By road, Macaé and Itanhaém are about 446 miles (717 km) apart, or roughly 9 h 27 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: “Drivers must have their daytime running lights on during the day and headlights on at night on Federal Highways.”
| Distance by road | 446 mi (717 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 9 h 27 min |
| Main roads, in order | RJ-168 → BR-101 → BR-040 → BR-116 → SPI 117/070 → SP-070 → SP-021 → SP-160 → SP-055 |
| States on the route | Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 17.8 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
What the drive from Macaé to Itanhaém is like
BR-116 (177 mi) and BR-101 (102 mi) carry about 63% of the 446 miles. It runs through 2 states: Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo. Of the 9 stops listed below, 3 are within a mile of the road.
Which roads connect Macaé and Itanhaém
| 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 | 302–345 | 43 | São Paulo |
| SP-070 | 345–360 | 15 | São Paulo |
| connecting roads | 360–362 | 2 | São Paulo |
| SP-021 | 362–393 | 31 | São Paulo |
| connecting roads | 393–396 | 3 | São Paulo |
| SP-160 | 396–414 | 18 | São Paulo |
| connecting roads | 414–416 | 2 | São Paulo |
| SP-055 | 416–445 | 29 | São Paulo |
| local roads | 445–446 | 1 | São Paulo |
- Mile 230 of this route: Rio de Janeiro → São Paulo (state line)
Places worth a stop between Macaé and Itanhaém
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Itatiaia National Park (mile 220), Basilica of Our Lady of Aparecida (mile 273), Pedroso Municipal Nature Park (mile 386)
- Nature and outdoors: Serra do Barbosão Municipal Nature Park (mile 78), Itatiaia National Park (mile 220), Pedroso Municipal Nature Park (mile 386), Praia da Tupi (mile 424)
- Museums and history: Museu Judaico do Rio de Janeiro (mile 110), Museus Castro Maya (mile 114), Basilica of Our Lady of Aparecida (mile 273), Museu Monteiro Lobato (mile 298)
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.
Teatro Glauce Rocha
Teatro Glauce Rocha is a theater in Campo Grande named for actress Glauce Rocha, a Campo Grande native who became a legend of Brazilian acting.
Museu Judaico do Rio de Janeiro
Founded in 1977 with the donation of a menorah, the Museu Judaico do Rio de Janeiro keeps permanent exhibits on the city's Jewish community and on Jewish religious, cultural and historical traditions.
Museus Castro Maya
The Museus Castro Maya are two federal public museums in Rio de Janeiro: Museu do Açude beside the Tijuca Forest and Museu da Chácara do Céu in Santa Teresa, both showing the art collection of Raymundo Ottoni de Castro Maya.
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 Monteiro Lobato
Taubaté's tribute to children's author Monteiro Lobato dates to 1958. The museum occupies the grounds known as the Sítio do Picapau Amarelo, with a historic main house and exhibitions.
Pedroso Municipal Nature Park
Santo André's Pedroso Municipal Nature Park (Parque do Pedroso) is a strictly protected conservation unit that holds important water sources and a fragment of Atlantic Forest.
Praia da Tupi
Praia da Tupi is a beach in Praia Grande, São Paulo state, with yellowish sand and blue water; it is one of the city's less crowded beaches and a favorite with surfers.
More drives to Itanhaém
- Cubatão to Itanhaém
- São Paulo to Itanhaém
- Jundiaí to Itanhaém
- Bragança Paulista to Itanhaém
- Itu to Itanhaém
- Campinas to Itanhaém
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 Itanhaém?
About 9 h 27 min of driving without stops, over 446 miles.
What is the driving distance from Macaé to Itanhaém?
About 446 miles (717 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 Macaé to Itanhaém?
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 Itanhaém use?
In order: RJ-168, BR-101, BR-040, BR-116, SPI 117/070, SP-070, SP-021, SP-160 and SP-055. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between Macaé and Itanhaém?
Closest to the road: 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); Pedroso Municipal Nature Park (municipal nature park, mile 386, 0.7 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.