The Wayro route from Cabo Frio to Teresópolis is 106 miles (170 km), about 2 h 60 min of driving without 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: “Use caution when walking or driving at night.”
| Distance | 106 mi (170 km) |
|---|---|
| Drive time without stops | 2 h 60 min |
| Main roads, in order | RJ-140 → RJ-124 → BR-101 → BR-493 → BR-116 |
| States on the route | Rio de Janeiro |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 4.2 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 6 |
The Cabo Frio–Teresópolis drive in a few lines
RJ-124 (35 mi) and BR-101 (20 mi) carry about 52% of the 106 miles. None of the 6 stops below is right on the road, so plan each as a short side trip.
The route from Cabo Frio to Teresópolis, 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 | 73–85 | 12 | Rio de Janeiro |
| BR-116 | 85–101 | 16 | Rio de Janeiro |
| local roads | 101–106 | 5 | Rio de Janeiro |
What to see on the way from Cabo Frio to Teresópolis
- Nature and outdoors: Costa do Sol State Park (mile 12), Araruama Lagoon (mile 18), Coqueiral (mile 22), Serra do Barbosão Municipal Nature Park (mile 56), Serra dos Órgãos National Park (mile 96)
- Museums and history: Valongo Wharf (mile 71)
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.
Coqueiral
Coqueiral is a beach in Araruama, Rio de Janeiro state, in a neighborhood of the same name along the Amaral Peixoto highway.
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.
Valongo Wharf
Built in 1811 in Rio's old port, the Valongo Wharf was where up to 900,000 enslaved Africans landed. A UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2017, its excavated stone paving is left open to view.
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.
In Teresópolis itself
Castelo Montebello
Castelo Montebello (Castelo Montebello Medieval) stands in the city of Teresópolis, in the Brazilian state of Rio de Janeiro.
Casa da Memória Arthur Dalmasso
Teresópolis keeps its local history at the Casa da Memória Arthur Dalmasso, a museum in a 1920s mansion built by mayor José Lino de Oliveira Leite and once named Villa Cecília after his wife.
Mirante da Granja Guarani
Built by Arnaldo Guinle in 1929, this Teresópolis lookout faces the Verruga do Frade peak and is decorated with tiles by Portuguese ceramist Jorge Colaço, painted in Lisbon.
More drives to Teresópolis
- Rio de Janeiro to Teresópolis
- Taubaté to Teresópolis
- São José dos Campos to Teresópolis
- Jacareí to Teresópolis
- Mogi das Cruzes to Teresópolis
- São Paulo to Teresópolis
From Cabo Frio to other places in Brazil
- Cabo Frio to Nova Friburgo
- Cabo Frio to Itaguaí
- Cabo Frio to Barra Mansa
- Cabo Frio to Angra dos Reis
- Cabo Frio to Resende
- Cabo Frio to Penedo
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to drive from Cabo Frio to Teresópolis?
About 2 h 60 min of driving without stops, over 106 miles.
How far is Teresópolis from Cabo Frio by car?
About 106 miles (170 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 Teresópolis?
The U.S. State Department rates Brazil Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution. Read the full advisory before you go.
Which highways go from Cabo Frio to Teresópolis?
In order: RJ-140, RJ-124, BR-101, BR-493 and BR-116. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between Cabo Frio and Teresópolis?
Closest to the road: Coqueiral (beach, mile 22, 4 mi from the route); Serra do Barbosão Municipal Nature Park (protected area, mile 56, 1 mi from the route); Serra dos Órgãos National Park (national park, mile 96, 3 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.