The Wayro route from Belo Horizonte to Cabo Frio is 350 miles (564 km), about 8 h 45 min of driving without 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: “Driving on Brazil’s roads poses significant risks.”
| Distance | 350 mi (564 km) |
|---|---|
| Drive time without stops | 8 h 45 min |
| Main roads, in order | BR-040 → BR-116 → BR-493 → BR-101 → RJ-124 → RJ-140 |
| States on the route | Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 14.0 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
Driving Belo Horizonte to Cabo Frio: the shape of the trip
BR-040 (240 mi) and RJ-124 (36 mi) carry about 79% of the 350 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.
Road-by-road breakdown: Belo Horizonte to Cabo Frio
| 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 | 303–339 | 36 | Rio de Janeiro |
| connecting roads | 339–341 | 2 | Rio de Janeiro |
| RJ-140 | 341–349 | 8 | Rio de Janeiro |
| local roads | 349–350 | 1 | Rio de Janeiro |
- Mile 183 of this route: Minas Gerais → Rio de Janeiro (state line)
What to see on the way from Belo Horizonte to Cabo Frio
- 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), Araruama Lagoon (mile 332), Costa do Sol State Park (mile 337)
- Museums and history: Museu da Imagem e Memória (mile 48), Museu da Loucura (mile 104), Pedra do Elefante Natural Monument (mile 216)
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.
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.
Araruama Lagoon
In Rio de Janeiro state's Região dos Lagos, Araruama Lagoon is a permanent hypersaline lagoon covering 220 km², about 40 km long and 13 km wide.
Costa do Sol State Park
Scattered along the coast of Rio de Janeiro state, Costa do Sol State Park protects fragments of Atlantic Forest coastal habitat under pressure from urban growth.
Arriving in Cabo Frio
Forte de São Mateus do Cabo Frio
Forte de São Mateus do Cabo Frio is a fort in Cabo Frio, in the state of Rio de Janeiro.
Museu de Arte Religiosa e Tradicional
In Cabo Frio, the Museu de Arte Religiosa e Tradicional occupies the former Convent of Nossa Senhora dos Anjos, a 17th-century Baroque building, and is run by the Brazilian Institute of Museums.
Praia do Foguete
On the Cabo Frio coast in Rio de Janeiro state, Praia do Foguete is a beach with cold, deep and clear water.
More drives to Cabo Frio
- Niterói to Cabo Frio
- Petrópolis to Cabo Frio
- Taubaté to Cabo Frio
- São José dos Campos to Cabo Frio
- Jacareí to Cabo Frio
- Mogi das Cruzes to Cabo Frio
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 is the drive from Belo Horizonte to Cabo Frio?
About 8 h 45 min of driving without stops, over 350 miles.
What is the driving distance from Belo Horizonte to Cabo Frio?
About 350 miles (564 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 Belo Horizonte to Cabo Frio?
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 Belo Horizonte to Cabo Frio use?
In order: BR-040, BR-116, BR-493, BR-101, RJ-124 and RJ-140. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between Belo Horizonte and Cabo Frio?
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.