The Wayro route from Joinville to Pelotas is 537 miles (864 km), about 11 h 22 min of driving without stops.
- 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.”
| Total distance | 537 mi (864 km) |
|---|---|
| Time at the wheel, no stops | 11 h 22 min |
| Main roads, in order | BR-101 → BR-290 → BR-116 |
| States on the route | Santa Catarina, Rio Grande do Sul |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 21.5 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 8 |
The Joinville–Pelotas drive in a few lines
BR-101 (313 mi) and BR-116 (95 mi) carry about 76% of the 537 miles. It runs through 2 states: Santa Catarina, Rio Grande do Sul. Of the 8 stops listed below, 3 are within a mile of the road.
Roads you'll take from Joinville to Pelotas
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–5 | 5 | Santa Catarina |
| BR-101 | 5–318 | 313 | Santa Catarina, Rio Grande do Sul |
| connecting roads | 318–320 | 2 | Rio Grande do Sul |
| BR-290 | 320–378 | 58 | Rio Grande do Sul |
| BR-116 | 378–473 | 95 | Rio Grande do Sul |
| local roads | 473–537 | 64 | Rio Grande do Sul |
- Mile 264 of this route: Santa Catarina → Rio Grande do Sul (state line)
What to see on the way from Joinville to Pelotas
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Museu Willy Zumblick (mile 184), Morro de Osório Protected Area (mile 321), Parque Histórico General Bento Gonçalves (mile 473)
- Nature and outdoors: Praia do Ribeirão da Ilha (mile 117), Praia de Naufragados (mile 124), Guarita State Park (mile 268)
- Museums and history: Museu Etno-Arqueológico de Itajaí (mile 52), Museu Willy Zumblick (mile 184), Museu Antropológico do Rio Grande do Sul (mile 380), Parque Histórico General Bento Gonçalves (mile 473)
Museu Etno-Arqueológico de Itajaí
Opened in 2010, the Museu Etno-Arqueológico de Itajaí covers prehistoric shell-mound (sambaqui) archaeology and the rural life of the lower Itajaí-Mirim valley on Santa Catarina's northern coast.
Praia do Ribeirão da Ilha
On the south bay of Florianópolis, Praia do Ribeirão da Ilha is made up of several small beaches. Ribeirão da Ilha was the first part of Florianópolis to be settled, inhabited by the Carijó people in the 16th century.
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.
Museu Antropológico do Rio Grande do Sul
Run by the Rio Grande do Sul State Culture Secretariat, the Museu Antropológico do Rio Grande do Sul is an anthropology museum in Porto Alegre.
Parque Histórico General Bento Gonçalves
Created by state decree in 1972 and linked to Rio Grande do Sul's culture department, this historic park stands on the old Sesmaria do Cristal, land once granted to the father of Farroupilha leader Bento Gonçalves da Silva.
When you get to Pelotas
Catedral São Francisco de Paula
Seat of the Archdiocese of Pelotas, the Catedral Metropolitana de Pelotas is a Catholic church in Rio Grande do Sul dedicated to Saint Francis of Paola.
Theatro Sete de Abril
Opened in 1834 in Pelotas, Theatro Sete de Abril dates from the charqueada (salted beef) economic cycle, when Pelotas was among Brazil's wealthiest cities.
Museu de Arte Leopoldo Gotuzzo
Opened in 1986 on Praça 7 de Julho, across from the Mercado Central in downtown Pelotas, this art museum is part of the Federal University of Pelotas arts center.
More drives to Pelotas
From Joinville to other places in Brazil
- Joinville to Paranaguá
- Joinville to Ponta Grossa
- Joinville to Guarapuava
- Joinville to Itanhaém
- Joinville to Chapecó
- Joinville to Ourinhos
Continue Your Adventure
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to drive from Joinville to Pelotas?
About 11 h 22 min of driving without stops, over 537 miles.
How far is Pelotas from Joinville by car?
About 537 miles (864 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 Joinville to Pelotas?
The U.S. State Department rates Brazil Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution. Read the full advisory before you go.
Which highways go from Joinville to Pelotas?
In order: BR-101, BR-290 and BR-116. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
Where can you stop on the way from Joinville to Pelotas?
Closest to the road: Museu Willy Zumblick (museum, mile 184, 0.2 mi from the route); Morro de Osório Protected Area (environmental protection area, mile 321, 0.9 mi from the route); Parque Histórico General Bento Gonçalves (museum, mile 473, 0.5 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.