Plan on about 4 h 25 min of driving for the 170-mile (273 km) trip from Campos dos Goytacazes to Santa Leopoldina, 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.”
| Total distance | 170 mi (273 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 4 h 25 min |
| Main roads, in order | BR-101 → RJ-228 → ES-080 |
| States on the route | Rio de Janeiro, Espírito Santo |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 6.8 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 7 |
What the drive from Campos dos Goytacazes to Santa Leopoldina is like
BR-101 (96 mi) and RJ-228 (44 mi) carry about 82% of the 170 miles. It runs through 2 states: Rio de Janeiro, Espírito Santo. None of the 7 stops below is right on the road, so plan each as a short side trip.
The route from Campos dos Goytacazes to Santa Leopoldina, road by road
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–4 | 4 | Rio de Janeiro |
| BR-101 | 4–26 | 22 | Rio de Janeiro |
| RJ-228 | 26–70 | 44 | Rio de Janeiro, Espírito Santo |
| BR-101 | 70–144 | 74 | Espírito Santo |
| connecting roads | 144–147 | 3 | Espírito Santo |
| ES-080 | 147–169 | 22 | Espírito Santo |
| local roads | 169–170 | 1 | Espírito Santo |
- Mile 42 of this route: Rio de Janeiro → Espírito Santo (state line)
Places worth a stop between Campos dos Goytacazes and Santa Leopoldina
- Nature and outdoors: Serra das Torres Natural Monument (mile 56), Itabira Natural Monument (mile 73), Frade e a Freira Natural Monument (mile 78), Paulo César Vinha State Park (mile 125), Morro do Penedo Natural Monument (mile 145), Fonte Grande State Park (mile 147)
- Museums and history: Serra das Torres Natural Monument (mile 56), Itabira Natural Monument (mile 73), Ruins of the Church of São José do Queimado (mile 155)
Serra das Torres Natural Monument
Covering about 10,459 hectares of Atlantic Forest in Atílio Vivácqua, Mimoso do Sul and Muqui, the Serra das Torres Natural Monument was created in 2010 to protect the peaks of a mountain range in southern Espírito Santo.
Itabira Natural Monument
Itabira Natural Monument is a protected area in the state of Espírito Santo, Brazil, listed in the natural monument category.
Frade e a Freira Natural Monument
Created by state decree in 2007, the Frade e a Freira Natural Monument is a state-run protected area in Espírito Santo spanning parts of Itapemirim, Cachoeiro de Itapemirim and Vargem Alta.
Paulo César Vinha State Park
Along the Atlantic shore in Guarapari, Paulo César Vinha State Park protects dunes, lagoons and marshes. Its trails lead to the beach and to Lagoa de Caraís.
Morro do Penedo Natural Monument
Morro do Penedo Natural Monument protects a small sugarloaf-shaped hill on the shore of the bay south of Vitória, the capital of Espírito Santo state.
Fonte Grande State Park
Fonte Grande State Park is a state-protected park in the Brazilian state of Espírito Santo.
Ruins of the Church of São José do Queimado
In the Queimado district of Serra, Espírito Santo, these church ruins stand as a historic reminder of the Queimado Insurrection, an 1849 slave uprising.
Once you reach Santa Leopoldina
Museu do Colono
Opened in April 1969, the Museu do Colono is a museum in Santa Leopoldina, Espírito Santo, and is run today by the state's Department of Culture.
Historic Center of Santa Leopoldina
Squeezed between hills and the Santa Maria River, the Historic Center of Santa Leopoldina (Núcleo Histórico de Santa Leopoldina) keeps buildings from the late 1800s and early 1900s. Espírito Santo listed it as a State Historic Site in 1983.
Igreja Sagrada Família
Igreja Sagrada Família, the mother church of Santa Leopoldina, Espírito Santo, was built in 1911 on top of a hill above the Santa Maria River valley.
More drives to Santa Leopoldina
- Guarapari to Santa Leopoldina
- Cachoeiro de Itapemirim to Santa Leopoldina
- Itaperuna to Santa Leopoldina
- Muriaé to Santa Leopoldina
- Ipatinga to Santa Leopoldina
- Rio das Ostras to Santa Leopoldina
From Campos dos Goytacazes to other places in Brazil
- Campos dos Goytacazes to Itaguaí
- Campos dos Goytacazes to Barra Mansa
- Campos dos Goytacazes to Angra dos Reis
- Campos dos Goytacazes to Resende
- Campos dos Goytacazes to Penedo
- Campos dos Goytacazes to Fumaça
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Campos dos Goytacazes to Santa Leopoldina?
About 4 h 25 min of driving without stops, over 170 miles.
What is the driving distance from Campos dos Goytacazes to Santa Leopoldina?
About 170 miles (273 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 Campos dos Goytacazes to Santa Leopoldina drive?
The U.S. State Department rates Brazil Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution. Read the full advisory before you go.
Which highways go from Campos dos Goytacazes to Santa Leopoldina?
In order: BR-101, RJ-228 and ES-080. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between Campos dos Goytacazes and Santa Leopoldina?
Closest to the road: Frade e a Freira Natural Monument (protected area, mile 78, 1 mi from the route); Fonte Grande State Park (state park, mile 147, 4 mi from the route); Ruins of the Church of São José do Queimado (church, mile 155, 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.