Barra do Piraí to Itaúnas is about 480 road miles (773 km): roughly 13 h 5 min at the wheel if you don't stop.
- 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: “Use caution when walking or driving at night.”
| Distance by road | 480 mi (773 km) |
|---|---|
| Drive time without stops | 13 h 5 min |
| Main roads, in order | BR-393 → CMG-393 → RJ-186 → ES-297 → BR-101 → ES-422 → ES-010 |
| States on the route | Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais, Espírito Santo |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 19.2 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
How the Barra do Piraí to Itaúnas drive plays out
BR-101 (234 mi) and RJ-186 (63 mi) carry about 62% of the 480 miles. It runs through 3 states: Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais, Espírito Santo. Of the 9 stops listed below, 5 are within a mile of the road.
Barra do Piraí to Itaúnas: the road sequence
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–2 | 2 | Rio de Janeiro |
| BR-393 | 2–49 | 47 | Rio de Janeiro |
| local roads | 49–55 | 6 | Rio de Janeiro |
| BR-393 | 55–62 | 7 | Rio de Janeiro |
| local roads | 62–94 | 32 | Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais |
| connecting roads | 94–96 | 2 | Minas Gerais |
| CMG-393 | 96–124 | 28 | Minas Gerais |
| connecting roads | 124–125 | 1 | Minas Gerais |
| RJ-186 | 125–188 | 63 | Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro |
| ES-297 | 188–217 | 29 | Rio de Janeiro, Espírito Santo |
| BR-101 | 217–451 | 234 | Espírito Santo |
| connecting roads | 451–456 | 5 | Espírito Santo |
| ES-422 | 456–467 | 11 | Espírito Santo |
| ES-010 | 467–480 | 13 | Espírito Santo |
- Mile 93 of this route: Rio de Janeiro → Minas Gerais (state line)
- Mile 130 of this route: Minas Gerais → Rio de Janeiro (state line)
- Mile 213 of this route: Rio de Janeiro → Espírito Santo (state line)
What to see on the way from Barra do Piraí to Itaúnas
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Fazenda São Luiz da Boa Sorte (mile 28), Museu da Polícia Militar do Espírito Santo (mile 320), Casa da Cultura de Fundão (mile 350), Museu Eclesiástico de Arte Sacra (mile 452), St. Matthew Cathedral, São Mateus (mile 452)
- Nature and outdoors: Frade e a Freira Natural Monument (mile 252), Morro do Penedo Natural Monument (mile 319)
- Museums and history: Fazenda São Luiz da Boa Sorte (mile 28), Museu da Polícia Militar do Espírito Santo (mile 320), Ruins of the Church of São José do Queimado (mile 332), Casa da Cultura de Fundão (mile 350), Museu Eclesiástico de Arte Sacra (mile 452), St. Matthew Cathedral, São Mateus (mile 452)
Fazenda São Luiz da Boa Sorte
Dating from the coffee era in Rio de Janeiro state's Paraíba Valley, Fazenda São Luiz da Boa Sorte is a historic estate listed by the state heritage institute.
Frade e a Freira Natural Monument
Created by state decree in 2007, the Frade e a Freira Natural Monument is a state-run protected area in Espírito Santo spanning parts of Itapemirim, Cachoeiro de Itapemirim and Vargem Alta.
Morro do Penedo Natural Monument
Morro do Penedo Natural Monument protects a small sugarloaf-shaped hill on the shore of the bay south of Vitória, the capital of Espírito Santo state.
Museu da Polícia Militar do Espírito Santo
In Cariacica, the Espírito Santo Military Police Museum holds more than 600 objects and 900 photographs on the force's history, in a building that closely resembles the state's first barracks, Quartel do Moscoso.
Ruins of the Church of São José do Queimado
In the Queimado district of Serra, Espírito Santo, these church ruins stand as a historic reminder of the Queimado Insurrection, an 1849 slave uprising.
Casa da Cultura de Fundão
Once the Agostini family residence, this two-story house in Fundão is protected as cultural heritage by Espírito Santo state and now works as a museum.
Buddha of Ibiraçu
Beside the BR-101 highway in Ibiraçu, a 35-meter Buddha statue rises at the Morro da Vargem Zen monastery. The giant figure, part of the monastery grounds, was officially inaugurated in August 2021.
Museu Eclesiástico de Arte Sacra
Set in a former seminary chapel in São Mateus, Espírito Santo, this museum of sacred art was founded by Bishop Dom Aldo Gerna.
St. Matthew Cathedral, São Mateus
St. Matthew Cathedral in the municipality of São Mateus is a Catholic church regarded as a reference for modern religious art in Brazil.
In Itaúnas itself
Itaúnas State Park
In northern Espírito Santo, Itaúnas State Park protects the lower Itaúnas River along with a strip of marshes, dunes and Atlantic beaches.
More drives to Itaúnas
- Serra to Itaúnas
- Cariacica to Itaúnas
- Vitória to Itaúnas
- Vila Velha to Itaúnas
- Guarapari to Itaúnas
- Cachoeiro de Itapemirim to Itaúnas
From Barra do Piraí to other places in Brazil
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to drive from Barra do Piraí to Itaúnas?
About 13 h 5 min of driving without stops, over 480 miles.
How far is Itaúnas from Barra do Piraí by car?
About 480 miles (773 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 Barra do Piraí to Itaúnas?
The U.S. State Department rates Brazil Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution. Read the full advisory before you go.
Which highways go from Barra do Piraí to Itaúnas?
In order: BR-393, CMG-393, RJ-186, ES-297, BR-101, ES-422 and ES-010. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between Barra do Piraí and Itaúnas?
Closest to the road: Fazenda São Luiz da Boa Sorte (historic estate, mile 28, 0.1 mi from the route); Museu da Polícia Militar do Espírito Santo (police museum, mile 320, 0.2 mi from the route); Casa da Cultura de Fundão (museum, mile 350, 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.