By road, Buenos Aires and Cabo Polonio, Uruguay are about 521 miles (839 km) apart, or roughly 11 h 34 min of driving. You cross from Argentina into Uruguay at about mile 167, at the Gualeguaychú–Fray Bentos bridge.
Full advisory: Argentina, Uruguay. Advisory issued: Argentina July 10, 2026; Uruguay July 28, 2026; checked October 10, 2026.
On the roads, the State Department says:
- Argentina: “Drivers in Argentina tend to be aggressive, especially in Buenos Aires, and often ignore traffic regulations.”
- Uruguay: “Traffic fatalities are high in Uruguay.”
| Distance | 521 mi (839 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 11 h 34 min |
| Main roads, in order | AV1-N → RN9 → RP6 → RN12 → RN14 → RN136 → I-B |
| Border crossing | about mile 167, Argentina → Uruguay (the Gualeguaychú–Fray Bentos bridge) |
| Regions on the route | Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Entre Ríos, Río Negro, Soriano, Colonia, San José, Canelones, Maldonado, Rocha |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 20.9 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
The border on the way to Cabo Polonio
The route crosses at about mile 167, at the Gualeguaychú–Fray Bentos bridge, from Entre Ríos into Río Negro. 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 Argentina (U.S. citizens) | No visa needed for visits of 90 days or less. Passport: must be valid when you enter; leave a blank page for the entry and exit stamps. |
| Driving in Argentina | A valid U.S. license usually works; an International Driving Permit is recommended. |
| 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, Argentina (updated July 16, 2026). Checked October 10, 2026; rules change, so confirm before you go.
The Buenos Aires–Cabo Polonio drive in a few lines
RN12 (47 mi) and RN9 (40 mi) carry about 17% of the 521 miles. The first 167 miles are in Argentina; the last 354 are in Uruguay. It runs through 10 regions: Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Entre Ríos, Río Negro, Soriano, Colonia, San José, Canelones, Maldonado, Rocha. Of the 9 stops listed below, 3 are within a mile of the road.
Buenos Aires to Cabo Polonio: the road sequence
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–2 | 2 | Ciudad de Buenos Aires |
| AV1-N | 2–8 | 6 | Ciudad de Buenos Aires |
| connecting roads | 8–10 | 2 | Ciudad de Buenos Aires |
| RN9 | 10–50 | 40 | Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires |
| RP6 | 50–55 | 5 | Buenos Aires |
| RN12 | 55–102 | 47 | Buenos Aires, Entre Ríos |
| RN14 | 102–138 | 36 | Entre Ríos |
| local roads | 138–145 | 7 | Entre Ríos |
| RN136 | 145–164 | 19 | Entre Ríos |
| connecting roads | 164–167 | 3 | Entre Ríos |
| local roads | 167–263 | 96 | Río Negro, Soriano |
| connecting roads | 263–264 | 1 | Soriano |
| local roads | 264–300 | 36 | Colonia, San José |
| connecting roads | 300–303 | 3 | San José |
| local roads | 303–400 | 97 | San José, Canelones, Maldonado |
| I-B | 400–405 | 5 | Maldonado |
| connecting roads | 405–406 | 1 | Maldonado |
| local roads | 406–521 | 115 | Maldonado, Rocha |
- Mile 11 of this route: Ciudad de Buenos Aires → Buenos Aires (region line)
- Mile 72 of this route: Buenos Aires → Entre Ríos (region line)
- Mile 167 of this route: Entre Ríos → Río Negro (international border)
- Mile 183 of this route: Río Negro → Soriano (region line)
- Mile 264 of this route: Soriano → Colonia (region line)
- Mile 281 of this route: Colonia → San José (region line)
- Mile 325 of this route: San José → Canelones (region line)
- Mile 395 of this route: Canelones → Maldonado (region line)
- Mile 452 of this route: Maldonado → Rocha (region line)
Stops between Buenos Aires and Cabo Polonio
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Parque de la Memoria (mile 7), Cathedral of Mercedes (mile 185), Museo Departamental de San José (mile 301)
- Nature and outdoors: Parque de la Memoria (mile 7), Cerro Pan de Azúcar Native Wildlife Breeding Station (mile 406), La Sirena Beach (mile 511)
- Museums and history: Museo de Arte Español Enrique Larreta (mile 7), Gualeguaychú Cathedral (mile 144), Cathedral of Mercedes (mile 185), Museo Departamental de San José (mile 301), Iglesia de Cristo Obrero y Nuestra Señora de Lourdes (mile 372)
Museo de Arte Español Enrique Larreta
In Buenos Aires's Belgrano neighborhood, the Enrique Larreta Museum is devoted to Spanish art.
Parque de la Memoria
Facing the Río de la Plata at the northern end of Buenos Aires' Belgrano section, Parque de la Memoria is a public memorial to the victims of Argentina's 1976–1983 military regime.
Gualeguaychú Cathedral
St. Joseph's Cathedral, also called Gualeguaychú Cathedral, is the mother church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Gualeguaychú in Argentina.
Frigorífico Anglo del Uruguay
The former Anglo meatpacking plant on the Uruguay River at Fray Bentos began shipping frozen meat in 1924, on the site where Liebig exported meat extract and corned beef from 1865. It is part of a UNESCO World Heritage landscape inscribed in 2015.
Cathedral of Mercedes
Since 1960, the Diocese of Mercedes has had its seat at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Mercy, the main Catholic church in this Uruguayan city.
Museo Departamental de San José
Set in central San José de Mayo, the Museo Departamental de San José is a history and fine arts museum that also runs a library, archives and cultural programs.
Iglesia de Cristo Obrero y Nuestra Señora de Lourdes
Since 2021, UNESCO has counted Eladio Dieste's Church of Christ the Worker among its World Heritage Sites. The engineer's brick church in Estación Atlántida was inaugurated in 1960 and is known for its undulating walls and roof.
Cerro Pan de Azúcar Native Wildlife Breeding Station
Near Piriápolis in Maldonado, this breeding station for native wildlife on Cerro Pan de Azúcar is surrounded by native vegetation and offers guided visits, including a native wildlife trail and a path up the hill.
La Sirena Beach
About 2.5 km north of Aguas Dulces, La Sirena is one of Uruguay's two official naturist beaches, backed by vegetated dunes, small marshes, lagoons and pine and acacia woods where coastal birds are common.
Arriving in Cabo Polonio
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 Cabo Polonio
- Mercedes, Uruguay to Cabo Polonio
- Rivera to Cabo Polonio
- Paysandú to Cabo Polonio
- Salto to Cabo Polonio
- Bella Unión to Cabo Polonio
- Durazno to Cabo Polonio
More drives from Buenos Aires
- Buenos Aires to Magdalena
- Buenos Aires to Ayacucho, Argentina
- Buenos Aires to Sierra de La Ventana
- Buenos Aires to Luján
- Buenos Aires to San Antonio de Areco
- Buenos Aires to Arrecifes
Continue Your Adventure
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to drive from Buenos Aires to Cabo Polonio, Uruguay?
About 11 h 34 min of driving without stops, over 521 miles.
What is the driving distance from Buenos Aires to Cabo Polonio, Uruguay?
About 521 miles (839 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 Buenos Aires to Cabo Polonio drive cross the border?
At about mile 167, from Argentina into Uruguay, at the Gualeguaychú–Fray Bentos bridge.
What do U.S. citizens need to drive from Buenos Aires 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 Buenos Aires to Cabo Polonio, Uruguay?
The U.S. State Department rates Argentina Level 1: Exercise Normal Precautions; Uruguay Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution. Read the full advisory before you go.
What roads does the drive from Buenos Aires to Cabo Polonio use?
In order: AV1-N, RN9, RP6, RN12, RN14, RN136 and I-B. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between Buenos Aires and Cabo Polonio?
Closest to the road: Parque de la Memoria (memorial park, mile 7, 0.5 mi from the route); Cathedral of Mercedes (cathedral, mile 185, 0.7 mi from the route); Museo Departamental de San José (history museum, mile 301, 0.7 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.