By road, Concordia and Cabo Polonio, Uruguay are about 476 miles (766 km) apart, or roughly 10 h 16 min of driving. You cross from Argentina into Uruguay at about mile 81, at the Colón–Paysandú 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: “Gas stations are often far apart and not always easily identified from the main roadway.”
- Uruguay: “If you are in an accident involving injury, stay in place until a police officer arrives.”
| Distance by road | 476 mi (766 km) |
|---|---|
| Drive time without stops | 10 h 16 min |
| Main roads, in order | RN14 → RN135 → I-B |
| Border crossing | about mile 81, Argentina → Uruguay (the Colón–Paysandú bridge) |
| Regions on the route | Entre Ríos, Paysandú, Río Negro, Flores, San José, Canelones, Maldonado, Rocha |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 19.0 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 8 |
The border on the way to Cabo Polonio
The route crosses at about mile 81, at the Colón–Paysandú bridge, from Entre Ríos into Paysandú. 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 Concordia–Cabo Polonio drive in a few lines
RN14 (65 mi) and RN135 (9 mi) carry about 16% of the 476 miles. The first 81 miles are in Argentina; the last 395 are in Uruguay. It runs through 8 regions: Entre Ríos, Paysandú, Río Negro, Flores, San José, Canelones, Maldonado, Rocha. Of the 8 stops listed below, 4 are within a mile of the road.
Concordia to Cabo Polonio: the road sequence
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–4 | 4 | Entre Ríos |
| connecting roads | 4–6 | 2 | Entre Ríos |
| RN14 | 6–71 | 65 | Entre Ríos |
| RN135 | 71–80 | 9 | Entre Ríos |
| local roads | 80–354 | 274 | Entre Ríos, Paysandú, Río Negro, Flores, San José, Canelones, Maldonado |
| I-B | 354–359 | 5 | Maldonado |
| connecting roads | 359–360 | 1 | Maldonado |
| local roads | 360–476 | 116 | Maldonado, Rocha |
- Mile 81 of this route: Entre Ríos → Paysandú (international border)
- Mile 114 of this route: Paysandú → Río Negro (region line)
- Mile 168 of this route: Río Negro → Flores (region line)
- Mile 230 of this route: Flores → San José (region line)
- Mile 280 of this route: San José → Canelones (region line)
- Mile 349 of this route: Canelones → Maldonado (region line)
- Mile 406 of this route: Maldonado → Rocha (region line)
Breaking up the drive: stops between Concordia and Cabo Polonio
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): El Palmar National Park (mile 42), Reserva de Flora y fauna Dr. Rodolfo Tálice (mile 198), Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe (mile 290), Observatorio Astronómico del CURE (mile 422)
- Nature and outdoors: El Palmar National Park (mile 42), Reserva de Flora y fauna Dr. Rodolfo Tálice (mile 198), Cerro Pan de Azúcar Native Wildlife Breeding Station (mile 360), La Sirena Beach (mile 465)
- Museums and history: Nuestra Señora del Rosario y San Benito de Palermo, Paysandú (mile 88), Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe (mile 290)
El Palmar National Park
Set off National Route 14 in Entre Ríos, between Colón and Concordia, El Palmar National Park protects groves of yatay palms along with gallery forest, savanna and grassland.
Nuestra Señora del Rosario y San Benito de Palermo, Paysandú
Paysandú's Catholic parish church of Our Lady of the Rosary and St. Benedict of Palermo was named a minor basilica in 1949 and remains an active parish of the city.
Reserva de Flora y fauna Dr. Rodolfo Tálice
Off Route 3 near Trinidad, the Dr. Rodolfo Tálice Ecopark (Reserva de Flora y Fauna Dr. Rodolfo Talice) is a fenced wildlife reserve where axis deer, greater rheas and pampas deer roam free alongside other species.
Teatro Macció
San José de Mayo's Teatro Bartolomé Macció is a traditional theater, regarded as the city's most important building architecturally and declared a Historic Monument of Uruguay in 1984.
Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe
Construction of Canelones' Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe began in 1816; the church became a cathedral in 1961 and Uruguay's national shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in 2020.
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.
Observatorio Astronómico del CURE
Run by the University of the Republic's eastern campus (CURE), this small observatory in Rocha opened in 2016 and uses a 30 cm reflector telescope under a motorized dome for teaching, research and public outreach.
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 Concordia
- Concordia to Tigre
- Concordia to Adrogué
- Concordia to Arrecifes
- Concordia to Berisso
- Concordia to Magdalena
- Concordia to Chascomús
Continue Your Adventure
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to drive from Concordia to Cabo Polonio, Uruguay?
About 10 h 16 min of driving without stops, over 476 miles.
How far is Cabo Polonio, Uruguay from Concordia by car?
About 476 miles (766 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 Concordia to Cabo Polonio drive cross the border?
At about mile 81, from Argentina into Uruguay, at the Colón–Paysandú bridge.
What do U.S. citizens need to drive from Concordia 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.)
What does the U.S. travel advisory say about the Concordia to Cabo Polonio drive?
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.
Which highways go from Concordia to Cabo Polonio?
In order: RN14, RN135 and I-B. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
Where can you stop on the way from Concordia to Cabo Polonio?
Closest to the road: El Palmar National Park (national park of Argentina, mile 42, 0.2 mi from the route); Reserva de Flora y fauna Dr. Rodolfo Tálice (botanical garden, mile 198, 0.1 mi from the route); Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe (cathedral, mile 290, 0.2 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.