By road, Barbacena and Votuporanga are about 517 miles (832 km) apart, or roughly 11 h 11 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: “Driving on Brazil’s roads poses significant risks.”
| Distance by road | 517 mi (832 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 11 h 11 min |
| Main roads, in order | BR-265 → BR-494 → MG-260 → MG-164 → MG-050 → MG-344 → MG-444 → SP-345 → SP-425 → SP-310 → SP-320 |
| States on the route | Minas Gerais, São Paulo |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 20.7 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 7 |
The Barbacena–Votuporanga drive in a few lines
MG-050 (129 mi) and SP-345 (91 mi) carry about 43% of the 517 miles. It runs through 2 states: Minas Gerais, São Paulo. None of the 7 stops below is right on the road, so plan each as a short side trip.
Barbacena to Votuporanga: 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 | 147–276 | 129 | Minas Gerais |
| MG-344 | 276–292 | 16 | Minas Gerais |
| MG-444 | 292–307 | 15 | Minas Gerais |
| SP-345 | 307–398 | 91 | São Paulo |
| SP-425 | 398–463 | 65 | São Paulo |
| connecting roads | 463–465 | 2 | São Paulo |
| SP-310 | 465–475 | 10 | São Paulo |
| connecting roads | 475–476 | 1 | São Paulo |
| SP-320 | 476–515 | 39 | São Paulo |
| local roads | 515–517 | 2 | São Paulo |
- Mile 307 of this route: Minas Gerais → São Paulo (state line)
Places worth a stop between Barbacena and Votuporanga
- Nature and outdoors: Cachoeira da Capivara (mile 240)
- Museums and history: Museu de Sant'Ana (mile 32), Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar, São João del Rei (mile 37), Museu de Arte Sacra (mile 37), José Chiachiri Municipal Historical Museum (mile 329), Museu Ruy Menezes (mile 409)
- With kids: Thermas dos Laranjais (mile 434)
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.
Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar, São João del Rei
Also called the São João del Rei Cathedral, this Catholic shrine is a protected heritage site known for colonial-era art, with gold decoration, paintings and statues inside.
Museu de Arte Sacra
Inside São João del-Rei's former jail, the Museu de Arte Sacra holds about 450 religious objects, including liturgical vestments and sacred images, from local confraternities and orders.
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.
José Chiachiri Municipal Historical Museum
Franca's municipal history museum opened to the public in 1959 and bears the name of its first director, journalist José Chiachiri. Its eclectic collection, donated piece by piece by local residents, ranges from antique furniture to parts of the city's old animal-drawn tram.
Museu Ruy Menezes
In Barretos, São Paulo, the Ruy Menezes Historical, Artistic and Folkloric Museum safeguards the city's memory through documents and objects from local history.
Thermas dos Laranjais
Thermas dos Laranjais is a water park in the municipality of Olímpia, in São Paulo state, drawing more than two million visitors a year.
More drives to Votuporanga
- Campinas to Votuporanga
- Itu to Votuporanga
- Poços de Caldas to Votuporanga
- Tatuí to Votuporanga
- Jundiaí to Votuporanga
- Sorocaba to Votuporanga
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 Votuporanga?
About 11 h 11 min of driving without stops, over 517 miles.
How far is Votuporanga from Barbacena by car?
About 517 miles (832 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 Barbacena to Votuporanga?
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 Votuporanga?
In order: BR-265, BR-494, MG-260, MG-164, MG-050, MG-344, MG-444, SP-345, SP-425, SP-310 and SP-320. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between Barbacena and Votuporanga?
Closest to the road: Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar, São João del Rei (cathedral, mile 37, 1 mi from the route); Museu de Arte Sacra (museum, mile 37, 1 mi from the route); Cachoeira da Capivara (waterfall, mile 240, 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.