Minas to Bella Unión is about 441 road miles (709 km): roughly 9 h 6 min at the wheel if you don't stop.
Full advisory: Uruguay. Advisory issued: Uruguay July 28, 2026; checked October 10, 2026.
On the roads, the State Department says:
- Uruguay: “Illumination, pavement markings, and road surfaces for secondary roads can be poor.”
| Distance by road | 441 mi (709 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 9 h 6 min |
| Departments on the route | Lavalleja, Canelones, San José, Flores, Río Negro, Paysandú, Salto, Artigas |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 17.6 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
On the road from Minas to Bella Unión
It runs through 8 departments: Lavalleja, Canelones, San José, Flores, Río Negro, Paysandú, Salto, Artigas. Of the 9 stops listed below, 4 are within a mile of the road.
Minas to Bella Unión: the road sequence
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | Department |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–78 | 78 | Lavalleja, Canelones |
| connecting roads | 78–81 | 3 | Canelones |
| local roads | 81–441 | 360 | Canelones, San José, Flores, Río Negro, Paysandú, Salto, Artigas |
- Mile 25 of this route: Lavalleja → Canelones (department line)
- Mile 91 of this route: Canelones → San José (department line)
- Mile 141 of this route: San José → Flores (department line)
- Mile 204 of this route: Flores → Río Negro (department line)
- Mile 257 of this route: Río Negro → Paysandú (department line)
- Mile 348 of this route: Paysandú → Salto (department line)
- Mile 404 of this route: Salto → Artigas (department line)
Where to stop on the way to Bella Unión
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe (mile 80), Reserva de Flora y fauna Dr. Rodolfo Tálice (mile 173), Termas del Guaviyú (mile 321), Termas del Daymán (mile 349)
- Nature and outdoors: Laguna del Cisne (mile 45), Reserva de Flora y fauna Dr. Rodolfo Tálice (mile 173), Termas del Guaviyú (mile 321), Termas del Daymán (mile 349)
- Museums and history: Iglesia de Cristo Obrero y Nuestra Señora de Lourdes (mile 44), Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe (mile 80), Nuestra Señora del Rosario y San Benito de Palermo, Paysandú (mile 282), Cathedral of Salto (mile 353)
Iglesia de Cristo Obrero y Nuestra Señora de Lourdes
Since 2021, UNESCO has counted Eladio Dieste's Church of Christ the Worker among its World Heritage Sites. The engineer's brick church in Estación Atlántida was inaugurated in 1960 and is known for its undulating walls and roof.
Laguna del Cisne
Near Salinas in Canelones, Laguna del Cisne is a subtropical lagoon of about 1.8 km², fed by a watershed of some 50 km², that has supplied drinking water to the Costa de Oro area since 1970.
Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe
Construction of Canelones' Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe began in 1816; the church became a cathedral in 1961 and Uruguay's national shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in 2020.
Teatro Macció
San José de Mayo's Teatro Bartolomé Macció is a traditional theater, regarded as the city's most important building architecturally and declared a Historic Monument of Uruguay in 1984.
Reserva de Flora y fauna Dr. Rodolfo Tálice
Off Route 3 near Trinidad, the Dr. Rodolfo Tálice Ecopark (Reserva de Flora y Fauna Dr. Rodolfo Talice) is a fenced wildlife reserve where axis deer, greater rheas and pampas deer roam free alongside other species.
Nuestra Señora del Rosario y San Benito de Palermo, Paysandú
Paysandú's Catholic parish church of Our Lady of the Rosary and St. Benedict of Palermo was named a minor basilica in 1949 and remains an active parish of the city.
Termas del Guaviyú
Next to Guaviyú Creek at kilometer 432 of Route 3 in Paysandú department, Termas del Guaviyú is a hot spring complex in northwestern Uruguay.
Termas del Daymán
Termas del Daymán is a hot springs center on the banks of the Daymán River, about 10 kilometers from the city of Salto.
Cathedral of Salto
The Cathedral Basilica of Saint John the Baptist is Salto's main Catholic church and has been the seat of the local diocese since 1939.
More drives to Bella Unión
- Paysandú to Bella Unión
- Florida, Uruguay to Bella Unión
- Montevideo to Bella Unión
- Maldonado to Bella Unión
- Rocha to Bella Unión
- Trinidad, Uruguay to Bella Unión
From Minas to other places in Uruguay
- Minas to Veinticinco de Agosto
- Minas to Nueva Helvecia
- Minas to Colonia del Sacramento
- Minas to Conchillas
- Minas to Carmelo
- Minas to Chuy
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Minas to Bella Unión?
About 9 h 6 min of driving without stops, over 441 miles.
How far is Bella Unión from Minas by car?
About 441 miles (709 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 Minas to Bella Unión?
The U.S. State Department rates Uruguay Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution. Read the full advisory before you go.
What are good stops between Minas and Bella Unión?
Closest to the road: Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe (cathedral, mile 80, 0.2 mi from the route); Reserva de Flora y fauna Dr. Rodolfo Tálice (botanical garden, mile 173, 0.1 mi from the route); Termas del Daymán (hot spring, mile 349, 0.3 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.