By road, Macaé and Caraguatatuba are about 370 miles (596 km) apart, or roughly 8 h 21 min of driving.
- 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: “Road maintenance is inadequate in many areas.”
| Total distance | 370 mi (596 km) |
|---|---|
| Time at the wheel, no stops | 8 h 21 min |
| Main roads, in order | RJ-168 → BR-101 → BR-040 → BR-116 → SPI 117/070 → SP-099 |
| States on the route | Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 14.8 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 8 |
How the Macaé to Caraguatatuba drive plays out
BR-116 (177 mi) and BR-101 (102 mi) carry about 75% of the 370 miles. It runs through 2 states: Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo. Of the 8 stops listed below, 3 are within a mile of the road.
Macaé to Caraguatatuba: the road sequence
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–2 | 2 | Rio de Janeiro |
| RJ-168 | 2–11 | 9 | Rio de Janeiro |
| connecting roads | 11–12 | 1 | Rio de Janeiro |
| BR-101 | 12–114 | 102 | Rio de Janeiro |
| BR-040 | 114–123 | 9 | Rio de Janeiro |
| connecting roads | 123–125 | 2 | Rio de Janeiro |
| BR-116 | 125–302 | 177 | Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo |
| SPI 117/070 | 302–323 | 21 | São Paulo |
| connecting roads | 323–324 | 1 | São Paulo |
| SP-099 | 324–368 | 44 | São Paulo |
| local roads | 368–370 | 2 | São Paulo |
- Mile 230 of this route: Rio de Janeiro → São Paulo (state line)
Where to stop on the way to Caraguatatuba
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Catedral de Santo Antônio de Jacutinga (mile 133), Itatiaia National Park (mile 220), Basilica of Our Lady of Aparecida (mile 273)
- Nature and outdoors: Serra do Barbosão Municipal Nature Park (mile 78), Tijuca National Park (mile 115), Reserva Florestal do Grajaú (mile 115), Itatiaia National Park (mile 220)
- Museums and history: Catedral de Santo Antônio de Jacutinga (mile 133), Basilica of Our Lady of Aparecida (mile 273), Museu da Imigração Italiana de Quiririm "José Indiani" (mile 302)
Serra do Barbosão Municipal Nature Park
Serra do Barbosão Municipal Nature Park is a protected area in Rio de Janeiro state, set aside by the municipality to safeguard a stretch of Atlantic Forest.
Convento do Carmo
Convento do Carmo in Rio de Janeiro stands near Praça XV in the city center; the present convent is on Rua Morais e Vale.
Tijuca National Park
Covering mountains inside the city of Rio de Janeiro, Tijuca National Park is an urban national park within the Atlantic Forest Biosphere Reserve, managed by the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation.
Reserva Florestal do Grajaú
Part of the Tijuca forest, Reserva Florestal do Grajaú is a 136-acre park in Rio's Grajaú neighborhood that covers a slope of the Serra dos Três Rios up to Tijuca National Park.
Catedral de Santo Antônio de Jacutinga
Also known as Nova Iguaçu Cathedral, the Catedral de Santo Antônio de Jacutinga stands on Avenida Marechal Floriano Peixoto and is the mother church of the Diocese of Nova Iguaçu.
Itatiaia National Park
Straddling the line between Rio de Janeiro and Minas Gerais states, Itatiaia National Park dates to 1937, when it became the first national park Brazil ever created.
Basilica of Our Lady of Aparecida
Brazil's National Shrine in Aparecida houses the image of Our Lady Aparecida that fishermen pulled from the Paraíba do Sul River in 1717. Work on the current basilica began in 1955, and Pope John Paul II consecrated it in 1980.
Museu da Imigração Italiana de Quiririm "José Indiani"
Photos, furniture, machinery and a period classroom recall immigrant life at the Italian Immigration Museum, housed in the brick Casa Indiani in Quiririm, a district of Taubaté.
When you get to Caraguatatuba
Prainha (Caraguatatuba)
Prainha is a beach in Caraguatatuba between Martim de Sá and Pedra da Freira; a trail along the hillside leads to the Pedra do Jacaré rock.
Martim de Sá Beach
About 2.5 km from downtown Caraguatatuba, Martim de Sá Beach sits between Prainha to the south and Praia Brava to the north.
Brava Beach (Caraguatatuba)
Close to Martim de Sá in Caraguatatuba, Praia Brava sees few visitors because of its isolated access, and nudism is permitted on the beach.
More drives to Caraguatatuba
- Pindamonhangaba to Caraguatatuba
- Guarujá to Caraguatatuba
- São Paulo to Caraguatatuba
- Jundiaí to Caraguatatuba
- Sorocaba to Caraguatatuba
- Itu to Caraguatatuba
From Macaé to other places in Brazil
- Macaé to Araruama
- Macaé to Itaguaí
- Macaé to Barra Mansa
- Macaé to Angra dos Reis
- Macaé to Resende
- Macaé to Penedo
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to drive from Macaé to Caraguatatuba?
About 8 h 21 min of driving without stops, over 370 miles.
What is the driving distance from Macaé to Caraguatatuba?
About 370 miles (596 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 Macaé to Caraguatatuba 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 Macaé to Caraguatatuba use?
In order: RJ-168, BR-101, BR-040, BR-116, SPI 117/070 and SP-099. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
Where can you stop on the way from Macaé to Caraguatatuba?
Closest to the road: Catedral de Santo Antônio de Jacutinga (cathedral, mile 133, 0.9 mi from the route); Itatiaia National Park (national park, mile 220, 0.4 mi from the route); Basilica of Our Lady of Aparecida (basilica, mile 273, 0.4 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.