The Wayro route from Bento Gonçalves to Fray Marcos, Uruguay is 537 miles (865 km), about 12 h 38 min of driving without stops. You cross from Brazil into Uruguay at about mile 311.
- 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: “Flooding makes some roads through the Amazon impassable for much of the year.”
- Uruguay: “Several of the main highways are particularly accident-ridden.”
| Distance | 537 mi (865 km) |
|---|---|
| Time at the wheel, no stops | 12 h 38 min |
| Main roads, in order | BR-470 → ERS-446 → ERS-122 → ERS-240 → BR-116 |
| Border crossing | about mile 311, Brazil → Uruguay |
| Regions on the route | Rio Grande do Sul, Cerro Largo, Treinta y Tres, Lavalleja, Canelones, Florida |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 21.5 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
Getting across the Brazil–Uruguay border
The route crosses at about mile 311, from Rio Grande do Sul into Cerro Largo. 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.
How the Bento Gonçalves to Fray Marcos drive plays out
BR-116 (196 mi) and ERS-122 (24 mi) carry about 41% of the 537 miles. The first 311 miles are in Brazil; the last 226 are in Uruguay. It runs through 6 regions: Rio Grande do Sul, Cerro Largo, Treinta y Tres, Lavalleja, Canelones, Florida. Of the 9 stops listed below, 2 are within a mile of the road.
Road-by-road breakdown: Bento Gonçalves to Fray Marcos
| 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 |
| BR-116 | 225–308 | 83 | Rio Grande do Sul |
| connecting roads | 308–309 | 1 | Rio Grande do Sul |
| local roads | 309–537 | 228 | Rio Grande do Sul, Cerro Largo, Treinta y Tres, Lavalleja, Canelones, Florida |
- Mile 311 of this route: Rio Grande do Sul → Cerro Largo (international border)
- Mile 337 of this route: Cerro Largo → Treinta y Tres (region line)
- Mile 408 of this route: Treinta y Tres → Lavalleja (region line)
- Mile 516 of this route: Lavalleja → Canelones (region line)
- Mile 535 of this route: Canelones → Florida (region line)
Where to stop on the way to Fray Marcos
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Parque Histórico General Bento Gonçalves (mile 166), Cathedral of Minas (mile 493)
- Nature and outdoors: Salto Ventoso (mile 17), Salto del Penitente (mile 482), Parque nacional Arequita (mile 496)
- Museums and history: Casa da Feitoria Velha - Atual Museu do Imigrante (mile 53), Museu da Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (mile 72), Museu do Trabalho (mile 73), Parque Histórico General Bento Gonçalves (mile 166), Cathedral of Minas (mile 493)
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.
Museu da Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul
The Museu da UFRGS is an interdisciplinary university museum in Porto Alegre covering science, technology, history, society, art, and culture, with activities for the general public.
Museu do Trabalho
Founded in 1982 on Rua dos Andradas in Porto Alegre, Museu do Trabalho is a private museum and cultural center with machines, photographs and documents on the lives of companies and workers.
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.
Quebrada de los Cuervos
Crossed by the Yerbal Chico creek, the Quebrada de los Cuervos is a ravine in Treinta y Tres department and a natural protected area in Uruguay.
Salto del Penitente
Cathedral of Minas
Minas's main Catholic church, the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception served as the seat of the Diocese of Minas from 1960 to 2020.
Parque nacional Arequita
Arequita National Park is a protected natural area in Lavalleja department, southeastern Uruguay, known for Cerro Arequita, its related rock formations and its biodiversity.
More drives to Fray Marcos
- Nueva Helvecia to Fray Marcos
- Colonia del Sacramento to Fray Marcos
- Carmelo to Fray Marcos
- Paysandú to Fray Marcos
- Rivera to Fray Marcos
- Salto to Fray Marcos
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 is the drive from Bento Gonçalves to Fray Marcos, Uruguay?
About 12 h 38 min of driving without stops, over 537 miles.
How far is Fray Marcos, Uruguay from Bento Gonçalves by car?
About 537 miles (865 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 Fray Marcos drive cross the border?
At about mile 311, 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.)
What does the U.S. travel advisory say about the Bento Gonçalves to Fray Marcos drive?
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 Fray Marcos?
In order: BR-470, ERS-446, ERS-122, ERS-240 and BR-116. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
Where can you stop on the way from Bento Gonçalves to Fray Marcos?
Closest to the road: Casa da Feitoria Velha - Atual Museu do Imigrante (museum, mile 53, 3 mi from the route); Parque Histórico General Bento Gonçalves (museum, mile 166, 0.5 mi from the route); Cathedral of Minas (cathedral, mile 493, 0.6 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.