Itu to Lages is about 481 road miles (774 km): roughly 11 h 54 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: “Use caution when walking or driving at night.”
| Total distance | 481 mi (774 km) |
|---|---|
| Time at the wheel, no stops | 11 h 54 min |
| Main roads, in order | SP-075 → SPI 091/270 → SP-270 → SP-079 → SP-230 → BR-116 |
| States on the route | São Paulo, Paraná, Santa Catarina |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 19.2 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
The Itu–Lages drive in a few lines
BR-116 (231 mi) and SP-230 (136 mi) carry about 76% of the 481 miles. It runs through 3 states: São Paulo, Paraná, Santa Catarina. Of the 9 stops listed below, 2 are within a mile of the road.
Roads you'll take from Itu to Lages
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–2 | 2 | São Paulo |
| SP-075 | 2–16 | 14 | São Paulo |
| SPI 091/270 | 16–20 | 4 | São Paulo |
| SP-270 | 20–26 | 6 | São Paulo |
| connecting roads | 26–29 | 3 | São Paulo |
| SP-079 | 29–103 | 74 | São Paulo |
| SP-230 | 103–239 | 136 | São Paulo, Paraná |
| BR-116 | 239–325 | 86 | Paraná |
| local roads | 325–330 | 5 | Paraná, Santa Catarina |
| BR-116 | 330–475 | 145 | Santa Catarina |
| local roads | 475–481 | 6 | Santa Catarina |
- Mile 196 of this route: São Paulo → Paraná (state line)
- Mile 327 of this route: Paraná → Santa Catarina (state line)
Breaking up the drive: stops between Itu and Lages
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Curitiba Zoo (mile 262), Centro Paleontológico da Universidade do Contestado (mile 329)
- Nature and outdoors: Campina do Encantado State Park (mile 129), Rio Turvo State Park (mile 167), Roberto Ribas Lange State Park (mile 231), Centro Paleontológico da Universidade do Contestado (mile 329)
- Museums and history: Museu histórico e pedagógico Brigadeiro Tobias Aguiar (mile 19), Museu Ferroviário de Sorocaba (mile 23), Sorocaba Metropolitan Cathedral (mile 24), Centro Paleontológico da Universidade do Contestado (mile 329)
- With kids: Curitiba Zoo (mile 262)
Museu histórico e pedagógico Brigadeiro Tobias Aguiar
Sorocaba's Brigadeiro Tobias Aguiar history museum has a permanent exhibit on the tropeiro mule-driver tradition, with paintings, furniture and everyday tropeiro objects.
Teatro Municipal Teotônio Vilela
Opened in January 1983, Sorocaba's Teotônio Vilela Municipal Theater is part of the Alto da Boa Vista complex alongside the Palácio dos Tropeiros, City Council and Municipal Library.
Museu Ferroviário de Sorocaba
Also called the Museu da Estrada de Ferro Sorocabana, Sorocaba's railway museum stands on Praça Mateus Maylasky in the central part of the city, close to the Sorocaba train station.
Sorocaba Metropolitan Cathedral
Home of the Archdiocese of Sorocaba, the Metropolitan Cathedral of Nossa Senhora da Ponte faces Coronel Fernando Prestes square downtown and dates back more than 200 years.
Campina do Encantado State Park
Described as a unique ecosystem of great scientific value, Campina do Encantado State Park in Pariquera-Açu, São Paulo, safeguards a peat bog along with a patch of wetland forest.
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.
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.
Curitiba Zoo
Curitiba Zoo (Jardim Zoológico de Curitiba) lies inside Parque Regional do Iguaçu, an urban park of 8 million square meters in the capital of Paraná state.
Centro Paleontológico da Universidade do Contestado
Created in 1977 in Mafra, this university paleontology center researches, protects and shares the fossil and geological heritage of northern Santa Catarina's plateau.
Arriving in Lages
Memorial Nereu Ramos
On Rua Frei Rogério in Lages, Memorial Nereu Ramos is a biographical museum honoring Nereu Ramos, the only Santa Catarina native to serve as president of Brazil.
More drives to Lages
- Itajaí to Lages
- São Leopoldo to Lages
- Porto Alegre to Lages
- Santa Maria, Brazil to Lages
- Sorocaba to Lages
- Praia Grande to Lages
From Itu to other places in Brazil
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to drive from Itu to Lages?
About 11 h 54 min of driving without stops, over 481 miles.
How far is Lages from Itu by car?
About 481 miles (774 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 Itu to Lages?
The U.S. State Department rates Brazil Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution. Read the full advisory before you go.
Which highways go from Itu to Lages?
In order: SP-075, SPI 091/270, SP-270, SP-079, SP-230 and BR-116. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between Itu and Lages?
Closest to the road: Teatro Municipal Teotônio Vilela (theater, mile 21, 2 mi from the route); Curitiba Zoo (zoo, mile 262, 0.6 mi from the route); Centro Paleontológico da Universidade do Contestado (natural history museum, mile 329, 0.1 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.