The Wayro route from Montes Claros to Santa Leopoldina is 496 miles (798 km), about 11 h 43 min of driving without stops.
- 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: “Driving on Brazil’s roads poses significant risks.”
| Total distance | 496 mi (798 km) |
|---|---|
| Drive time without stops | 11 h 43 min |
| Main roads, in order | CMG-135 → MGC-135 → MGC-451 → BR-367 → MG-117 → MGC-120 → LMG-780 → BR-259 → ES-446 → ES-164 → ES-261 → ES-355 → ES-264 |
| States on the route | Minas Gerais, Espírito Santo |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 19.8 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 4 |
What the drive from Montes Claros to Santa Leopoldina is like
BR-259 (183 mi) and MGC-451 (106 mi) carry about 58% of the 496 miles. It runs through 2 states: Minas Gerais, Espírito Santo. Of the 4 stops listed below, 1 are within a mile of the road.
Which roads connect Montes Claros and Santa Leopoldina
| 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 |
| MGC-451 | 30–91 | 61 | Minas Gerais |
| BR-367 | 91–107 | 16 | Minas Gerais |
| MGC-451 | 107–152 | 45 | Minas Gerais |
| MG-117 | 152–197 | 45 | Minas Gerais |
| local roads | 197–213 | 16 | Minas Gerais |
| connecting roads | 213–214 | 1 | Minas Gerais |
| MGC-120 | 214–219 | 5 | Minas Gerais |
| LMG-780 | 219–233 | 14 | Minas Gerais |
| BR-259 | 233–416 | 183 | Minas Gerais, Espírito Santo |
| ES-446 | 416–434 | 18 | Espírito Santo |
| ES-164 | 434–451 | 17 | Espírito Santo |
| ES-261 | 451–469 | 18 | Espírito Santo |
| ES-355 | 469–473 | 4 | Espírito Santo |
| connecting roads | 473–475 | 2 | Espírito Santo |
| ES-264 | 475–495 | 20 | Espírito Santo |
| local roads | 495–496 | 1 | Espírito Santo |
- Mile 413 of this route: Minas Gerais → Espírito Santo (state line)
Stops between Montes Claros and Santa Leopoldina
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Museu da Imigração Pomerana (mile 475)
- Nature and outdoors: Serra Negra State Park (mile 166), Sete Salões State Park (mile 390)
- Museums and history: St. Anthony of Padua Cathedral, Governador Valadares (mile 310), Museu da Imigração Pomerana (mile 475)
Serra Negra State Park
Serra Negra State Park in Minas Gerais protects a mountainous stretch of Atlantic Forest that is an important water source in a dry region.
St. Anthony of Padua Cathedral, Governador Valadares
St. Anthony of Padua Cathedral is the cathedral of the Catholic Diocese of Governador Valadares, in the city of the same name in Minas Gerais.
Sete Salões State Park
Created in 1998, Sete Salões State Park covers about 12,520 acres across Conselheiro Pena, Itueta, Resplendor and Santa Rita do Itueto in Minas Gerais's Rio Doce Valley.
Museu da Imigração Pomerana
Museu da Imigração Pomerana in Santa Maria de Jetibá holds a collection on German immigration to Brazil, especially the Pomeranian settlers of Espírito Santo.
When you get to Santa Leopoldina
Historic Center of Santa Leopoldina
Squeezed between hills and the Santa Maria River, the Historic Center of Santa Leopoldina (Núcleo Histórico de Santa Leopoldina) keeps buildings from the late 1800s and early 1900s. Espírito Santo listed it as a State Historic Site in 1983.
Igreja Sagrada Família
Igreja Sagrada Família, the mother church of Santa Leopoldina, Espírito Santo, was built in 1911 on top of a hill above the Santa Maria River valley.
Museu do Colono
Opened in April 1969, the Museu do Colono is a museum in Santa Leopoldina, Espírito Santo, and is run today by the state's Department of Culture.
More drives to Santa Leopoldina
- Guarapari to Santa Leopoldina
- Cachoeiro de Itapemirim to Santa Leopoldina
- Campos dos Goytacazes to Santa Leopoldina
- Itaperuna to Santa Leopoldina
- Muriaé to Santa Leopoldina
- Ipatinga to Santa Leopoldina
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 Santa Leopoldina?
About 11 h 43 min of driving without stops, over 496 miles.
What is the driving distance from Montes Claros to Santa Leopoldina?
About 496 miles (798 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 Santa Leopoldina?
The U.S. State Department rates Brazil Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution. Read the full advisory before you go.
Which highways go from Montes Claros to Santa Leopoldina?
In order: CMG-135, MGC-135, MGC-451, BR-367, MG-117, MGC-120, LMG-780, BR-259, ES-446, ES-164, ES-261, ES-355 and ES-264. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
Where can you stop on the way from Montes Claros to Santa Leopoldina?
Closest to the road: St. Anthony of Padua Cathedral, Governador Valadares (cathedral, mile 310, 2 mi from the route); Sete Salões State Park (state park, mile 390, 1 mi from the route); Museu da Imigração Pomerana (museum, mile 475, 0.2 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.