Plan on about 9 h 37 min of driving for the 455-mile (732 km) trip from Florianópolis to Santa Maria, Brazil, before any stops.
- 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: “Drivers must have their daytime running lights on during the day and headlights on at night on Federal Highways.”
| Distance | 455 mi (732 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 9 h 37 min |
| Main roads, in order | BR-282 → BR-101 → BR-290 → BR-448 → BR-386 → RSC-287 |
| States on the route | Santa Catarina, Rio Grande do Sul |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 18.2 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
What the drive from Florianópolis to Santa Maria is like
BR-101 (213 mi) and RSC-287 (127 mi) carry about 75% of the 455 miles. It runs through 2 states: Santa Catarina, Rio Grande do Sul. Of the 9 stops listed below, 2 are within a mile of the road.
Road-by-road breakdown: Florianópolis to Santa Maria
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–2 | 2 | |
| BR-282 | 2–5 | 3 | Santa Catarina |
| connecting roads | 5–6 | 1 | Santa Catarina |
| BR-101 | 6–219 | 213 | Santa Catarina, Rio Grande do Sul |
| connecting roads | 219–221 | 2 | Rio Grande do Sul |
| BR-290 | 221–279 | 58 | Rio Grande do Sul |
| connecting roads | 279–280 | 1 | Rio Grande do Sul |
| BR-448 | 280–287 | 7 | Rio Grande do Sul |
| BR-386 | 287–321 | 34 | Rio Grande do Sul |
| RSC-287 | 321–448 | 127 | Rio Grande do Sul |
| local roads | 448–455 | 7 | Rio Grande do Sul |
- Mile 166 of this route: Santa Catarina → Rio Grande do Sul (state line)
Breaking up the drive: stops between Florianópolis and Santa Maria
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Museu Willy Zumblick (mile 85), Morro de Osório Protected Area (mile 223)
- Nature and outdoors: Guarda do Embaú (mile 30), Praia da Guarita (mile 170), Jacuí Delta State Park (mile 285)
- Museums and history: Museu Willy Zumblick (mile 85), St. John the Baptist Cathedral, Santa Cruz do Sul (mile 367), Aristides Carlos Rodrigues Museum (mile 391)
Guarda do Embaú
About 46 km south of Florianópolis, Guarda do Embaú (Praia da Guarda do Embaú) is a beach recognized as a World Surfing Reserve, the first of its kind in Brazil.
Museu Willy Zumblick
In downtown Tubarão, Santa Catarina, the Museu Willy Zumblick keeps a permanent exhibition of part of the collection of local-born artist Willy Zumblick.
Praia da Guarita
Guarita Beach in Torres, Rio Grande do Sul, is a public beach resort along the city's coast.
Morro de Osório Protected Area
Created in 1994, the Morro de Osório Environmental Protection Area is a municipal conservation unit of Osório, Rio Grande do Sul, originally covering about 6,896 acres.
Jacuí Delta State Park
Created in 1976, Jacuí Delta State Park (Parque Estadual Delta do Jacuí) protects the delta between Porto Alegre, Canoas, Eldorado do Sul and nearby towns, where fishers from Ilha da Pintada still practice traditional fishing.
St. John the Baptist Cathedral, Santa Cruz do Sul
Facing Getúlio Vargas Square in central Santa Cruz do Sul, St. John the Baptist Cathedral is the city's Roman Catholic cathedral.
Aristides Carlos Rodrigues Museum
In the town of Candelária, Rio Grande do Sul, the Aristides Carlos Rodrigues Museum is part of the Paleorrota Geopark and offers information about the region.
Aqueduto de Candelária
In Candelária, Rio Grande do Sul, the Aqueduto de Candelária stands in the Linha Curitiba area. It was commissioned by João Kochenborger, one of the first German immigrants to reach the municipality, in 1862.
Planetário Professor José Mariano da Rocha Filho
Founded in 1971 at the Federal University of Santa Maria, this planetarium seats 120 people and has used a Digistar 4 digital projector since 2011.
When you get to Santa Maria
Catedral de Nuestra Señora de la Concepción
Seat of the Archdiocese of Santa Maria in Rio Grande do Sul, this eclectic cathedral mixes neo-Baroque and neoclassical styles; construction started in 1902 under parish priest Caetano Pagliuca, and it opened in 1909.
Theatro Treze de Maio
Facing Praça Saldanha Marinho in central Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul, the Theatro Treze de Maio is a theater protected as a municipal heritage property.
Educational Museum Gama D'Eça
The Gama D'Eça Educational Museum sits at Rua do Acampamento 81 in central Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul.
More drives to Santa Maria
- Porto Alegre to Santa Maria, Brazil
- Caxias do Sul to Santa Maria, Brazil
- Joinville to Santa Maria, Brazil
- Itajaí to Santa Maria, Brazil
- Blumenau to Santa Maria, Brazil
- Corrientes to Santa Maria, Brazil
From Florianópolis to other places in Brazil
- Florianópolis to Jaraguá do Sul
- Florianópolis to Paranaguá
- Florianópolis to Ponta Grossa
- Florianópolis to Caxias do Sul
- Florianópolis to Novo Hamburgo
- Florianópolis to Bento Gonçalves
Continue Your Adventure
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to drive from Florianópolis to Santa Maria, Brazil?
About 9 h 37 min of driving without stops, over 455 miles.
How far is Santa Maria, Brazil from Florianópolis by car?
About 455 miles (732 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 Florianópolis to Santa Maria, Brazil?
The U.S. State Department rates Brazil Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution. Read the full advisory before you go.
Which highways go from Florianópolis to Santa Maria?
In order: BR-282, BR-101, BR-290, BR-448, BR-386 and RSC-287. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
Where can you stop on the way from Florianópolis to Santa Maria?
Closest to the road: Museu Willy Zumblick (museum, mile 85, 0.2 mi from the route); Morro de Osório Protected Area (environmental protection area, mile 223, 0.9 mi from the route); Aristides Carlos Rodrigues Museum (museum, mile 391, 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.