By road, Barra Mansa and Aracruz are about 396 miles (637 km) apart, or roughly 10 h 51 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.”
| Total distance | 396 mi (637 km) |
|---|---|
| Drive time without stops | 10 h 51 min |
| Main roads, in order | BR-393 → CMG-393 → RJ-186 → ES-297 → BR-101 → ES-257 |
| States on the route | Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais, Espírito Santo |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 15.8 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
The Barra Mansa–Aracruz drive in a few lines
BR-101 (144 mi) and BR-393 (78 mi) carry about 56% of the 396 miles. It runs through 3 states: Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais, Espírito Santo. Of the 9 stops listed below, 3 are within a mile of the road.
Which roads connect Barra Mansa and Aracruz
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–4 | 4 | Rio de Janeiro |
| BR-393 | 4–76 | 72 | Rio de Janeiro |
| local roads | 76–81 | 5 | Rio de Janeiro |
| connecting roads | 81–82 | 1 | Rio de Janeiro |
| BR-393 | 82–88 | 6 | Rio de Janeiro |
| local roads | 88–121 | 33 | Rio de Janeiro |
| connecting roads | 121–123 | 2 | Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais |
| CMG-393 | 123–150 | 27 | Minas Gerais |
| connecting roads | 150–151 | 1 | Minas Gerais |
| RJ-186 | 151–214 | 63 | Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro |
| connecting roads | 214–215 | 1 | Rio de Janeiro |
| ES-297 | 215–243 | 28 | Rio de Janeiro, Espírito Santo |
| BR-101 | 243–387 | 144 | Espírito Santo |
| ES-257 | 387–395 | 8 | Espírito Santo |
| local roads | 395–396 | 1 | Espírito Santo |
- Mile 122 of this route: Rio de Janeiro → Minas Gerais (state line)
- Mile 157 of this route: Minas Gerais → Rio de Janeiro (state line)
- Mile 240 of this route: Rio de Janeiro → Espírito Santo (state line)
Places worth a stop between Barra Mansa and Aracruz
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Santana Cathedral (mile 27), Fazenda São Luiz da Boa Sorte (mile 54), Casa da Cultura de Fundão (mile 377)
- Nature and outdoors: Serra das Torres Natural Monument (mile 257), Itabira Natural Monument (mile 274), Morro do Penedo Natural Monument (mile 345), Fonte Grande State Park (mile 347)
- Museums and history: Santana Cathedral (mile 27), Fazenda São Luiz da Boa Sorte (mile 54), Serra das Torres Natural Monument (mile 257), Itabira Natural Monument (mile 274), Ruins of the Church of São José do Queimado (mile 359), Casa da Cultura de Fundão (mile 377)
Santana Cathedral
Dedicated to St. Anne, this cathedral in Barra do Piraí is the seat of the Diocese of Barra do Piraí–Volta Redonda; Emperor Pedro II attended the laying of its cornerstone during a visit to the parish.
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.
Serra das Torres Natural Monument
Covering about 10,459 hectares of Atlantic Forest in Atílio Vivácqua, Mimoso do Sul and Muqui, the Serra das Torres Natural Monument was created in 2010 to protect the peaks of a mountain range in southern Espírito Santo.
Itabira Natural Monument
Itabira Natural Monument is a protected area in the state of Espírito Santo, Brazil, listed in the natural monument category.
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.
Fonte Grande State Park
Fonte Grande State Park is a state-protected park in the Brazilian state of Espírito Santo.
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.
More drives to Aracruz
- Cariacica to Aracruz
- Vitória to Aracruz
- Guarapari to Aracruz
- Itaperuna to Aracruz
- Rio das Ostras to Aracruz
- Itabira to Aracruz
From Barra Mansa to other places in Brazil
- Barra Mansa to Trindade
- Barra Mansa to Caraguatatuba
- Barra Mansa to Paranapiacaba
- Barra Mansa to Itu
- Barra Mansa to Itanhaém
- Barra Mansa to Mogi Guaçu
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to drive from Barra Mansa to Aracruz?
About 10 h 51 min of driving without stops, over 396 miles.
What is the driving distance from Barra Mansa to Aracruz?
About 396 miles (637 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 Mansa to Aracruz?
The U.S. State Department rates Brazil Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution. Read the full advisory before you go.
Which highways go from Barra Mansa to Aracruz?
In order: BR-393, CMG-393, RJ-186, ES-297, BR-101 and ES-257. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between Barra Mansa and Aracruz?
Closest to the road: Santana Cathedral (cathedral, mile 27, 0.7 mi from the route); Fazenda São Luiz da Boa Sorte (historic estate, mile 54, 0.3 mi from the route); Casa da Cultura de Fundão (museum, mile 377, 0.1 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.