Jacareí to Barbacena is about 296 road miles (477 km): roughly 6 h 51 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.”
| Distance by road | 296 mi (477 km) |
|---|---|
| Time at the wheel, no stops | 6 h 51 min |
| Main roads, in order | SP-060 → RJ-159 → RJ-143 → BR-494 → Ramal de Jacutinga → MG-353 → BR-040 |
| States on the route | São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 11.9 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
Driving Jacareí to Barbacena: the shape of the trip
SP-060 (127 mi) and BR-040 (59 mi) carry about 63% of the 296 miles. It runs through 3 states: São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais. Of the 9 stops listed below, 4 are within a mile of the road.
The route from Jacareí to Barbacena, road by road
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–2 | 2 | São Paulo |
| SP-060 | 2–129 | 127 | São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro |
| RJ-159 | 129–132 | 3 | Rio de Janeiro |
| connecting roads | 132–134 | 2 | Rio de Janeiro |
| RJ-143 | 134–147 | 13 | Rio de Janeiro |
| BR-494 | 147–177 | 30 | Rio de Janeiro |
| Ramal de Jacutinga | 177–186 | 9 | Rio de Janeiro |
| connecting roads | 186–188 | 2 | Rio de Janeiro |
| MG-353 | 188–231 | 43 | Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais |
| BR-040 | 231–266 | 35 | Minas Gerais |
| local roads | 266–269 | 3 | Minas Gerais |
| BR-040 | 269–293 | 24 | Minas Gerais |
| local roads | 293–296 | 3 | Minas Gerais |
- Mile 103 of this route: São Paulo → Rio de Janeiro (state line)
- Mile 193 of this route: Rio de Janeiro → Minas Gerais (state line)
What to see on the way from Jacareí to Barbacena
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Museu Paulista de Antiguidades Mecânicas (mile 22), Basilica of Our Lady of Aparecida (mile 58), Itatiaia National Park (mile 112), Santa Clara Farm, Santa Rita do Jacutinga (mile 175)
- Nature and outdoors: Itatiaia National Park (mile 112)
- Museums and history: Memorial Aeroespacial Brasileiro (mile 10), Museu Paulista de Antiguidades Mecânicas (mile 22), Museu da Imigração Italiana de Quiririm "José Indiani" (mile 30), Museu Mazzaropi (mile 35), Basilica of Our Lady of Aparecida (mile 58), Santa Clara Farm, Santa Rita do Jacutinga (mile 175), Fazenda São Paulo (mile 175)
Memorial Aeroespacial Brasileiro
Inside the DCTA aerospace complex in São José dos Campos, this memorial traces Brazil's aerospace history with aircraft such as the Bandeirante and Tucano, the VLS-1 rocket, engines, simulators and satellite parts.
Municipal Market of São José dos Campos
Completed in 1923 on the site of an 1896 market, the heritage-listed Municipal Market of São José dos Campos sells cheeses, spices, medicinal herbs, preserves, fish and meat, and is known for pastel with sugarcane juice.
Museu Paulista de Antiguidades Mecânicas
Renovated and reopened in 2023, Caçapava's Museu Paulista de Antiguidades Mecânicas dates to 1963 and moved to the city a year later. Its collection includes vintage vehicles and engines.
Museu da Imigração Italiana de Quiririm "José Indiani"
Between 1897 and 1903, a family from Cremona built the brick Casa Indiani in Quiririm. Today the house in this Taubaté district holds the Italian Immigration Museum.
Museu Mazzaropi
More than 20,000 items, from photos and furniture to film props and equipment, tell the story of Amácio Mazzaropi at this Taubaté museum, set on the grounds of the comedian's former studio.
Basilica of Our Lady of Aparecida
Construction of the current basilica at Aparecida started in 1955, and Pope John Paul II consecrated it in 1980. As Brazil's National Shrine, it keeps the image of Our Lady Aparecida found by fishermen in 1717.
Itatiaia National Park
Brazil's national park system started here: Itatiaia National Park (Parque Nacional do Itatiaia) was created in 1937 as the country's first. The protected area lies on the border between Rio de Janeiro and Minas Gerais states.
Santa Clara Farm, Santa Rita do Jacutinga
Listed as a tourist attraction, Santa Clara Farm (Fazenda Santa Clara) lies in the municipality of Santa Rita de Jacutinga in Minas Gerais.
Fazenda São Paulo
Fazenda São Paulo, in the Conservatória district of Valença, is an example of Rio de Janeiro state rural architecture tied to the 19th-century coffee boom. The state heritage institute INEPAC has protected the whole complex since 2008.
Arriving in Barbacena
Museu da Loucura
Housed in the restored 1922 Torreão of the former Hospital Colônia de Barbacena, the Museu da Loucura opened in 1996 and uses objects, equipment, photos and documents to tell the history of psychiatric care in Minas Gerais.
More drives to Barbacena
- Rio de Janeiro to Barbacena
- Niterói to Barbacena
- Pouso Alegre to Barbacena
- Araruama to Barbacena
- Cabo Frio to Barbacena
- Poços de Caldas to Barbacena
From Jacareí to other places in Brazil
- Jacareí to Bragança Paulista
- Jacareí to Itu
- Jacareí to Itanhaém
- Jacareí to Mogi Guaçu
- Jacareí to Botucatu
- Jacareí to Araxá
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to drive from Jacareí to Barbacena?
About 6 h 51 min of driving without stops, over 296 miles.
How far is Barbacena from Jacareí by car?
About 296 miles (477 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 Jacareí to Barbacena drive?
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 Jacareí to Barbacena use?
In order: SP-060, RJ-159, RJ-143, BR-494, Ramal de Jacutinga, MG-353 and BR-040. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between Jacareí and Barbacena?
Closest to the road: Basilica of Our Lady of Aparecida (basilica, mile 58, 0.4 mi from the route); Itatiaia National Park (national park, mile 112, 0.2 mi from the route); Santa Clara Farm, Santa Rita do Jacutinga (historic site, mile 175, 0.3 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.