By road, Itajaí and Pouso Alegre are about 495 miles (796 km) apart, or roughly 10 h 53 min of driving.
- 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 | 495 mi (796 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 10 h 53 min |
| Main roads, in order | BR-101 → BR-376 → BR-116 → SP-021 → SP-023 → SP-010 → SP-008 → CPL-025 |
| States on the route | Santa Catarina, Paraná, São Paulo, Minas Gerais |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 19.8 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
Driving Itajaí to Pouso Alegre: the shape of the trip
BR-116 (236 mi) and SP-008 (90 mi) carry about 66% of the 495 miles. It runs through 4 states: Santa Catarina, Paraná, São Paulo, Minas Gerais. None of the 9 stops below is right on the road, so plan each as a short side trip.
The route from Itajaí to Pouso Alegre, road by road
| 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 | 358–376 | 18 | São Paulo |
| connecting roads | 376–378 | 2 | São Paulo |
| local roads | 378–386 | 8 | São Paulo |
| SP-023 | 386–392 | 6 | São Paulo |
| SP-010 | 392–398 | 6 | São Paulo |
| SP-008 | 398–488 | 90 | São Paulo, Minas Gerais |
| CPL-025 | 488–494 | 6 | Minas Gerais |
| local roads | 494–495 | 1 | Minas Gerais |
- Mile 79 of this route: Santa Catarina → Paraná (state line)
- Mile 185 of this route: Paraná → São Paulo (state line)
- Mile 434 of this route: São Paulo → Minas Gerais (state line)
Breaking up the drive: stops between Itajaí and Pouso Alegre
- Nature and outdoors: Guaricana National Park (mile 90), Roberto Ribas Lange State Park (mile 149), Rio Turvo State Park (mile 211), Campina do Encantado State Park (mile 249), Cantareira State Park (mile 390)
- Museums and history: Estação da Memória (mile 52), Museu Casa Fritz Alt (mile 52), Basilica Minor Our Lady of the Rosary of Fatima (Embu das Artes) (mile 356), Aldeia de Carapicuíba (mile 363)
Estação da Memória
Housed in Joinville's former railroad station, built in 1906, Estação da Memória showcases German-Brazilian architecture and the railway heritage that shaped the city's growth and industrialization.
Museu Casa Fritz Alt
Artist Fritz Alt's 1940s home in Joinville opened as a museum in 1975; its setting on Morro do Boa Vista gives visitors a panoramic view of the city.
Guaricana National Park
Within the largest continuous stretch of dense Atlantic Forest in Brazil, Guaricana National Park protects part of the Serra do Mar in Paraná.
Roberto Ribas Lange State Park
Created in 1994 near Antonina and Morretes on the Paraná coast, Roberto Ribas Lange State Park protects Atlantic Forest on the steep slopes of the Serra do Mar. Hundreds of bird species have been recorded in its dense rainforest.
Rio Turvo State Park
Spanning about 73,900 hectares of Atlantic Forest in Cajati, Barra do Turvo and Jacupiranga, Rio Turvo State Park has trails, the Cachoeira do Azeite waterfall, Morro do Guaraú and the Gruta da Capelinha cave.
Campina do Encantado State Park
Campina do Encantado State Park, in the São Paulo state town of Pariquera-Açu, protects a peat bog and a patch of wetland forest, described as a unique ecosystem of great scientific interest.
Basilica Minor Our Lady of the Rosary of Fatima (Embu das Artes)
On the line between Cotia and Embu das Artes in São Paulo state, the Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary of Fatima is a Catholic church served by the Heralds of the Gospel.
Aldeia de Carapicuíba
Aldeia de Carapicuíba is a historic center in the municipality of Carapicuíba, part of the São Paulo metropolitan area, and also the seat of one of its districts.
Cantareira State Park
In the Serra da Cantareira range, Cantareira State Park protects a stretch of Atlantic Forest north of the city of São Paulo.
In Pouso Alegre itself
Good Jesus Cathedral, Pouso Alegre
Good Jesus Cathedral is the Catholic seat of the Archdiocese of Pouso Alegre, in the city of the same name in Minas Gerais.
More drives to Pouso Alegre
- São José dos Campos to Pouso Alegre
- São Paulo to Pouso Alegre
- Itu to Pouso Alegre
- Santos to Pouso Alegre
- São Vicente to Pouso Alegre
- Sorocaba to Pouso Alegre
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 does it take to drive from Itajaí to Pouso Alegre?
About 10 h 53 min of driving without stops, over 495 miles.
How far is Pouso Alegre from Itajaí by car?
About 495 miles (796 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 Pouso Alegre?
The U.S. State Department rates Brazil Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution. Read the full advisory before you go.
Which highways go from Itajaí to Pouso Alegre?
In order: BR-101, BR-376, BR-116, SP-021, SP-023, SP-010, SP-008 and CPL-025. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
Where can you stop on the way from Itajaí to Pouso Alegre?
Closest to the road: Estação da Memória (museum, mile 52, 1 mi from the route); Museu Casa Fritz Alt (museum, mile 52, 2 mi from the route); Aldeia de Carapicuíba (historic site, mile 363, 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.