Joinville to Santa Maria, Brazil is about 553 road miles (890 km): roughly 11 h 43 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 | 553 mi (890 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 11 h 43 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 22.1 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
What the drive from Joinville to Santa Maria is like
BR-101 (313 mi) and RSC-287 (127 mi) carry about 80% of the 553 miles. It runs through 2 states: Santa Catarina, Rio Grande do Sul. Of the 9 stops listed below, 3 are within a mile of the road.
The route from Joinville to Santa Maria, road by road
| 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 | 320–377 | 57 | Rio Grande do Sul |
| connecting roads | 377–378 | 1 | Rio Grande do Sul |
| BR-448 | 378–385 | 7 | Rio Grande do Sul |
| connecting roads | 385–386 | 1 | Rio Grande do Sul |
| BR-386 | 386–419 | 33 | Rio Grande do Sul |
| RSC-287 | 419–546 | 127 | Rio Grande do Sul |
| local roads | 546–553 | 7 | Rio Grande do Sul |
- Mile 265 of this route: Santa Catarina → Rio Grande do Sul (state line)
Breaking up the drive: stops between Joinville and Santa Maria
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Praia do Estaleirinho (mile 64), Teatro Adolpho Mello (mile 106), Museu Municipal Agostinho Martha (mile 365)
- Nature and outdoors: Praia do Estaleirinho (mile 64), Praia do Balneário do Estreito (mile 104), Praia do Siriú (mile 135), Itapeva State Park (mile 268), Jacuí Delta State Park (mile 384)
- Museums and history: Museu Etno-Arqueológico de Itajaí (mile 52), Museu Municipal Agostinho Martha (mile 365), Aristides Carlos Rodrigues Museum (mile 489)
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 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.
Praia do Balneário do Estreito
Praia do Balneário do Estreito stretches 1.8 km on the mainland side of Florianópolis, with views of small islands in North Bay, the Hercílio Luz Bridge and, to the other side, the city of Biguaçu.
Teatro Adolpho Mello
Founded in 1854 in the historic center of São José, Santa Catarina, Teatro Adolpho Mello opened its building two years later and is the oldest surviving theater in the state.
Praia do Siriú
Praia do Siriú in Garopaba, Santa Catarina, is the municipality's longest beach, with about 4 km of sand.
Itapeva State Park
Itapeva State Park is a protected area managed at the state level in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, one of the parks in the state system.
Museu Municipal Agostinho Martha
At Rua Nossa Senhora dos Anjos 547 in central Gravataí, the Agostinho Martha Municipal Museum covers local history and art; it was created in 1974 and organized in 1981.
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.
In Santa Maria itself
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.
Museum Vincente Pallotti
On Avenida Presidente Vargas in Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul, the Vicente Pallotti Museum shares a complex with Palotina College.
More drives to Santa Maria
- Porto Alegre to Santa Maria, Brazil
- Caxias do Sul to Santa Maria, Brazil
- Itajaí to Santa Maria, Brazil
- Blumenau to Santa Maria, Brazil
- Florianópolis to Santa Maria, Brazil
- Corrientes to Santa Maria, Brazil
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 Santa Maria, Brazil?
About 11 h 43 min of driving without stops, over 553 miles.
How far is Santa Maria, Brazil from Joinville by car?
About 553 miles (890 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 Santa Maria, Brazil?
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 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 Joinville to Santa Maria?
Closest to the road: Praia do Estaleirinho (beach, mile 64, 0.7 mi from the route); Teatro Adolpho Mello (theater, mile 106, 0.8 mi from the route); Museu Municipal Agostinho Martha (museum, mile 365, 0.6 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.