Lavras to Itaúnas is about 552 road miles (888 km): roughly 14 h 18 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: “Flooding makes some roads through the Amazon impassable for much of the year.”
| Distance | 552 mi (888 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 14 h 18 min |
| Main roads, in order | BR-265 → BR-381 → BR-040 → BR-259 → ES-320 → ES-220 → BR-342 → ES-422 → ES-010 |
| States on the route | Minas Gerais, Espírito Santo |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 22.1 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
Driving Lavras to Itaúnas: the shape of the trip
BR-381 (400 mi) and BR-259 (43 mi) carry about 80% of the 552 miles. It runs through 2 states: Minas Gerais, Espírito Santo. Of the 9 stops listed below, 4 are within a mile of the road.
The route from Lavras to Itaúnas, road by road
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–2 | 2 | Minas Gerais |
| BR-265 | 2–10 | 8 | Minas Gerais |
| BR-381 | 10–140 | 130 | Minas Gerais |
| connecting roads | 140–142 | 2 | Minas Gerais |
| BR-040 | 142–150 | 8 | Minas Gerais |
| connecting roads | 150–152 | 2 | Minas Gerais |
| BR-381 | 152–265 | 113 | Minas Gerais |
| local roads | 265–275 | 10 | Minas Gerais |
| BR-381 | 275–342 | 67 | Minas Gerais |
| BR-259 | 342–385 | 43 | Minas Gerais |
| BR-381 | 385–436 | 51 | Minas Gerais, Espírito Santo |
| connecting roads | 436–440 | 4 | Espírito Santo |
| ES-320 | 440–448 | 8 | Espírito Santo |
| ES-220 | 448–478 | 30 | Espírito Santo |
| BR-342 | 478–485 | 7 | Espírito Santo |
| BR-381 | 485–524 | 39 | Espírito Santo |
| connecting roads | 524–528 | 4 | Espírito Santo |
| ES-422 | 528–539 | 11 | Espírito Santo |
| ES-010 | 539–551 | 12 | Espírito Santo |
| local roads | 551–552 | 1 | Espírito Santo |
- Mile 434 of this route: Minas Gerais → Espírito Santo (state line)
What to see on the way from Lavras to Itaúnas
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Natural Sciences Museum of the Pontifical Catholic University of Minas Gerais (mile 145), Saint Sebastian Cathedral, Coronel Fabriciano (mile 271), St. Matthew Cathedral, São Mateus (mile 524), Museu Eclesiástico de Arte Sacra (mile 524)
- Nature and outdoors: Natural Sciences Museum of the Pontifical Catholic University of Minas Gerais (mile 145)
- Museums and history: Nair Mendes Moreira House of Culture (mile 135), Casa de Cacos (mile 136), Natural Sciences Museum of the Pontifical Catholic University of Minas Gerais (mile 145), Saint Sebastian Cathedral, Coronel Fabriciano (mile 271), St. Anthony of Padua Cathedral, Governador Valadares (mile 342), St. Matthew Cathedral, São Mateus (mile 524), Museu Eclesiástico de Arte Sacra (mile 524)
- With kids: Natural Sciences Museum of the Pontifical Catholic University of Minas Gerais (mile 145), Guanabara Park (mile 148)
Nair Mendes Moreira House of Culture
Known locally as Casa do Registro, the Casa da Cultura Nair Mendes Moreira is an 18th-century house in Contagem. Local tradition links it to a Portuguese Crown post that counted goods and checked tax payments.
Casa de Cacos
Casa de Cacos in Contagem is a museum and an example of fantastic architecture, built and decorated entirely by geologist Carlos Luís de Almeida and considered the only one of its kind in Brazil.
Natural Sciences Museum of the Pontifical Catholic University of Minas Gerais
On the PUC Minas campus in Belo Horizonte, this natural sciences museum shows Brazilian fauna, largely from the cerrado, alongside fossil South American mammals and an 'Age of Reptiles' hall with dinosaurs, pterosaurs and a large crocodile.
Guanabara Park
On the shore of Lagoa da Pampulha in Belo Horizonte, Parque Guanabara is an amusement park that began as a traveling fair in 1951 and settled at its current site in 1970.
Cine Theatro Brasil
Built in 1932 on Praça Sete de Setembro in Belo Horizonte as a cinema and theater, Cine Theatro Brasil is an 11-story building whose curved facade marks the corner of Avenida Amazonas and Rua Carijós.
Saint Sebastian Cathedral, Coronel Fabriciano
Inaugurated in 1993, Saint Sebastian Cathedral in Coronel Fabriciano, Minas Gerais, shares the role of seat of the Diocese of Itabira-Fabriciano with Our Lady of the Rosary Cathedral in Itabira.
St. Anthony of Padua Cathedral, Governador Valadares
St. Anthony of Padua Cathedral is the cathedral of the Catholic Diocese of Governador Valadares, in the city of the same name in Minas Gerais.
St. Matthew Cathedral, São Mateus
St. Matthew Cathedral in the municipality of São Mateus is a Catholic church regarded as a reference for modern religious art in Brazil.
Museu Eclesiástico de Arte Sacra
Set in a former seminary chapel in São Mateus, Espírito Santo, this museum of sacred art was founded by Bishop Dom Aldo Gerna.
Once you reach Itaúnas
Itaúnas State Park
In northern Espírito Santo, Itaúnas State Park protects the lower Itaúnas River along with a strip of marshes, dunes and Atlantic beaches.
More drives to Itaúnas
- Serra to Itaúnas
- Cariacica to Itaúnas
- Vitória to Itaúnas
- Vila Velha to Itaúnas
- Guarapari to Itaúnas
- Cachoeiro de Itapemirim to Itaúnas
From Lavras to other places in Brazil
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to drive from Lavras to Itaúnas?
About 14 h 18 min of driving without stops, over 552 miles.
What is the driving distance from Lavras to Itaúnas?
About 552 miles (888 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 Lavras to Itaúnas?
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 Lavras to Itaúnas use?
In order: BR-265, BR-381, BR-040, BR-259, ES-320, ES-220, BR-342, ES-422 and ES-010. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between Lavras and Itaúnas?
Closest to the road: Natural Sciences Museum of the Pontifical Catholic University of Minas Gerais (museum, mile 145, 0.6 mi from the route); Saint Sebastian Cathedral, Coronel Fabriciano (cathedral, mile 271, 0.4 mi from the route); St. Matthew Cathedral, São Mateus (cathedral, mile 524, 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.