By road, Durazno and Punta del Este are about 180 miles (289 km) apart, or roughly 3 h 49 min of driving.
Full advisory: Uruguay. Advisory issued: Uruguay July 28, 2026; checked October 10, 2026.
On the roads, the State Department says:
- Uruguay: “Illumination, pavement markings, and road surfaces for secondary roads can be poor.”
| Total distance | 180 mi (289 km) |
|---|---|
| Drive time without stops | 3 h 49 min |
| Main roads, in order | I-B |
| Departments on the route | Durazno, Florida, Canelones, Maldonado |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 7.2 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 6 |
What the drive from Durazno to Punta del Este is like
I-B (23 mi) carries about 13% of the 180 miles. It runs through 4 departments: Durazno, Florida, Canelones, Maldonado. Of the 6 stops listed below, 3 are within a mile of the road.
Which roads connect Durazno and Punta del Este
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | Department |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–150 | 150 | Durazno, Florida, Canelones, Maldonado |
| I-B | 150–173 | 23 | Maldonado |
| local roads | 173–180 | 7 | Maldonado |
- 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)
Places worth a stop between Durazno and Punta del Este
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Museo Histórico Departamental de Florida (mile 55), Cathedral of Florida (mile 55), Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe (mile 86)
- Nature and outdoors: Laguna del Cisne (mile 121), Cerro Pan de Azúcar Native Wildlife Breeding Station (mile 158)
- Museums and history: Museo Histórico Departamental de Florida (mile 55), Cathedral of Florida (mile 55), Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe (mile 86), Iglesia de Cristo Obrero y Nuestra Señora de Lourdes (mile 122)
Museo Histórico Departamental de Florida
This history museum is located in the central part of Florida, capital of the Uruguayan department of the same name, on Rivera street.
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.
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.
Laguna del Cisne
Near Salinas in Canelones, Laguna del Cisne is a subtropical lagoon of about 1.8 km², fed by a watershed of some 50 km², that has supplied drinking water to the Costa de Oro area since 1970.
Iglesia de Cristo Obrero y Nuestra Señora de Lourdes
Wavy brick walls and a rippling brick roof define this church in Estación Atlántida, along with an openwork brick bell tower and a baptistery set underground. Engineer Eladio Dieste designed it, and it opened in 1960.
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.
Arriving in Punta del Este
Museo Vivo del Títere
In the city of Maldonado, the Museo Vivo del Títere is a puppet museum created in 1998 through an agreement between Uruguay's Ministry of Education and Culture and the Intendencia de Maldonado.
La Mano de Punta del Este
Five human fingers rise out of the sand at Parada 1 on Brava Beach in Punta del Este in La Mano, a sculpture by Chilean artist Mario Irarrázabal.
Cathedral of Maldonado
The Cathedral of Saint Ferdinand is Maldonado's main Roman Catholic church and has been a cathedral since 1966, when the Diocese of Maldonado-Punta del Este was founded.
More drives to Punta del Este
- Paysandú to Punta del Este
- Rivera to Punta del Este
- Fray Bentos to Punta del Este
- Buenos Aires to Punta del Este, Uruguay
- Rosario, Argentina to Punta del Este, Uruguay
- La Plata to Punta del Este, Uruguay
From Durazno to other places in Uruguay
- Durazno to Atlántida
- Durazno to Piriápolis
- Durazno to La Paloma
- Durazno to Barra de Valizas
- Durazno to Cabo Polonio
- Durazno to Chuy
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to drive from Durazno to Punta del Este?
About 3 h 49 min of driving without stops, over 180 miles.
What is the driving distance from Durazno to Punta del Este?
About 180 miles (289 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 Punta del Este drive?
The U.S. State Department rates Uruguay Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution. Read the full advisory before you go.
Where can you stop on the way from Durazno to Punta del Este?
Closest to the road: Museo Histórico Departamental de Florida (museum, mile 55, 0.8 mi from the route); Cathedral of Florida (cathedral, mile 55, 0.9 mi from the route); Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe (cathedral, mile 86, 0.7 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.