Barra do Piraí to Paranapiacaba is about 242 road miles (389 km): roughly 5 h 3 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: “Drivers must have their daytime running lights on during the day and headlights on at night on Federal Highways.”
| Distance by road | 242 mi (389 km) |
|---|---|
| Drive time without stops | 5 h 3 min |
| Main roads, in order | BR-393 → BR-116 → SPI 117/070 → SP-070 → SP-021 → SP-122 |
| States on the route | Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 9.7 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 8 |
Driving Barra do Piraí to Paranapiacaba: the shape of the trip
BR-116 (115 mi) and SPI 117/070 (43 mi) carry about 65% of the 242 miles. It runs through 2 states: Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo. Of the 8 stops listed below, 5 are within a mile of the road.
Roads you'll take from Barra do Piraí to Paranapiacaba
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–2 | 2 | Rio de Janeiro |
| BR-393 | 2–26 | 24 | Rio de Janeiro |
| connecting roads | 26–27 | 1 | Rio de Janeiro |
| BR-116 | 27–142 | 115 | Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo |
| SPI 117/070 | 142–185 | 43 | São Paulo |
| SP-070 | 185–201 | 16 | São Paulo |
| connecting roads | 201–202 | 1 | São Paulo |
| SP-021 | 202–224 | 22 | São Paulo |
| connecting roads | 224–226 | 2 | São Paulo |
| local roads | 226–232 | 6 | São Paulo |
| SP-122 | 232–242 | 10 | São Paulo |
- Mile 70 of this route: Rio de Janeiro → São Paulo (state line)
Breaking up the drive: stops between Barra do Piraí and Paranapiacaba
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Itatiaia National Park (mile 60), Museu Frei Galvão (mile 109), Basilica of Our Lady of Aparecida (mile 113), Our Lady of Aparecida Museum (mile 113), Museu Barão de Mauá (mile 227)
- Nature and outdoors: Itatiaia National Park (mile 60), Pedroso Municipal Nature Park (mile 225)
- Museums and history: Museu Frei Galvão (mile 109), Basilica of Our Lady of Aparecida (mile 113), Our Lady of Aparecida Museum (mile 113), Museu Mazzaropi (mile 137), Anthropology Museum of the Paraíba Valley (mile 175), Museu Barão de Mauá (mile 227)
Itatiaia National Park
Straddling the line between Rio de Janeiro and Minas Gerais states, Itatiaia National Park dates to 1937, when it became the first national park Brazil ever created.
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.
Basilica of Our Lady of Aparecida
Brazil's National Shrine in Aparecida houses the image of Our Lady Aparecida that fishermen pulled from the Paraíba do Sul River in 1717. Work on the current basilica began in 1955, and Pope John Paul II consecrated it in 1980.
Our Lady of Aparecida Museum
Within the Aparecida basilica complex, the Our Lady of Aparecida Museum (Museu Nossa Senhora Aparecida) gathers objects from the region, including archaeological pieces and sacred items. It opened in 1956.
Museu Mazzaropi
On the grounds of comedian and filmmaker Amácio Mazzaropi's former studio in Taubaté, this museum displays more than 20,000 items, including photos, furniture, props and equipment his PAM Filmes used from 1950 to 1980.
Anthropology Museum of the Paraíba Valley
Housed in an 1857 mansion in Jacareí, the Anthropology Museum of the Paraíba Valley (Museu de Antropologia do Vale do Paraíba) shows sacred and folk art, paintings, and archaeological finds such as ceramic vessels and stone tools.
Pedroso Municipal Nature Park
Santo André's Pedroso Municipal Nature Park (Parque do Pedroso) is a strictly protected conservation unit that holds important water sources and a fragment of Atlantic Forest.
Museu Barão de Mauá
Mauá's history museum keeps photographs, objects and documents on the city's past and serves as its main center for historical research.
When you get to Paranapiacaba
Museu Tecnológico Ferroviário do Funicular
In the village of Paranapiacaba, high in the Serra do Mar, this railway museum fills sheds that once served as workshops for the funicular trains running between Raiz da Serra in Cubatão and the plateau.
Casa Fox
Casa Fox is a museum at Paranapiacaba made of two restored, semi-detached workers' houses that share the personal and collective memories of local residents. It is named after Daniel M. Fox.
More drives to Paranapiacaba
- São Paulo to Paranapiacaba
- Jundiaí to Paranapiacaba
- Bragança Paulista to Paranapiacaba
- Campinas to Paranapiacaba
- Itu to Paranapiacaba
- Limeira to Paranapiacaba
From Barra do Piraí to other places in Brazil
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Barra do Piraí to Paranapiacaba?
About 5 h 3 min of driving without stops, over 242 miles.
How far is Paranapiacaba from Barra do Piraí by car?
About 242 miles (389 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 Barra do Piraí to Paranapiacaba drive?
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 Barra do Piraí to Paranapiacaba use?
In order: BR-393, BR-116, SPI 117/070, SP-070, SP-021 and SP-122. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between Barra do Piraí and Paranapiacaba?
Closest to the road: Itatiaia National Park (national park, mile 60, 0.2 mi from the route); Museu Frei Galvão (museum, mile 109, 0.4 mi from the route); Basilica of Our Lady of Aparecida (basilica, mile 113, 0.4 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.