By road, Montes Claros and Barra Mansa are about 526 miles (846 km) apart, or roughly 12 h 43 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: “Use caution when walking or driving at night.”
| Distance | 526 mi (846 km) |
|---|---|
| Drive time without stops | 12 h 43 min |
| Main roads, in order | CMG-135 → MGC-135 → BR-135 → BR-040 → MG-353 → Ramal de Jacutinga → BR-494 |
| States on the route | Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 21.0 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
On the road from Montes Claros to Barra Mansa
BR-135 (227 mi) and BR-040 (162 mi) carry about 74% of the 526 miles. It runs through 2 states: Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro. None of the 9 stops below is right on the road, so plan each as a short side trip.
Roads you'll take from Montes Claros to Barra Mansa
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–2 | 2 | Minas Gerais |
| CMG-135 | 2–6 | 4 | Minas Gerais |
| MGC-135 | 6–28 | 22 | Minas Gerais |
| connecting roads | 28–30 | 2 | Minas Gerais |
| BR-135 | 30–257 | 227 | Minas Gerais |
| BR-040 | 257–385 | 128 | Minas Gerais |
| local roads | 385–389 | 4 | Minas Gerais |
| BR-040 | 389–423 | 34 | Minas Gerais |
| MG-353 | 423–467 | 44 | Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro |
| connecting roads | 467–468 | 1 | Rio de Janeiro |
| Ramal de Jacutinga | 468–488 | 20 | Rio de Janeiro |
| BR-494 | 488–518 | 30 | Rio de Janeiro |
| connecting roads | 518–519 | 1 | Rio de Janeiro |
| local roads | 519–526 | 7 | Rio de Janeiro |
- Mile 462 of this route: Minas Gerais → Rio de Janeiro (state line)
Where to stop on the way to Barra Mansa
- Nature and outdoors: Serra do Cabral State Park (mile 88)
- Museums and history: Basilica of St. Gerard Majella (mile 157), Pampulha Art Museum (mile 252), Museu da Imagem e Memória (mile 305), Museu da Loucura (mile 360), Fazenda São Paulo (mile 479)
Serra do Cabral State Park
Serra do Cabral State Park is a state park in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil.
Basilica of St. Gerard Majella
Known locally as the Basilica of Curvelo, the Basilica of St. Gerard Majella is a Catholic church in Curvelo, in the state of Minas Gerais.
Pampulha Modern Ensemble
Laid out around the artificial Lake Pampulha in Belo Horizonte, the Pampulha Modern Ensemble is an urban project that includes a casino, a ballroom, the Golf Yacht Club and the Church of Saint Francis of Assisi.
Pampulha Art Museum
Designed by Oscar Niemeyer as the Cassino da Pampulha, the Pampulha Art Museum in Belo Horizonte is part of the Pampulha Modern Ensemble, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2016.
Piemonte Tower
Rising 101 meters on a mountain ridge between the Serra do Curral and Serra do Rola-Moça, Piemonte Tower (Torre Piemonte) is a tourist structure at the Alta Vila shopping center on the Nova Lima–Belo Horizonte line.
Sanctuary of Bom Jesus de Matosinhos
A UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1985, this hilltop sanctuary in Congonhas is famous for Aleijadinho's 12 soapstone prophets on the front terraces and six chapels holding 64 life-size cedar figures of the Passion.
Museu da Imagem e Memória
Housed in the two-story Casarão dos Fonseca, the Museu da Imagem e Memória in Congonhas shows photographs, documents and old objects that tell the history of the town and its people.
Museu da Loucura
Housed in the restored 1922 Torreão of the former Hospital Colônia de Barbacena, the Museu da Loucura opened in 1996 and uses objects, equipment, photos and documents to tell the history of psychiatric care in Minas Gerais.
Fazenda São Paulo
Fazenda São Paulo, in the Conservatória district of Valença, is an example of Rio de Janeiro state rural architecture tied to the 19th-century coffee boom. The state heritage institute INEPAC has protected the whole complex since 2008.
More drives to Barra Mansa
- Niterói to Barra Mansa
- Jacareí to Barra Mansa
- São Paulo to Barra Mansa
- Bragança Paulista to Barra Mansa
- Jundiaí to Barra Mansa
- Campinas to Barra Mansa
From Montes Claros to other places in Brazil
- Montes Claros to Conselheiro Lafaiete
- Montes Claros to Itabira
- Montes Claros to Jequié
- Montes Claros to Lavras
- Montes Claros to Varginha
- Montes Claros to Passos
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to drive from Montes Claros to Barra Mansa?
About 12 h 43 min of driving without stops, over 526 miles.
What is the driving distance from Montes Claros to Barra Mansa?
About 526 miles (846 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 Montes Claros to Barra Mansa?
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 Montes Claros to Barra Mansa use?
In order: CMG-135, MGC-135, BR-135, BR-040, MG-353, Ramal de Jacutinga and BR-494. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between Montes Claros and Barra Mansa?
Closest to the road: Basilica of St. Gerard Majella (basilica, mile 157, 1 mi from the route); Piemonte Tower (observation tower, mile 263, 1 mi from the route); Sanctuary of Bom Jesus de Matosinhos (calvary, mile 305, 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.