The Wayro route from Bento Gonçalves to Barra de Valizas, Uruguay is 448 miles (721 km), about 10 h 26 min of driving without stops. You cross from Brazil into Uruguay at about mile 390.
- Level 4: Do Not Travel in Brazil: informal housing developments (favelas, vilas, comunidades or conglomerados).
Full advisory: Brazil, Uruguay. Advisory issued: Brazil August 31, 2026; Uruguay July 28, 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.”
- Uruguay: “If you are in an accident involving injury, stay in place until a police officer arrives.”
| Distance | 448 mi (721 km) |
|---|---|
| Drive time without stops | 10 h 26 min |
| Main roads, in order | BR-470 → ERS-446 → ERS-122 → ERS-240 → BR-116 → BR-392 → BR-471 |
| Border crossing | about mile 390, Brazil → Uruguay |
| Regions on the route | Rio Grande do Sul, Rocha |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 17.9 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
The border on the way to Barra de Valizas
The route crosses at about mile 390, from Rio Grande do Sul into Rocha. Plan on two checks on each side: immigration for your passport and customs for the car.
| Entering Uruguay (U.S. citizens) | No visa needed for visits of 90 days or less. Passport: must be valid for 6 months beyond your arrival date. |
|---|---|
| Driving in Uruguay | You can drive on your U.S. license. |
| Entering Brazil (U.S. citizens) | Visa required: apply and get approved before you travel; travelers without visas can't enter. Passport: must be valid for one month at entry, with a blank page for each stamp. |
| Driving in Brazil | If you'll stay more than 180 days and drive, carry an Inter-American Driving Permit with your U.S. license. |
| Rental car | Cross only if the rental company authorizes it in writing and gives you the papers for the border; ask before you book. |
Sources: U.S. State Department, Uruguay (updated August 13, 2026); U.S. State Department, Brazil (updated August 06, 2026). Checked October 10, 2026; rules change, so confirm before you go.
On the road from Bento Gonçalves to Barra de Valizas
BR-471 (137 mi) and BR-116 (113 mi) carry about 56% of the 448 miles. The first 390 miles are in Brazil; the last 58 are in Uruguay. It runs through 2 regions: Rio Grande do Sul, Rocha. Of the 9 stops listed below, 2 are within a mile of the road.
Road-by-road breakdown: Bento Gonçalves to Barra de Valizas
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–1 | 1 | Rio Grande do Sul |
| BR-470 | 1–10 | 9 | Rio Grande do Sul |
| ERS-446 | 10–19 | 9 | Rio Grande do Sul |
| ERS-122 | 19–43 | 24 | Rio Grande do Sul |
| ERS-240 | 43–52 | 9 | Rio Grande do Sul |
| BR-116 | 52–165 | 113 | Rio Grande do Sul |
| local roads | 165–225 | 60 | Rio Grande do Sul |
| connecting roads | 225–227 | 2 | Rio Grande do Sul |
| BR-392 | 227–253 | 26 | Rio Grande do Sul |
| BR-471 | 253–390 | 137 | Rio Grande do Sul |
| local roads | 390–448 | 58 | Rocha |
- Mile 390 of this route: Rio Grande do Sul → Rocha (international border)
Breaking up the drive: stops between Bento Gonçalves and Barra de Valizas
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Parque Histórico General Bento Gonçalves (mile 166), Santa Teresa National Park (mile 413)
- Nature and outdoors: Salto Ventoso (mile 17), Santa Teresa National Park (mile 413)
- Museums and history: Casa da Feitoria Velha - Atual Museu do Imigrante (mile 53), Casa de Cultura Mario Quintana (mile 73), Museu Banrisul (mile 73), Parque Histórico General Bento Gonçalves (mile 166), Museu de Arte Leopoldo Gotuzzo (mile 231)
Salto Ventoso
Salto Ventoso is a waterfall in Farroupilha, Brazil, and a tourist attraction of regional importance.
Casa da Feitoria Velha - Atual Museu do Imigrante
The Casa da Feitoria in São Leopoldo, in the Rio dos Sinos valley, housed a royal hemp-linen farm from 1788 until March 1824 and is also known as the Casa do Imigrante.
Casa de Cultura Mario Quintana
Housed in the former Hotel Majestic building in Porto Alegre, Casa de Cultura Mario Quintana is a cultural center; the hotel's heyday ran from the 1930s to the 1950s.
Museu Banrisul
On the ground floor of Porto Alegre's Casa de Cultura Mario Quintana, Museu Banrisul was conceived for the state bank's 50th anniversary and opened to the public in 1994.
Parque Histórico General Bento Gonçalves
Created by state decree in 1972 and linked to Rio Grande do Sul's culture department, this historic park stands on the old Sesmaria do Cristal, land once granted to the father of Farroupilha leader Bento Gonçalves da Silva.
Museu de Arte Leopoldo Gotuzzo
Opened in 1986 on Praça 7 de Julho, across from the Mercado Central in downtown Pelotas, this art museum is part of the Federal University of Pelotas arts center.
Theatro Sete de Abril
Opened in 1834 in Pelotas, Theatro Sete de Abril dates from the charqueada (salted beef) economic cycle, when Pelotas was among Brazil's wealthiest cities.
Parque Nacional Laguna Negra
In Rocha department, Laguna Negra National Park protects the waters of Laguna Negra, the Potrerillo de Santa Teresa biological station and part of Santa Teresa National Park north of Route 9.
Santa Teresa National Park
Santa Teresa National Park on Rocha's coast was created to frame the colonial Santa Teresa Fortress; its grounds hold more than two million planted trees from five continents, a greenhouse and native wetland and woodland wildlife.
In Barra de Valizas itself
Parque nacional Cabo Polonio
Part of Uruguay's national protected areas system since 2009, Cabo Polonio National Park spans 25,820 hectares of coastline, ocean and offshore islands.
Cabo Polonio Lighthouse
Standing on the Cabo Polonio headland in Uruguay's Rocha department, this lighthouse looks out over the Atlantic Ocean and was built in 1881.
Dunes of Cabo Polonio
Inside Cabo Polonio National Park in Uruguay's Rocha department, a band of natural sand dunes runs along the Atlantic Ocean.
More drives to Barra de Valizas
- Maldonado to Barra de Valizas
- Montevideo to Barra de Valizas
- Veinticinco de Agosto to Barra de Valizas
- Nueva Helvecia to Barra de Valizas
- Colonia del Sacramento to Barra de Valizas
- Conchillas to Barra de Valizas
More drives from Bento Gonçalves
- Bento Gonçalves to Guaíra
- Bento Gonçalves to Tubarão
- Bento Gonçalves to Santana do Livramento
- Bento Gonçalves to Chuí
- Bento Gonçalves to Mercedes, Argentina
- Bento Gonçalves to Maldonado, Uruguay
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to drive from Bento Gonçalves to Barra de Valizas, Uruguay?
About 10 h 26 min of driving without stops, over 448 miles.
How far is Barra de Valizas, Uruguay from Bento Gonçalves by car?
About 448 miles (721 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.
Where does the Bento Gonçalves to Barra de Valizas drive cross the border?
At about mile 390, from Brazil into Uruguay.
What do U.S. citizens need to drive from Bento Gonçalves into Uruguay?
No visa needed for visits of 90 days or less. Passport: must be valid for 6 months beyond your arrival date. You can drive on your U.S. license. (U.S. State Department, updated August 13, 2026.)
Is it safe to drive from Bento Gonçalves to Barra de Valizas, Uruguay?
The U.S. State Department rates Brazil Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Uruguay Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution. Read the full advisory before you go.
Which highways go from Bento Gonçalves to Barra de Valizas?
In order: BR-470, ERS-446, ERS-122, ERS-240, BR-116, BR-392 and BR-471. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
Where can you stop on the way from Bento Gonçalves to Barra de Valizas?
Closest to the road: Parque Histórico General Bento Gonçalves (museum, mile 166, 0.5 mi from the route); Museu de Arte Leopoldo Gotuzzo (museum, mile 231, 1 mi from the route); Santa Teresa National Park (national park, mile 413, 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.