By road, Barbacena and Catanduva are about 460 miles (741 km) apart, or roughly 10 h 3 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 | 460 mi (741 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 10 h 3 min |
| Main roads, in order | BR-265 → BR-494 → MG-260 → MG-164 → MG-050 → SP-351 → SP-334 → SP-328 → SP-322 → SP-333 → SP-310 |
| States on the route | Minas Gerais, São Paulo |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 18.4 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 8 |
What the drive from Barbacena to Catanduva is like
MG-050 (150 mi) and BR-494 (78 mi) carry about 50% of the 460 miles. It runs through 2 states: Minas Gerais, São Paulo. Of the 8 stops listed below, 1 are within a mile of the road.
Barbacena to Catanduva: the road sequence
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–2 | 2 | Minas Gerais |
| BR-265 | 2–34 | 32 | Minas Gerais |
| connecting roads | 34–38 | 4 | Minas Gerais |
| BR-494 | 38–116 | 78 | Minas Gerais |
| local roads | 116–126 | 10 | Minas Gerais |
| MG-260 | 126–131 | 5 | Minas Gerais |
| connecting roads | 131–132 | 1 | Minas Gerais |
| MG-164 | 132–146 | 14 | Minas Gerais |
| connecting roads | 146–147 | 1 | Minas Gerais |
| MG-050 | 147–297 | 150 | Minas Gerais |
| BR-265 | 297–313 | 16 | Minas Gerais, São Paulo |
| local roads | 313–321 | 8 | São Paulo |
| SP-351 | 321–343 | 22 | São Paulo |
| connecting roads | 343–345 | 2 | São Paulo |
| SP-334 | 345–362 | 17 | São Paulo |
| connecting roads | 362–365 | 3 | São Paulo |
| SP-328 | 365–373 | 8 | São Paulo |
| SP-322 | 373–379 | 6 | São Paulo |
| SP-333 | 379–425 | 46 | São Paulo |
| connecting roads | 425–426 | 1 | São Paulo |
| SP-310 | 426–459 | 33 | São Paulo |
| local roads | 459–460 | 1 | São Paulo |
- Mile 311 of this route: Minas Gerais → São Paulo (state line)
Places worth a stop between Barbacena and Catanduva
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Museu Casa de Portinari (mile 351)
- Nature and outdoors: Cachoeira da Capivara (mile 240)
- Museums and history: Museu de Sant'Ana (mile 32), Museu Regional de São João del-Rei (mile 37), Museu Casa de Portinari (mile 351), Francisco Schmidt coffee museum (mile 371), Our Lady of Carmel Cathedral, Jaboticabal (mile 402), Museu Histórico de Jaboticabal (mile 403)
Museu de Sant'Ana
Founded in 2014 by the Instituto Cultural Flávio Gutierrez, this Tiradentes art museum specializes in images of Saint Anne, with a collection of 291 statues.
Historic center of São João del-Rei
São João del-Rei's historic center is the town's preserved colonial core, with churches, chapels, bridges, fountains, townhouses and street layouts dating from its 18th-century mining origins.
Museu Regional de São João del-Rei
Museu Regional de São João del-Rei is a history and art museum in the town of São João del-Rei, in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais.
Cachoeira da Capivara
In Capitólio, the Ribeirão da Capivara spills over this waterfall on its way into Furnas Lake. A trail of about 900 meters leads to the falls, which drop into a pool roughly 16 meters deep.
Museu Casa de Portinari
In Brodowski, Candido Portinari's childhood home is now the Museu Casa de Portinari, where the painter often returned to stay with family. Inside are several of his works, mostly murals painted in fresco and tempera.
Francisco Schmidt coffee museum
On the University of São Paulo campus in Ribeirão Preto, the Francisco Schmidt coffee museum covers the history of coffee through mills, processing machines, bean samples and objects from immigrants, enslaved people and barons.
Our Lady of Carmel Cathedral, Jaboticabal
Jaboticabal's Our Lady of Carmel Cathedral stands on Joaquim Batista Square, the city's zero point. It serves as seat of the Catholic Diocese of Jaboticabal and became a parish in 1898.
Museu Histórico de Jaboticabal
Run by the city of Jaboticabal, the Museu Histórico de Jaboticabal Aloísio de Almeida was created by law in 1965 and opened to the public on July 16, 1979, to preserve the town's historic and artistic heritage.
More drives to Catanduva
- Limeira to Catanduva
- Mogi Guaçu to Catanduva
- Itu to Catanduva
- Poços de Caldas to Catanduva
- Jundiaí to Catanduva
- Sorocaba to Catanduva
From Barbacena to other places in Brazil
- Barbacena to Passos
- Barbacena to Araguari
- Barbacena to Catalão
- Barbacena to Ourinhos
- Barbacena to Ituiutaba
- Barbacena to Itabira
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to drive from Barbacena to Catanduva?
About 10 h 3 min of driving without stops, over 460 miles.
What is the driving distance from Barbacena to Catanduva?
About 460 miles (741 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.
What does the U.S. travel advisory say about the Barbacena to Catanduva drive?
The U.S. State Department rates Brazil Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution. Read the full advisory before you go.
Which highways go from Barbacena to Catanduva?
In order: BR-265, BR-494, MG-260, MG-164, MG-050, SP-351, SP-334, SP-328, SP-322, SP-333 and SP-310. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between Barbacena and Catanduva?
Closest to the road: Historic center of São João del-Rei (old town, mile 37, 1 mi from the route); Museu Regional de São João del-Rei (history museum, mile 37, 1 mi from the route); Museu Casa de Portinari (museum, mile 351, 0.2 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.