Cabo Frio to Itanhaém is about 424 road miles (682 km): roughly 9 h 2 min at the wheel if you don't stop.
- 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: “Flooding makes some roads through the Amazon impassable for much of the year.”
| Distance by road | 424 mi (682 km) |
|---|---|
| Drive time without stops | 9 h 2 min |
| Main roads, in order | RJ-140 → RJ-124 → BR-101 → BR-040 → BR-116 → SPI 117/070 → SP-070 → SP-021 → SP-160 → SP-055 |
| States on the route | Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 17.0 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
Driving Cabo Frio to Itanhaém: the shape of the trip
BR-116 (176 mi) and BR-101 (46 mi) carry about 52% of the 424 miles. It runs through 2 states: Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo. Of the 9 stops listed below, 2 are within a mile of the road.
Road-by-road breakdown: Cabo Frio to Itanhaém
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–2 | 2 | Rio de Janeiro |
| RJ-140 | 2–9 | 7 | Rio de Janeiro |
| connecting roads | 9–12 | 3 | Rio de Janeiro |
| RJ-124 | 12–47 | 35 | Rio de Janeiro |
| BR-101 | 47–93 | 46 | Rio de Janeiro |
| BR-040 | 93–102 | 9 | Rio de Janeiro |
| connecting roads | 102–104 | 2 | Rio de Janeiro |
| BR-116 | 104–280 | 176 | Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo |
| connecting roads | 280–281 | 1 | São Paulo |
| SPI 117/070 | 281–323 | 42 | São Paulo |
| SP-070 | 323–339 | 16 | São Paulo |
| connecting roads | 339–341 | 2 | São Paulo |
| SP-021 | 341–372 | 31 | São Paulo |
| connecting roads | 372–374 | 2 | São Paulo |
| SP-160 | 374–393 | 19 | São Paulo |
| connecting roads | 393–394 | 1 | São Paulo |
| SP-055 | 394–423 | 29 | São Paulo |
| local roads | 423–424 | 1 | São Paulo |
- Mile 208 of this route: Rio de Janeiro → São Paulo (state line)
Places worth a stop between Cabo Frio and Itanhaém
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Museum of Life (mile 94), Itatiaia National Park (mile 198)
- Nature and outdoors: Costa do Sol State Park (mile 12), Itatiaia National Park (mile 198), Parque Natural Estoril (mile 368), Praia da Tupi (mile 402)
- Museums and history: Rio de Janeiro Cathedral (mile 89), Museus Castro Maya (mile 92), Museum of Life (mile 94), Museu da Imigração Italiana de Quiririm "José Indiani" (mile 280), Anthropology Museum of the Paraíba Valley (mile 313)
- With kids: Museum of Life (mile 94)
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.
Rio de Janeiro Cathedral
The Metropolitan Cathedral of Saint Sebastian is the Catholic cathedral of Rio de Janeiro and the seat of the city's archdiocese.
Museus Castro Maya
The Museus Castro Maya are two federal public museums in Rio de Janeiro: Museu do Açude beside the Tijuca Forest and Museu da Chácara do Céu in Santa Teresa, both showing the art collection of Raymundo Ottoni de Castro Maya.
Museum of Life
The Museum of Life is located at the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Itatiaia National Park
Straddling the line between Rio de Janeiro and Minas Gerais states, Itatiaia National Park dates to 1937, when it became the first national park Brazil ever created.
Museu da Imigração Italiana de Quiririm "José Indiani"
In Quiririm, a district of Taubaté, the Italian Immigration Museum fills the brick Casa Indiani, built between 1897 and 1903 by a family from Cremona, with photos, furniture, machinery and a period classroom recalling immigrant life.
Anthropology Museum of the Paraíba Valley
Ceramic vessels and stone tools are among the archaeological finds at the Museu de Antropologia do Vale do Paraíba in Jacareí, which also displays sacred art, folk art and paintings.
Parque Natural Estoril
In São Bernardo do Campo, Parque Natural Estoril is a conservation area protecting Atlantic Forest, part of the Billings Reservoir and local wildlife across roughly 373,000 square meters.
Praia da Tupi
Praia da Tupi is a beach in Praia Grande, São Paulo state, with yellowish sand and blue water; it is one of the city's less crowded beaches and a favorite with surfers.
More drives to Itanhaém
- Cubatão to Itanhaém
- São Paulo to Itanhaém
- Jundiaí to Itanhaém
- Bragança Paulista to Itanhaém
- Itu to Itanhaém
- Campinas to Itanhaém
From Cabo Frio to other places in Brazil
- Cabo Frio to Nova Friburgo
- Cabo Frio to Teresópolis
- Cabo Frio to Itaguaí
- Cabo Frio to Barra Mansa
- Cabo Frio to Angra dos Reis
- Cabo Frio to Resende
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Cabo Frio to Itanhaém?
About 9 h 2 min of driving without stops, over 424 miles.
How far is Itanhaém from Cabo Frio by car?
About 424 miles (682 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 Cabo Frio to Itanhaém drive?
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 Cabo Frio to Itanhaém use?
In order: RJ-140, RJ-124, BR-101, BR-040, BR-116, SPI 117/070, SP-070, SP-021, SP-160 and SP-055. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between Cabo Frio and Itanhaém?
Closest to the road: Museum of Life (science museum, mile 94, 0.1 mi from the route); Itatiaia National Park (national park, mile 198, 0.2 mi from the route); Parque Natural Estoril (park, mile 368, 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.