By road, Barra Mansa and Itabira are about 335 miles (539 km) apart, or roughly 8 h 52 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 | 335 mi (539 km) |
|---|---|
| Time at the wheel, no stops | 8 h 52 min |
| Main roads, in order | BR-494 → Ramal de Jacutinga → MG-353 → BR-040 → MGC-356 → BR-381 → MG-434 → MG-129 → AMG-1210 |
| States on the route | Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 13.4 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 8 |
How the Barra Mansa to Itabira drive plays out
BR-040 (157 mi) and MG-353 (44 mi) carry about 60% of the 335 miles. It runs through 2 states: Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais. Of the 8 stops listed below, 5 are within a mile of the road.
Which roads connect Barra Mansa and Itabira
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–7 | 7 | Rio de Janeiro |
| connecting roads | 7–9 | 2 | Rio de Janeiro |
| BR-494 | 9–48 | 39 | Rio de Janeiro |
| Ramal de Jacutinga | 48–57 | 9 | Rio de Janeiro |
| connecting roads | 57–59 | 2 | Rio de Janeiro |
| MG-353 | 59–103 | 44 | Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais |
| BR-040 | 103–137 | 34 | Minas Gerais |
| local roads | 137–140 | 3 | Minas Gerais |
| BR-040 | 140–263 | 123 | Minas Gerais |
| MGC-356 | 263–268 | 5 | Minas Gerais |
| local roads | 268–274 | 6 | Minas Gerais |
| connecting roads | 274–275 | 1 | Minas Gerais |
| BR-381 | 275–311 | 36 | Minas Gerais |
| MG-434 | 311–324 | 13 | Minas Gerais |
| MG-129 | 324–327 | 3 | Minas Gerais |
| AMG-1210 | 327–333 | 6 | Minas Gerais |
| local roads | 333–335 | 2 | Minas Gerais |
- Mile 65 of this route: Rio de Janeiro → Minas Gerais (state line)
Places worth a stop between Barra Mansa and Itabira
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Santa Clara Farm, Santa Rita do Jacutinga (mile 46), Piemonte Tower (mile 264), MM Gerdau - Mines and Metal Museum (mile 268), Museu de História Natural e Jardim Botânico da Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (mile 272), Museu do Telefone (mile 273)
- Nature and outdoors: Serra do Rola-Moça State Park (mile 258), Museu de História Natural e Jardim Botânico da Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (mile 272)
- Museums and history: Santa Clara Farm, Santa Rita do Jacutinga (mile 46), Museu da Loucura (mile 167), MM Gerdau - Mines and Metal Museum (mile 268), Museu de História Natural e Jardim Botânico da Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (mile 272), Museu do Telefone (mile 273)
Santa Clara Farm, Santa Rita do Jacutinga
Listed as a tourist attraction, Santa Clara Farm (Fazenda Santa Clara) lies in the municipality of Santa Rita de Jacutinga in Minas Gerais.
Museu da Loucura
Housed in the restored 1922 Torreão of the former Hospital Colônia de Barbacena, the Museu da Loucura opened in 1996 and uses objects, equipment, photos and documents to tell the history of psychiatric care in Minas Gerais.
Sanctuary of Bom Jesus de Matosinhos
A UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1985, this hilltop sanctuary in Congonhas is famous for Aleijadinho's 12 soapstone prophets on the front terraces and six chapels holding 64 life-size cedar figures of the Passion.
Serra do Rola-Moça State Park
On the edge of metropolitan Belo Horizonte, Serra do Rola-Moça State Park protects rugged ridges of the Espinhaço range where cerrado savanna meets Atlantic Forest.
Piemonte Tower
Rising 101 meters on a mountain ridge between the Serra do Curral and Serra do Rola-Moça, Piemonte Tower (Torre Piemonte) is a tourist structure at the Alta Vila shopping center on the Nova Lima–Belo Horizonte line.
MM Gerdau - Mines and Metal Museum
Part of the Praça da Liberdade cultural circuit in Belo Horizonte, the Mines and Metal Museum opened in 2010, with architecture by Paulo Mendes da Rocha and exhibit design by Marcello Dantas.
Museu de História Natural e Jardim Botânico da Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais
The Federal University of Minas Gerais runs this natural history museum and botanical garden in Belo Horizonte, with an auditorium, a plant nursery, a lagoon, an ecological amphitheater and a sensory garden.
Museu do Telefone
The Museu do Telefone is a museum in the Mangabeiras neighborhood of Belo Horizonte.
Once you reach Itabira
Our Lady of the Rosary Cathedral, Itabira
Known locally as Itabira Cathedral, Our Lady of the Rosary Cathedral is a Catholic cathedral in the municipality of Itabira, Minas Gerais.
More drives to Itabira
- Sete Lagoas to Itabira
- Conselheiro Lafaiete to Itabira
- Barbacena to Itabira
- Juiz de Fora to Itabira
- Araxá to Itabira
- Petrópolis to Itabira
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 is the drive from Barra Mansa to Itabira?
About 8 h 52 min of driving without stops, over 335 miles.
What is the driving distance from Barra Mansa to Itabira?
About 335 miles (539 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 Mansa to Itabira drive?
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 Itabira?
In order: BR-494, Ramal de Jacutinga, MG-353, BR-040, MGC-356, BR-381, MG-434, MG-129 and AMG-1210. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
Where can you stop on the way from Barra Mansa to Itabira?
Closest to the road: Santa Clara Farm, Santa Rita do Jacutinga (historic site, mile 46, 0.3 mi from the route); Piemonte Tower (observation tower, mile 264, 0.4 mi from the route); Museu de História Natural e Jardim Botânico da Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (natural history museum, mile 272, 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.