By road, Durazno and Barra de Valizas are about 268 miles (431 km) apart, or roughly 6 h 3 min of driving.
Full advisory: Uruguay. Advisory issued: Uruguay July 28, 2026; checked October 10, 2026.
On the roads, the State Department says:
- Uruguay: “Traffic fatalities are high in Uruguay.”
| Distance | 268 mi (431 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 6 h 3 min |
| Main roads, in order | I-B |
| Departments on the route | Durazno, Florida, Canelones, Maldonado, Rocha |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 10.7 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
The Durazno–Barra de Valizas drive in a few lines
I-B (5 mi) carries about 2% of the 268 miles. It runs through 5 departments: Durazno, Florida, Canelones, Maldonado, Rocha. Of the 9 stops listed below, 4 are within a mile of the road.
Roads you'll take from Durazno to Barra de Valizas
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | Department |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–150 | 150 | Durazno, Florida, Canelones, Maldonado |
| I-B | 150–155 | 5 | Maldonado |
| connecting roads | 155–156 | 1 | Maldonado |
| local roads | 156–268 | 112 | Maldonado, Rocha |
- Mile 10 of this route: Durazno → Florida (department line)
- Mile 76 of this route: Florida → Canelones (department line)
- Mile 145 of this route: Canelones → Maldonado (department line)
- Mile 203 of this route: Maldonado → Rocha (department line)
Where to stop on the way to Barra de Valizas
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Cathedral of Florida (mile 55), Piedra Alta (mile 56), Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe (mile 86), Observatorio Astronómico del CURE (mile 218)
- Nature and outdoors: Cerro Pan de Azúcar Native Wildlife Breeding Station (mile 156), Laguna José Ignacio (mile 190), La Sirena Beach (mile 261)
- Museums and history: Cathedral of Florida (mile 55), Piedra Alta (mile 56), Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe (mile 86), Iglesia de Cristo Obrero y Nuestra Señora de Lourdes (mile 122)
Cathedral of Florida
Florida's cathedral basilica is also Uruguay's national shrine of the Virgin of the Thirty-Three, the country's patroness, and keeps the original image; look for its bronze door by sculptor José Belloni and his son Stelio, stained glass and domes.
Piedra Alta
On the banks of the Santa Lucía Chico River outside the city of Florida, Piedra Alta is a rock formation of historic importance that appears on the department's coat of arms and flag.
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.
Iglesia de Cristo Obrero y Nuestra Señora de Lourdes
Engineer Eladio Dieste's Church of Christ the Worker in Estación Atlántida, inaugurated in 1960, joined UNESCO's World Heritage List in 2021. Look for its wavy brick walls and roof, an openwork brick bell tower and an underground baptistery.
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.
Laguna José Ignacio
In Uruguay's Maldonado Department, Laguna José Ignacio is a coastal lagoon kept apart from the Atlantic Ocean by a sandbank.
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.
Teatro 25 de Mayo
Rocha's Teatro 25 de Mayo opened in 1910 as an Italian-style theater in the eclectic style, with room for about 400 people. Now a cultural complex, it is a stop on the city's self-guided heritage walk.
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.
When you get to Barra de Valizas
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 Barra de Valizas
- Maldonado to Barra de Valizas
- Montevideo to Barra de Valizas
- Veinticinco de Agosto to Barra de Valizas
- Nueva Helvecia to Barra de Valizas
- Colonia del Sacramento to Barra de Valizas
- Conchillas to Barra de Valizas
From Durazno to other places in Uruguay
- Durazno to Atlántida
- Durazno to Piriápolis
- Durazno to Punta del Este
- Durazno to La Paloma
- Durazno to Cabo Polonio
- Durazno to Chuy
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Durazno to Barra de Valizas?
About 6 h 3 min of driving without stops, over 268 miles.
How far is Barra de Valizas from Durazno by car?
About 268 miles (431 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 Durazno to Barra de Valizas drive?
The U.S. State Department rates Uruguay Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution. Read the full advisory before you go.
What are good stops between Durazno and Barra de Valizas?
Closest to the road: Piedra Alta (historic site, mile 56, 0.4 mi from the route); Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe (cathedral, mile 86, 0.7 mi from the route); Observatorio Astronómico del CURE (astronomical observatory, mile 218, 0.3 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.