Plan on about 10 h 6 min of driving for the 404-mile (650 km) trip from Itaguaí to Aracruz, 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.”
| Total distance | 404 mi (650 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 10 h 6 min |
| Main roads, in order | BR-101 → RJ-228 → ES-257 |
| States on the route | Rio de Janeiro, Espírito Santo |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 16.2 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
The Itaguaí–Aracruz drive in a few lines
BR-101 (352 mi) and RJ-228 (43 mi) carry about 98% of the 404 miles. It runs through 2 states: Rio de Janeiro, Espírito Santo. None of the 9 stops below is right on the road, so plan each as a short side trip.
Itaguaí to Aracruz: the road sequence
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–1 | 1 | Rio de Janeiro |
| BR-101 | 1–235 | 234 | Rio de Janeiro |
| RJ-228 | 235–278 | 43 | Rio de Janeiro, Espírito Santo |
| BR-101 | 278–396 | 118 | Espírito Santo |
| ES-257 | 396–403 | 7 | Espírito Santo |
| local roads | 403–404 | 1 | Espírito Santo |
- Mile 250 of this route: Rio de Janeiro → Espírito Santo (state line)
What to see on the way from Itaguaí to Aracruz
- Nature and outdoors: Pedra Branca State Park (mile 19), Serra das Torres Natural Monument (mile 264), Frade e a Freira Natural Monument (mile 286), Fonte Grande State Park (mile 356)
- Museums and history: Museu Aeroespacial (mile 25), Museu Militar Conde de Linhares (mile 41), Paço Imperial (mile 45), Serra das Torres Natural Monument (mile 264)
Pedra Branca State Park
In the state of Rio de Janeiro, Pedra Branca State Park ranks among the world's largest urban nature parks.
Museu Aeroespacial
Museu Aeroespacial is a national aviation museum in Realengo, on Rio de Janeiro's West Side, a place known as the cradle of Brazilian aviation.
Museu Militar Conde de Linhares
In Rio de Janeiro's São Cristóvão neighborhood, the Museu Militar Conde de Linhares covers military history and is named for the nobleman who accompanied the Portuguese court's move to Brazil.
Convent of Santo Antônio
Atop Morro de Santo Antônio and facing Largo da Carioca, this Franciscan convent in central Rio forms, with the neighboring Church of the Third Order of St. Francis of Penance, one of the city's surviving colonial ensembles.
Paço Imperial
Built in the 18th century as a residence for the governors of colonial Brazil, the Paço Imperial is a historic building in the center of Rio de Janeiro.
Serra das Torres Natural Monument
Covering about 10,459 hectares of Atlantic Forest in Atílio Vivácqua, Mimoso do Sul and Muqui, the Serra das Torres Natural Monument was created in 2010 to protect the peaks of a mountain range in southern Espírito Santo.
Frade e a Freira Natural Monument
Created by state decree in 2007, the Frade e a Freira Natural Monument is a state-run protected area in Espírito Santo spanning parts of Itapemirim, Cachoeiro de Itapemirim and Vargem Alta.
Fonte Grande State Park
Fonte Grande State Park is a state-protected park in the Brazilian state of Espírito Santo.
Buddha of Ibiraçu
Beside the BR-101 highway in Ibiraçu, a 35-meter Buddha statue rises at the Morro da Vargem Zen monastery. The giant figure, part of the monastery grounds, was officially inaugurated in August 2021.
More drives to Aracruz
- Cariacica to Aracruz
- Vitória to Aracruz
- Guarapari to Aracruz
- Itaperuna to Aracruz
- Rio das Ostras to Aracruz
- Itabira to Aracruz
From Itaguaí to other places in Brazil
- Itaguaí to Itanhaém
- Itaguaí to Trindade
- Itaguaí to Assis
- Itaguaí to Ourinhos
- Itaguaí to Itaperuna
- Itaguaí to Muriaé
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Itaguaí to Aracruz?
About 10 h 6 min of driving without stops, over 404 miles.
How far is Aracruz from Itaguaí by car?
About 404 miles (650 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 Itaguaí to Aracruz?
The U.S. State Department rates Brazil Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution. Read the full advisory before you go.
Which highways go from Itaguaí to Aracruz?
In order: BR-101, RJ-228 and ES-257. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between Itaguaí and Aracruz?
Closest to the road: Museu Militar Conde de Linhares (museum, mile 41, 1 mi from the route); Frade e a Freira Natural Monument (protected area, mile 286, 1 mi from the route); Buddha of Ibiraçu (statue, mile 392, 2 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.