Plan on about 8 h 31 min of driving for the 368-mile (592 km) trip from Fortaleza to Teresina, 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: “Road maintenance is inadequate in many areas.”
| Distance | 368 mi (592 km) |
|---|---|
| Drive time without stops | 8 h 31 min |
| Main roads, in order | CE-020 → BR-222 → BR-343 |
| States on the route | Ceará, Piauí |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 14.7 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 6 |
On the road from Fortaleza to Teresina
BR-222 (255 mi) and BR-343 (99 mi) carry about 96% of the 368 miles. It runs through 2 states: Ceará, Piauí. Of the 6 stops listed below, 2 are within a mile of the road.
Fortaleza to Teresina: the road sequence
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–4 | 4 | Ceará |
| CE-020 | 4–7 | 3 | Ceará |
| connecting roads | 7–10 | 3 | Ceará |
| BR-222 | 10–265 | 255 | Ceará, Piauí |
| BR-343 | 265–364 | 99 | Piauí |
| local roads | 364–368 | 4 | Piauí |
- Mile 221 of this route: Ceará → Piauí (state line)
Where to stop on the way to Teresina
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Casa da Fazenda da Dona Alemã (mile 284), St. Anthony Cathedral, Campo Maior (mile 316)
- Nature and outdoors: Praia de Iparana (mile 9), Ubajara National Park (mile 180), Sete Cidades National Park (mile 252)
- Museums and history: Sobral Cathedral (mile 142), Casa da Fazenda da Dona Alemã (mile 284), St. Anthony Cathedral, Campo Maior (mile 316)
Praia de Iparana
About 18 km from Fortaleza in Caucaia, Praia de Iparana has calm water, small bays and long stretches of fine sand, with easy access that draws visitors.
Sobral Cathedral
Sobral Cathedral (Catedral de Sobral), also called the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Conception, is the main church of the Diocese of Sobral in Brazil.
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.
Sete Cidades National Park
Sete Cidades National Park is a national park in the state of Piauí, Brazil.
Casa da Fazenda da Dona Alemã
Also called Vovó Alemã, Casa da Fazenda da Dona Alemã is a 19th-century farmhouse in Capitão de Campos, protected by state decree in 1992 as an example of rural Piauí architecture with its original features intact.
St. Anthony Cathedral, Campo Maior
In Campo Maior, Piauí, St. Anthony Cathedral is a Catholic church on Bona Primo Square, also known as Campo Maior Cathedral.
Arriving in Teresina
Parque Zoobotânico de Teresina
In Teresina, the Parque Zoobotânico (Bioparque Zoobotânico do Piauí) protects native fauna and flora and works as a zoo with reptiles, birds and mammals, both wild and exotic species.
Museu do Piauí
Created and run by the Piauí state government, the Museu do Piauí is a museum founded in 1995 by former vice governor Osmar Junior.
Memorial Esperança Garcia
On Avenida Miguel Rosa in Teresina, the Memorial Esperança Garcia is a cultural space opened in July 2007 and run by the Piauí State Department of Culture.
From Fortaleza to other places in Brazil
- Fortaleza to Canoa Quebrada
- Fortaleza to Mossoró
- Fortaleza to Parnamirim
- Fortaleza to Fazenda Nova
- Fortaleza to Olinda
- Fortaleza to Garanhuns
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to drive from Fortaleza to Teresina?
About 8 h 31 min of driving without stops, over 368 miles.
How far is Teresina from Fortaleza by car?
About 368 miles (592 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 Fortaleza to Teresina drive?
The U.S. State Department rates Brazil Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution. Read the full advisory before you go.
Which highways go from Fortaleza to Teresina?
In order: CE-020, BR-222 and BR-343. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between Fortaleza and Teresina?
Closest to the road: Sobral Cathedral (cathedral, mile 142, 1 mi from the route); Casa da Fazenda da Dona Alemã (historic estate, mile 284, 0.1 mi from the route); St. Anthony Cathedral, Campo Maior (cathedral, mile 316, 0.5 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.