Plan on about 8 h 8 min of driving for the 327-mile (527 km) trip from Belo Horizonte to Araruama, before any stops.
- 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 | 327 mi (527 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 8 h 8 min |
| Main roads, in order | BR-040 → BR-116 → BR-493 → BR-101 → RJ-124 |
| States on the route | Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 13.1 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
What the drive from Belo Horizonte to Araruama is like
BR-040 (240 mi) and BR-101 (22 mi) carry about 80% of the 327 miles. It runs through 2 states: Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro. None of the 9 stops below is right on the road, so plan each as a short side trip.
Which roads connect Belo Horizonte and Araruama
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–7 | 7 | Minas Gerais |
| BR-040 | 7–129 | 122 | Minas Gerais |
| local roads | 129–132 | 3 | Minas Gerais |
| BR-040 | 132–250 | 118 | Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro |
| connecting roads | 250–251 | 1 | Rio de Janeiro |
| BR-116 | 251–264 | 13 | Rio de Janeiro |
| BR-493 | 264–281 | 17 | Rio de Janeiro |
| BR-101 | 281–303 | 22 | Rio de Janeiro |
| RJ-124 | 303–321 | 18 | Rio de Janeiro |
| local roads | 321–327 | 6 | Rio de Janeiro |
- Mile 183 of this route: Minas Gerais → Rio de Janeiro (state line)
Places worth a stop between Belo Horizonte and Araruama
- Nature and outdoors: Serra do Rola-Moça State Park (mile 12), Pedra do Elefante Natural Monument (mile 216), Serra dos Órgãos National Park (mile 221), Serra do Barbosão Municipal Nature Park (mile 295)
- Museums and history: Museu da Imagem e Memória (mile 48), Museu da Loucura (mile 104), Pedra do Elefante Natural Monument (mile 216), Santos Dumont House Museum (mile 232), Valongo Wharf (mile 252)
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.
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.
Museu da Imagem e Memória
Housed in the two-story Casarão dos Fonseca, the Museu da Imagem e Memória in Congonhas shows photographs, documents and old objects that tell the history of the town and its people.
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.
Pedra do Elefante Natural Monument
The Pedra do Elefante Natural Monument is a municipal natural monument, a protected area in the state of Rio de Janeiro.
Serra dos Órgãos National Park
Serra dos Órgãos National Park protects the Serra dos Órgãos range between Petrópolis and Teresópolis, where a roughly 28 km traverse climbs past the Castelos do Açu to Pedra do Sino at 2,263 meters.
Santos Dumont House Museum
Known as A Encantada, the Santos Dumont House Museum in Petrópolis is the house built in 1918 for aviator Alberto Santos-Dumont on a steep hillside near the city center.
Valongo Wharf
Built in 1811 in Rio's old port, the Valongo Wharf was where up to 900,000 enslaved Africans landed. A UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2017, its excavated stone paving is left open to view.
Serra do Barbosão Municipal Nature Park
Serra do Barbosão Municipal Nature Park is a protected area in Rio de Janeiro state, set aside by the municipality to safeguard a stretch of Atlantic Forest.
When you get to Araruama
Coqueiral
Coqueiral is a beach in Araruama, Rio de Janeiro state, in a neighborhood of the same name along the Amaral Peixoto highway.
More drives to Araruama
- Barra Mansa to Araruama
- Angra dos Reis to Araruama
- Pindamonhangaba to Araruama
- Taubaté to Araruama
- São José dos Campos to Araruama
- Jacareí to Araruama
From Belo Horizonte to other places in Brazil
- Belo Horizonte to Conselheiro Lafaiete
- Belo Horizonte to Juiz de Fora
- Belo Horizonte to Muriaé
- Belo Horizonte to Passos
- Belo Horizonte to Araxá
- Belo Horizonte to Itaperuna
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to drive from Belo Horizonte to Araruama?
About 8 h 8 min of driving without stops, over 327 miles.
How far is Araruama from Belo Horizonte by car?
About 327 miles (527 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 Belo Horizonte to Araruama drive?
The U.S. State Department rates Brazil Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution. Read the full advisory before you go.
Which highways go from Belo Horizonte to Araruama?
In order: BR-040, BR-116, BR-493, BR-101 and RJ-124. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between Belo Horizonte and Araruama?
Closest to the road: Sanctuary of Bom Jesus de Matosinhos (calvary, mile 48, 1 mi from the route); Museu da Imagem e Memória (museum, mile 48, 1 mi from the route); Serra do Barbosão Municipal Nature Park (protected area, mile 295, 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.