By road, Cumbuco and Mandacaru are about 399 miles (642 km) apart, or roughly 10 h 43 min of driving.
- 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: “Road maintenance is inadequate in many areas.”
| Distance by road | 399 mi (642 km) |
|---|---|
| Drive time without stops | 10 h 43 min |
| Main roads, in order | CE-090 → CE-085 → CE-348 → BR-222 → CE-187 → CE-232 → PI-213 → BR-343 → BR-402 → MA-346 → MA-345 → MA-034 → MA-315 |
| States on the route | Ceará, Piauí, Maranhão |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 16.0 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 3 |
The Cumbuco–Mandacaru drive in a few lines
BR-222 (176 mi) and MA-315 (35 mi) carry about 53% of the 399 miles. It runs through 3 states: Ceará, Piauí, Maranhão. None of the 3 stops below is right on the road, so plan each as a short side trip.
Road-by-road breakdown: Cumbuco to Mandacaru
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–1 | 1 | Ceará |
| CE-090 | 1–6 | 5 | Ceará |
| CE-085 | 6–9 | 3 | Ceará |
| CE-348 | 9–14 | 5 | Ceará |
| BR-222 | 14–190 | 176 | Ceará |
| CE-187 | 190–208 | 18 | Ceará |
| CE-232 | 208–230 | 22 | Ceará |
| PI-213 | 230–258 | 28 | Ceará, Piauí |
| BR-343 | 258–288 | 30 | Piauí |
| BR-402 | 288–296 | 8 | Piauí |
| MA-346 | 296–305 | 9 | Piauí, Maranhão |
| BR-402 | 305–309 | 4 | Maranhão |
| MA-345 | 309–322 | 13 | Maranhão |
| MA-034 | 322–344 | 22 | Maranhão |
| local roads | 344–347 | 3 | Maranhão |
| MA-315 | 347–382 | 35 | Maranhão |
| local roads | 382–399 | 17 | Maranhão |
- Mile 234 of this route: Ceará → Piauí (state line)
- Mile 297 of this route: Piauí → Maranhão (state line)
Stops between Cumbuco and Mandacaru
- Nature and outdoors: Ubajara National Park (mile 172)
- Museums and history: Museu Dom José (mile 134)
Museu Dom José
Owned by the Diocese of Sobral in Ceará, the Museu Dom José is a sacred art museum with a collection of more than thirty thousand pieces.
Teatro São João (Sobral)
Teatro São João is a cultural venue in the city of Sobral, Ceará, a place to check for performances while passing through town.
Ubajara National Park
Ubajara National Park is a national park in the state of Ceará, best known for the Ubajara grotto, a cave that gives the park its reputation.
Once you reach Mandacaru
Preguiças Lighthouse
Also called Mandacaru Lighthouse, Preguiças Lighthouse in Maranhão is a white, tapered concrete tower marked by four black bands, with four ribs and a double gallery.
More drives to Mandacaru
From Cumbuco to other places in Brazil
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Cumbuco to Mandacaru?
About 10 h 43 min of driving without stops, over 399 miles.
How far is Mandacaru from Cumbuco by car?
About 399 miles (642 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 Cumbuco to Mandacaru 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 Cumbuco to Mandacaru use?
In order: CE-090, CE-085, CE-348, BR-222, CE-187, CE-232, PI-213, BR-343, BR-402, MA-346, MA-345, MA-034 and MA-315. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between Cumbuco and Mandacaru?
Closest to the road: Teatro São João (Sobral) (theater, mile 134, 1 mi from the route); Museu Dom José (museum, mile 134, 2 mi from the route); Ubajara National Park (national park, mile 172, 4 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.