By road, Itajaí and Santa Maria, Brazil are about 505 miles (812 km) apart, or roughly 10 h 42 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: “Flooding makes some roads through the Amazon impassable for much of the year.”
| Distance | 505 mi (812 km) |
|---|---|
| Time at the wheel, no stops | 10 h 42 min |
| Main roads, in order | BR-101 → BR-290 → BR-448 → BR-386 → RSC-287 |
| States on the route | Santa Catarina, Rio Grande do Sul |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 20.2 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
What the drive from Itajaí to Santa Maria is like
BR-101 (264 mi) and RSC-287 (127 mi) carry about 77% of the 505 miles. It runs through 2 states: Santa Catarina, Rio Grande do Sul. Of the 9 stops listed below, 4 are within a mile of the road.
Itajaí to Santa Maria: the road sequence
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–4 | 4 | Santa Catarina |
| BR-101 | 4–268 | 264 | Santa Catarina, Rio Grande do Sul |
| connecting roads | 268–271 | 3 | Rio Grande do Sul |
| BR-290 | 271–329 | 58 | Rio Grande do Sul |
| BR-448 | 329–337 | 8 | Rio Grande do Sul |
| BR-386 | 337–370 | 33 | Rio Grande do Sul |
| RSC-287 | 370–497 | 127 | Rio Grande do Sul |
| local roads | 497–505 | 8 | Rio Grande do Sul |
- Mile 216 of this route: Santa Catarina → Rio Grande do Sul (state line)
Where to stop on the way to Santa Maria
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Praia do Estaleirinho (mile 15), São Miguel Aqueduct (mile 45), Museu Willy Zumblick (mile 135), Morro de Osório Protected Area (mile 273)
- Nature and outdoors: Praia do Estaleirinho (mile 15), Praia de Naufragados (mile 75), Guarita State Park (mile 219), Jacuí Delta State Park (mile 335)
- Museums and history: Museu Willy Zumblick (mile 135), Aristides Carlos Rodrigues Museum (mile 441)
Praia do Estaleirinho
The first of six beaches along Balneário Camboriú's Interpraias road, Praia do Estaleirinho has coarse sand and plenty of waves, and sits a little over 10 km from downtown.
São Miguel Aqueduct
Built in the 19th century to carry water from the São Miguel waterfall dam to the beach, this aqueduct is part of the Vila de São Miguel ensemble in Biguaçu, listed as national heritage in 1969.
Praia de Naufragados
Praia de Naufragados is a beach about 1.45 km long on Santa Catarina Island in Florianópolis, reachable only by a 4 km walking trail.
Museu Willy Zumblick
In downtown Tubarão, Santa Catarina, the Museu Willy Zumblick keeps a permanent exhibition of part of the collection of local-born artist Willy Zumblick.
Guarita State Park
Officially Parque Estadual José Lutzenberger, Guarita State Park in Rio Grande do Sul protects a promontory on the South Atlantic Ocean.
Morro de Osório Protected Area
Created in 1994, the Morro de Osório Environmental Protection Area is a municipal conservation unit of Osório, Rio Grande do Sul, originally covering about 6,896 acres.
Jacuí Delta State Park
Created in 1976, Jacuí Delta State Park (Parque Estadual Delta do Jacuí) protects the delta between Porto Alegre, Canoas, Eldorado do Sul and nearby towns, where fishers from Ilha da Pintada still practice traditional fishing.
Aristides Carlos Rodrigues Museum
In the town of Candelária, Rio Grande do Sul, the Aristides Carlos Rodrigues Museum is part of the Paleorrota Geopark and offers information about the region.
Planetário Professor José Mariano da Rocha Filho
Founded in 1971 at the Federal University of Santa Maria, this planetarium seats 120 people and has used a Digistar 4 digital projector since 2011.
Arriving in Santa Maria
Educational Museum Gama D'Eça
The Gama D'Eça Educational Museum sits at Rua do Acampamento 81 in central Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul.
Catedral de Nuestra Señora de la Concepción
Seat of the Archdiocese of Santa Maria in Rio Grande do Sul, this eclectic cathedral mixes neo-Baroque and neoclassical styles; construction started in 1902 under parish priest Caetano Pagliuca, and it opened in 1909.
Theatro Treze de Maio
Facing Praça Saldanha Marinho in central Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul, the Theatro Treze de Maio is a theater protected as a municipal heritage property.
More drives to Santa Maria
- Porto Alegre to Santa Maria, Brazil
- Caxias do Sul to Santa Maria, Brazil
- Joinville to Santa Maria, Brazil
- Blumenau to Santa Maria, Brazil
- Florianópolis to Santa Maria, Brazil
- Corrientes to Santa Maria, Brazil
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
Continue Your Adventure
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Itajaí to Santa Maria, Brazil?
About 10 h 42 min of driving without stops, over 505 miles.
What is the driving distance from Itajaí to Santa Maria, Brazil?
About 505 miles (812 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 Itajaí to Santa Maria drive?
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 Santa Maria?
In order: BR-101, BR-290, BR-448, BR-386 and RSC-287. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
Where can you stop on the way from Itajaí to Santa Maria?
Closest to the road: Praia do Estaleirinho (beach, mile 15, 0.7 mi from the route); São Miguel Aqueduct (aqueduct, mile 45, 0.1 mi from the route); Museu Willy Zumblick (museum, mile 135, 0.2 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.