Plan on about 8 h 29 min of driving for the 339-mile (546 km) trip from Cabo Frio to Lavras, before any 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: “Flooding makes some roads through the Amazon impassable for much of the year.”
| Distance by road | 339 mi (546 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 8 h 29 min |
| Main roads, in order | RJ-140 → RJ-124 → BR-101 → BR-493 → BR-116 → BR-040 → BR-265 |
| States on the route | Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 13.6 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
On the road from Cabo Frio to Lavras
BR-040 (144 mi) and BR-265 (91 mi) carry about 69% of the 339 miles. It runs through 2 states: Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais. Of the 9 stops listed below, 1 are within a mile of the road.
The route from Cabo Frio to Lavras, road by road
| 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 | 47–67 | 20 | Rio de Janeiro |
| connecting roads | 67–69 | 2 | Rio de Janeiro |
| BR-493 | 69–73 | 4 | Rio de Janeiro |
| local roads | 73–78 | 5 | Rio de Janeiro |
| connecting roads | 78–81 | 3 | Rio de Janeiro |
| BR-493 | 81–85 | 4 | Rio de Janeiro |
| BR-116 | 85–98 | 13 | Rio de Janeiro |
| connecting roads | 98–99 | 1 | Rio de Janeiro |
| BR-040 | 99–217 | 118 | Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais |
| local roads | 217–221 | 4 | Minas Gerais |
| BR-040 | 221–247 | 26 | Minas Gerais |
| BR-265 | 247–338 | 91 | Minas Gerais |
| local roads | 338–339 | 1 | Minas Gerais |
- Mile 164 of this route: Rio de Janeiro → Minas Gerais (state line)
Where to stop on the way to Lavras
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Museu da Loucura (mile 250)
- Nature and outdoors: Costa do Sol State Park (mile 12), Araruama Lagoon (mile 18), Serra do Barbosão Municipal Nature Park (mile 56), Serra dos Órgãos National Park (mile 127), Pedra do Elefante Natural Monument (mile 133)
- Museums and history: Casa Stefan Zweig (mile 116), Pedra do Elefante Natural Monument (mile 133), Museu da Loucura (mile 250), Museu de Arte Sacra (mile 284)
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.
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.
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.
Casa Stefan Zweig
Founded in 2006, Casa Stefan Zweig is a writer's house museum in Petrópolis, set in the home where Stefan Zweig lived with his wife.
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.
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.
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.
Teatro Municipal
São João del-Rei's municipal theater (Theatro Municipal) was built in 1893 and went through a major renovation between 1922 and 1925.
Museu de Arte Sacra
Inside São João del-Rei's former jail, the Museu de Arte Sacra holds about 450 religious objects, including liturgical vestments and sacred images, from local confraternities and orders.
Once you reach Lavras
Museu Bi Moreira
On the historic campus of the Federal University of Lavras, Museu Bi Moreira holds around five thousand historical, ethnographic, archaeological and science-and-technology artifacts tied to the history of Lavras and the university.
More drives to Lavras
- Barbacena to Lavras
- Juiz de Fora to Lavras
- Barra Mansa to Lavras
- Teresópolis to Lavras
- Itu to Lavras
- Rio de Janeiro to Lavras
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 Lavras?
About 8 h 29 min of driving without stops, over 339 miles.
What is the driving distance from Cabo Frio to Lavras?
About 339 miles (546 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 Cabo Frio to Lavras?
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 Lavras use?
In order: RJ-140, RJ-124, BR-101, BR-493, BR-116, BR-040 and BR-265. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
Where can you stop on the way from Cabo Frio to Lavras?
Closest to the road: Museu da Loucura (museum, mile 250, 0.4 mi from the route); Teatro Municipal (theater, mile 283, 1 mi from the route); Museu de Arte Sacra (museum, mile 284, 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.