Divinópolis to Rio das Ostras Road Trip: Stops Along the Way

By admin, 13 October, 2026

By road, Divinópolis and Rio das Ostras are about 396 miles (637 km) apart, or roughly 9 h 53 min of driving.

U.S. State Department travel advisory: Brazil — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution
  • 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: “Driving on Brazil’s roads poses significant risks.”
Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar, São João del ReiMemorial Tancredo NevesMuseu de Sant'AnaMuseu da LoucuraPedra do Elefante Natural MonumentSerra dos Órgãos National ParkSantos Dumont House MuseumCasa Stefan ZweigSerra do Barbosão Municipal Nature ParkDivinópolisRio das Ostras
Route from Divinópolis to Rio das Ostras with the 9 stops listed below (blue dots).
Distance396 mi (637 km)
Drive time without stops9 h 53 min
Main roads, in orderBR-494 → BR-381 → BR-265 → BR-040 → BR-116 → BR-493 → BR-101 → RJ-162
States on the routeMinas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro
Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg)about 15.8 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic
Stops listed below9

Driving Divinópolis to Rio das Ostras: the shape of the trip

BR-040 (143 mi) and BR-494 (86 mi) carry about 58% of the 396 miles. It runs through 2 states: Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro. Of the 9 stops listed below, 1 are within a mile of the road.

Roads you'll take from Divinópolis to Rio das Ostras

RoadRoute miles (from–to)Length, miState
local roads0–22Minas Gerais
BR-4942–4846Minas Gerais
BR-38148–6315Minas Gerais
BR-49463–10340Minas Gerais
connecting roads103–1063Minas Gerais
BR-265106–14135Minas Gerais
BR-040141–16726Minas Gerais
local roads167–1714Minas Gerais
BR-040171–288117Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro
connecting roads288–2891Rio de Janeiro
BR-116289–30213Rio de Janeiro
BR-493302–31917Rio de Janeiro
BR-101319–38566Rio de Janeiro
RJ-162385–3949Rio de Janeiro
local roads394–3962Rio de Janeiro
  • Mile 224 of this route: Minas Gerais → Rio de Janeiro (state line)

Stops between Divinópolis and Rio das Ostras

  • Right off the route (under 1 mile): Museu da Loucura (mile 139)
  • Nature and outdoors: Pedra do Elefante Natural Monument (mile 254), Serra dos Órgãos National Park (mile 258), Serra do Barbosão Municipal Nature Park (mile 332)
  • Museums and history: Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar, São João del Rei (mile 105), Memorial Tancredo Neves (mile 105), Museu de Sant'Ana (mile 109), Museu da Loucura (mile 139), Pedra do Elefante Natural Monument (mile 254), Santos Dumont House Museum (mile 270), Casa Stefan Zweig (mile 272)

Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar, São João del Rei

Mile 105 · Cathedral · 2 mi from the route

Also called the São João del Rei Cathedral, this Catholic shrine is a protected heritage site known for colonial-era art, with gold decoration, paintings and statues inside.

Memorial Tancredo Neves

Mile 105 · Museum · 2 mi from the route

This museum in São João del-Rei, Minas Gerais, covers the life and political career of Tancredo Neves, the former governor and first civilian president elected after military rule, who died before taking office in 1985.

Museu de Sant'Ana

Mile 109 · Museum · 3 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Founded in 2014 by the Instituto Cultural Flávio Gutierrez, this Tiradentes art museum specializes in images of Saint Anne, with a collection of 291 statues.

Museu da Loucura

Mile 139 · Museum · 0.4 mi from the route

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.

Pedra do Elefante Natural Monument

Mile 254 · Natural monument · 3 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

The Pedra do Elefante Natural Monument is a municipal natural monument, a protected area in the state of Rio de Janeiro.

Serra dos Órgãos National Park

Mile 258 · National park · 8 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

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.

Santos Dumont House Museum

Mile 270 · Museum · 3 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Known as A Encantada, the Santos Dumont House Museum in Petrópolis is the house built in 1918 for aviator Alberto Santos-Dumont on a steep hillside near the city center.

Casa Stefan Zweig

Mile 272 · Museum · 3 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

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 do Barbosão Municipal Nature Park

Mile 332 · Protected area · 1 mi from the route

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.

In Rio das Ostras itself

Iriry Lagoon

Lake · in Rio das Ostras

Also nicknamed Coca-Cola Lagoon, Iriry Lagoon in Rio das Ostras is ringed by a protected area with trails, kiosks, beaches, leisure spots and a lookout.

More drives to Rio das Ostras

From Divinópolis to other places in Brazil

Frequently asked questions

How long is the drive from Divinópolis to Rio das Ostras?

About 9 h 53 min of driving without stops, over 396 miles.

How far is Rio das Ostras from Divinópolis by car?

About 396 miles (637 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 Divinópolis to Rio das Ostras?

The U.S. State Department rates Brazil Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution. Read the full advisory before you go.

Which highways go from Divinópolis to Rio das Ostras?

In order: BR-494, BR-381, BR-265, BR-040, BR-116, BR-493, BR-101 and RJ-162. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.

Where can you stop on the way from Divinópolis to Rio das Ostras?

Closest to the road: Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar, São João del Rei (cathedral, mile 105, 2 mi from the route); Museu da Loucura (museum, mile 139, 0.4 mi from the route); Serra do Barbosão Municipal Nature Park (protected area, mile 332, 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.