By road, Minas and Colonia del Sacramento are about 183 miles (294 km) apart, or roughly 4 h 3 min of driving.
Full advisory: Uruguay. Advisory issued: Uruguay July 28, 2026; checked October 10, 2026.
On the roads, the State Department says:
- Uruguay: “If you are in an accident involving injury, stay in place until a police officer arrives.”
| Total distance | 183 mi (294 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 4 h 3 min |
| Departments on the route | Lavalleja, Canelones, San José, Colonia |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 7.3 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 6 |
Driving Minas to Colonia del Sacramento: the shape of the trip
It runs through 4 departments: Lavalleja, Canelones, San José, Colonia. Of the 6 stops listed below, 3 are within a mile of the road.
Minas to Colonia del Sacramento: 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 | 81–112 | 31 | Canelones, San José |
| connecting roads | 112–116 | 4 | San José |
| local roads | 116–136 | 20 | San José |
| connecting roads | 136–137 | 1 | San José |
| local roads | 137–183 | 46 | San José, Colonia |
- Mile 25 of this route: Lavalleja → Canelones (department line)
- Mile 91 of this route: Canelones → San José (department line)
- Mile 139 of this route: San José → Colonia (department line)
Where to stop on the way to Colonia del Sacramento
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe (mile 80), Cathedral of San José de Mayo (mile 114), Museo Departamental de San José (mile 114)
- Nature and outdoors: Laguna del Cisne (mile 45)
- Museums and history: Iglesia de Cristo Obrero y Nuestra Señora de Lourdes (mile 44), Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe (mile 80), Cathedral of San José de Mayo (mile 114), Museo Departamental de San José (mile 114), Museum of Rosario Mural Art (mile 153)
Iglesia de Cristo Obrero y Nuestra Señora de Lourdes
Engineer Eladio Dieste's Church of Christ the Worker in Estación Atlántida, inaugurated in 1960, joined UNESCO's World Heritage List in 2021. Look for its wavy brick walls and roof, an openwork brick bell tower and an underground baptistery.
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.
Cathedral of San José de Mayo
The main Catholic church of San José de Mayo, the Cathedral Basilica of St. Joseph has been the diocesan seat since 1955, a minor basilica since 1957 and Uruguay's national shrine of Saint Joseph.
Museo Departamental de San José
Set in central San José de Mayo, the Museo Departamental de San José is a history and fine arts museum that also runs a library, archives and cultural programs.
Museum of Rosario Mural Art
Rather than a building, the Museum of Rosario Mural Art is a circuit of history-themed murals spread around Rosario, in Uruguay's Colonia department.
Arriving in Colonia del Sacramento
Museo del Origami
Set in the historic district of Colonia del Sacramento, Museo del Origami is a nonprofit museum devoted to the art of paper folding and part of Uruguay's national museum system.
Colonia del Sacramento Lighthouse
Erected in 1857 on the ruins of the Saint Francis Xavier convent, the Colonia del Sacramento Lighthouse stands in the town's historic district in Uruguay.
Basílica del Santísimo Sacramento, Colonia del Sacramento
In Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguay, the Basílica del Santísimo Sacramento (Basilica of the Holy Sacrament) is a Roman Catholic parish church you can stop at in town.
More drives to Colonia del Sacramento
- Mercedes, Uruguay to Colonia del Sacramento
- Paysandú to Colonia del Sacramento
- Tacuarembó to Colonia del Sacramento
- Salto to Colonia del Sacramento
- Rivera to Colonia del Sacramento
- Artigas to Colonia del Sacramento
From Minas to other places in Uruguay
- Minas to Veinticinco de Agosto
- Minas to Nueva Helvecia
- Minas to Conchillas
- Minas to Carmelo
- Minas to Bella Unión
- Minas to Chuy
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to drive from Minas to Colonia del Sacramento?
About 4 h 3 min of driving without stops, over 183 miles.
What is the driving distance from Minas to Colonia del Sacramento?
About 183 miles (294 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 Colonia del Sacramento?
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 Colonia del Sacramento?
Closest to the road: Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe (cathedral, mile 80, 0.2 mi from the route); Museo Departamental de San José (history museum, mile 114, 0.7 mi from the route); Cathedral of San José de Mayo (cathedral, mile 114, 0.9 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.