The Wayro route from Fray Bentos to Barra de Valizas is 354 miles (569 km), about 7 h 59 min of driving without stops.
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 | 354 mi (569 km) |
|---|---|
| Drive time without stops | 7 h 59 min |
| Main roads, in order | I-B |
| Departments on the route | Río Negro, Soriano, Colonia, San José, Canelones, Maldonado, Rocha |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 14.1 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
On the road from Fray Bentos to Barra de Valizas
I-B (6 mi) carries about 2% of the 354 miles. It runs through 7 departments: Río Negro, Soriano, Colonia, San José, Canelones, Maldonado, Rocha. Of the 9 stops listed below, 4 are within a mile of the road.
Roads you'll take from Fray Bentos to Barra de Valizas
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | Department |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–100 | 100 | Río Negro, Soriano |
| connecting roads | 100–101 | 1 | Soriano |
| local roads | 101–137 | 36 | Colonia, San José |
| connecting roads | 137–140 | 3 | San José |
| local roads | 140–207 | 67 | San José, Canelones |
| connecting roads | 207–208 | 1 | Canelones |
| local roads | 208–236 | 28 | Canelones, Maldonado |
| I-B | 236–242 | 6 | Maldonado |
| local roads | 242–354 | 112 | Maldonado, Rocha |
- Mile 19 of this route: Río Negro → Soriano (department line)
- Mile 101 of this route: Soriano → Colonia (department line)
- Mile 118 of this route: Colonia → San José (department line)
- Mile 162 of this route: San José → Canelones (department line)
- Mile 231 of this route: Canelones → Maldonado (department line)
- Mile 288 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 Mercedes (mile 21), Cathedral of San José de Mayo (mile 137), Museo Departamental de San José (mile 137), Teatro 25 de Mayo (mile 305)
- Nature and outdoors: Laguna del Cisne (mile 207), Cerro Pan de Azúcar Native Wildlife Breeding Station (mile 242), La Sirena Beach (mile 347)
- Museums and history: Cathedral of Mercedes (mile 21), Calera Real del Dacá (mile 21), Cathedral of San José de Mayo (mile 137), Museo Departamental de San José (mile 137), Iglesia de Cristo Obrero y Nuestra Señora de Lourdes (mile 208)
Cathedral of Mercedes
Mercedes, Uruguay, centers its Catholic life on the Cathedral of Our Lady of Mercy, which became the seat of the local diocese in 1960.
Calera Real del Dacá
On the eastern edge of Mercedes beside the Dacá stream, the ruins of the Calera Real lime works date to 1722 and are considered the region's first industrial site; recent works added visitor circuits, lighting and interpretive signs.
Cathedral of San José de Mayo
The main Catholic church of San José de Mayo, the Cathedral Basilica of St. Joseph has been the diocesan seat since 1955, a minor basilica since 1957 and Uruguay's national shrine of Saint Joseph.
Museo Departamental de San José
Set in central San José de Mayo, the Museo Departamental de San José is a history and fine arts museum that also runs a library, archives and cultural programs.
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.
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.
Once you reach 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 Fray Bentos to other places in Uruguay
- Fray Bentos to Conchillas
- Fray Bentos to Veinticinco de Agosto
- Fray Bentos to Atlántida
- Fray Bentos to Fray Marcos
- Fray Bentos to Alejandro Gallinal
- Fray Bentos to Piriápolis
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to drive from Fray Bentos to Barra de Valizas?
About 7 h 59 min of driving without stops, over 354 miles.
How far is Barra de Valizas from Fray Bentos by car?
About 354 miles (569 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 Fray Bentos to Barra de Valizas?
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 Fray Bentos to Barra de Valizas?
Closest to the road: Cathedral of Mercedes (cathedral, mile 21, 0.7 mi from the route); Museo Departamental de San José (history museum, mile 137, 0.7 mi from the route); Cathedral of San José de Mayo (cathedral, mile 137, 0.9 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.