Itajaí to Caraguatatuba is about 485 road miles (780 km): roughly 10 h 53 min at the wheel if you don't stop.
- 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: “Driving on Brazil’s roads poses significant risks.”
| Total distance | 485 mi (780 km) |
|---|---|
| Drive time without stops | 10 h 53 min |
| Main roads, in order | BR-101 → BR-376 → BR-116 → SP-021 → SP-015 → SP-070 → SP-099 |
| States on the route | Santa Catarina, Paraná, São Paulo |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 19.4 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
How the Itajaí to Caraguatatuba drive plays out
BR-116 (236 mi) and BR-101 (74 mi) carry about 64% of the 485 miles. It runs through 3 states: Santa Catarina, Paraná, São Paulo. Of the 9 stops listed below, 2 are within a mile of the road.
Roads you'll take from Itajaí to Caraguatatuba
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–4 | 4 | Santa Catarina |
| BR-101 | 4–78 | 74 | Santa Catarina |
| BR-376 | 78–121 | 43 | Santa Catarina, Paraná |
| BR-116 | 121–357 | 236 | Paraná, São Paulo |
| connecting roads | 357–358 | 1 | São Paulo |
| SP-021 | 358–366 | 8 | São Paulo |
| connecting roads | 366–372 | 6 | São Paulo |
| SP-015 | 372–385 | 13 | São Paulo |
| SP-070 | 385–437 | 52 | São Paulo |
| connecting roads | 437–439 | 2 | São Paulo |
| SP-099 | 439–483 | 44 | São Paulo |
| local roads | 483–485 | 2 | São Paulo |
- Mile 79 of this route: Santa Catarina → Paraná (state line)
- Mile 185 of this route: Paraná → São Paulo (state line)
Places worth a stop between Itajaí and Caraguatatuba
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Museu do Índio (mile 355), Sítio Morrinhos (mile 378)
- Nature and outdoors: Guaricana National Park (mile 90), Graciosa State Park (mile 148), Rio Turvo State Park (mile 212), Campina do Encantado State Park (mile 249)
- Museums and history: Museu da Bicicleta de Joinville (mile 52), Museu Nacional de Imigração e Colonização (mile 52), Museu do Índio (mile 355), Casa Guilherme de Almeida (mile 377), Sítio Morrinhos (mile 378)
Museu da Bicicleta de Joinville
Founded in 2000 and run by the city's cultural foundation, Joinville's bicycle museum holds more than 16,000 items, including bicycles, parts, posters, photos, unusual bikes and a model built to ride on rail tracks.
Museu Nacional de Imigração e Colonização
Joinville's Museu Nacional de Imigração e Colonização keeps memories, stories and objects tied to immigration in southern Brazil; it was created by federal law in 1957.
Guaricana National Park
Created in 2014, Guaricana National Park protects about 49,300 hectares of the Serra do Mar in Paraná, across Guaratuba, Morretes and São José dos Pinhais.
Graciosa State Park
Created by state decree in 1990 near Morretes, Paraná, Graciosa State Park protects dense Atlantic Forest, with a mandate to preserve the area's water regime, plants and wildlife.
Rio Turvo State Park
Rio Turvo State Park protects Atlantic Forest across Cajati, Barra do Turvo and Jacupiranga. Besides its trails, it holds the Cachoeira do Azeite waterfall, the Gruta da Capelinha cave and Morro do Guaraú.
Campina do Encantado State Park
A peat bog and a stretch of wetland forest are protected in Campina do Encantado State Park, in Pariquera-Açu, São Paulo state. The ecosystem is described as unique and of great scientific interest.
Museu do Índio
In Embu das Artes, São Paulo, this private museum linked to an Indigenous culture information center displays over 500 ethnographic pieces and runs cultural programs about Brazil's Indigenous peoples.
Casa Guilherme de Almeida
Casa Guilherme de Almeida is a biographical and literary museum in São Paulo, founded in 1979 and run as a public museum under the São Paulo State Secretariat of Culture.
Sítio Morrinhos
Also known as Chácara de São Bento, Sítio Morrinhos is an architectural complex with an 18th-century main house and annexes from the 19th and 20th centuries, part of the Museum of the City of São Paulo's Historic Houses.
Arriving in Caraguatatuba
Prainha (Caraguatatuba)
Prainha is a beach in Caraguatatuba between Martim de Sá and Pedra da Freira; a trail along the hillside leads to the Pedra do Jacaré rock.
Martim de Sá Beach
About 2.5 km from downtown Caraguatatuba, Martim de Sá Beach sits between Prainha to the south and Praia Brava to the north.
Brava Beach (Caraguatatuba)
Close to Martim de Sá in Caraguatatuba, Praia Brava sees few visitors because of its isolated access, and nudism is permitted on the beach.
More drives to Caraguatatuba
- Pindamonhangaba to Caraguatatuba
- Guarujá to Caraguatatuba
- São Paulo to Caraguatatuba
- Jundiaí to Caraguatatuba
- Sorocaba to Caraguatatuba
- Itu to Caraguatatuba
From Itajaí to other places in Brazil
- Itajaí to Paranaguá
- Itajaí to Guarapuava
- Itajaí to Passo Fundo
- Itajaí to São Leopoldo
- Itajaí to Itanhaém
- Itajaí to Novo Hamburgo
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Itajaí to Caraguatatuba?
About 10 h 53 min of driving without stops, over 485 miles.
What is the driving distance from Itajaí to Caraguatatuba?
About 485 miles (780 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 Itajaí to Caraguatatuba?
The U.S. State Department rates Brazil Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution. Read the full advisory before you go.
What roads does the drive from Itajaí to Caraguatatuba use?
In order: BR-101, BR-376, BR-116, SP-021, SP-015, SP-070 and SP-099. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
Where can you stop on the way from Itajaí to Caraguatatuba?
Closest to the road: Museu da Bicicleta de Joinville (museum, mile 52, 1 mi from the route); Museu do Índio (museum, mile 355, 0.4 mi from the route); Sítio Morrinhos (museum, mile 378, 0.8 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.