo |
| connecting roads | 370–371 | 1 | São Paulo |
| SP-055 | 371–400 | 29 | São Paulo |
| local roads | 400–401 | 1 | São Paulo |
- Mile 185 of this route: Rio de Janeiro → São Paulo (state line)
What to see on the way from Araruama to Itanhaém
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Itatiaia National Park (mile 175), Museu Frei Galvão (mile 225)
- Nature and outdoors: Serra do Barbosão Municipal Nature Park (mile 33), Itatiaia National Park (mile 175), Parque Natural Estoril (mile 345), Praia da Tupi (mile 379)
- Museums and history: Centro Cultural do Movimento Escoteiro (mile 66), Museu da Polícia Militar do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (mile 70), Museu Frei Galvão (mile 225), Anthropology Museum of the Paraíba Valley (mile 290)
Serra do Barbosão Municipal Nature Park
Serra do Barbosão Municipal Nature Park is a protected area in Rio de Janeiro state, set aside by the municipality to safeguard a stretch of Atlantic Forest.
Centro Cultural do Movimento Escoteiro
Founded in 1985 in Rio de Janeiro, the Centro Cultural do Movimento Escoteiro (CCME) preserves and shares the memory and culture of scouting in Brazil and holds the country's largest scouting collection.
Museu da Polícia Militar do Estado do Rio de Janeiro
Museu da Polícia Militar do Estado do Rio de Janeiro is a themed museum that preserves and presents the history of Rio de Janeiro's state military police.
Itatiaia National Park
Brazil's national park system started here: Itatiaia National Park (Parque Nacional do Itatiaia) was created in 1937 as the country's first. The protected area lies on the border between Rio de Janeiro and Minas Gerais states.
Museu Frei Galvão
The Museu Frei Galvão is a municipal cultural institution in Guaratinguetá, in São Paulo state, maintained jointly by the city government and a local association of the museum's friends.
Anthropology Museum of the Paraíba Valley
Ceramic vessels and stone tools are among the archaeological finds at the Museu de Antropologia do Vale do Paraíba in Jacareí, which also displays sacred art, folk art and paintings.
Parque Natural Estoril
In São Bernardo do Campo, Parque Natural Estoril is a conservation area protecting Atlantic Forest, part of the Billings Reservoir and local wildlife across roughly 373,000 square meters.
Praia da Tupi
Praia da Tupi is a beach in Praia Grande, São Paulo state, with yellowish sand and blue water; it is one of the city's less crowded beaches and a favorite with surfers.
More drives to Itanhaém
- Cubatão to Itanhaém
- São Paulo to Itanhaém
- Jundiaí to Itanhaém
- Bragança Paulista to Itanhaém
- Itu to Itanhaém
- Campinas to Itanhaém
From Araruama to other places in Brazil
- Araruama to Itaguaí
- Araruama to Resende
- Araruama to Penedo
- Araruama to Fumaça
- Araruama to Historic Village of Mambucaba
- Araruama to Guaratinguetá
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Araruama to Itanhaém?
About 8 h 26 min of driving without stops, over 401 miles.
How far is Itanhaém from Araruama by car?
About 401 miles (646 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.
Is it safe to drive from Araruama to Itanhaém?
The U.S. State Department rates Brazil Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution. Read the full advisory before you go.
What roads does the drive from Araruama to Itanhaém use?
In order: RJ-124, BR-101, BR-040, BR-116, SPI 117/070, SP-070, SP-021, SP-160 and SP-055. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
Where can you stop on the way from Araruama to Itanhaém?
Closest to the road: Itatiaia National Park (national park, mile 175, 0.2 mi from the route); Museu Frei Galvão (museum, mile 225, 0.4 mi from the route); Parque Natural Estoril (park, mile 345, 1 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 October 10, 2026. Conditions change, so check the linked sources before you travel.
Route data © OpenStreetMap contributors.