By road, Montes Claros and Varginha are about 428 miles (688 km) apart, or roughly 10 h 0 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.”
| Total distance | 428 mi (688 km) |
|---|---|
| Drive time without stops | 10 h 0 min |
| Main roads, in order | CMG-135 → MGC-135 → BR-135 → BR-262 → BR-381 |
| States on the route | Minas Gerais |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 17.1 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 6 |
How the Montes Claros to Varginha drive plays out
BR-135 (222 mi) and BR-381 (137 mi) carry about 84% of the 428 miles. Of the 6 stops listed below, 1 are within a mile of the road.
Montes Claros to Varginha: the road sequence
| 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 | 30–252 | 222 | Minas Gerais |
| local roads | 252–263 | 11 | Minas Gerais |
| BR-262 | 263–268 | 5 | Minas Gerais |
| BR-381 | 268–405 | 137 | Minas Gerais |
| connecting roads | 405–409 | 4 | Minas Gerais |
| local roads | 409–428 | 19 | Minas Gerais |
What to see on the way from Montes Claros to Varginha
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Casa de Cacos (mile 257)
- Nature and outdoors: Serra do Cabral State Park (mile 88)
- Museums and history: Basilica of St. Gerard Majella (mile 157), Francisco Firmo de Mattos Filho Cultural Center (mile 256), Casa de Cacos (mile 257)
- With kids: Zoological Garden of Belo Horizonte (mile 252)
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.
Zoological Garden of Belo Horizonte
Opened in January 1959 in the Pampulha area, the Zoological Garden of Belo Horizonte is one of the city's main visitor attractions.
Francisco Firmo de Mattos Filho Cultural Center
The Centro Cultural Francisco Firmo de Mattos Filho is a public museum set in three historic buildings in Contagem, remnants of the town's original Portuguese Crown tax post.
Casa de Cacos
Casa de Cacos in Contagem is a museum and an example of fantastic architecture, built and decorated entirely by geologist Carlos Luís de Almeida and considered the only one of its kind in Brazil.
In Varginha itself
Museu Municipal de Varginha
Varginha's municipal museum occupies a building put up in 1920 as the local Banco do Brasil office, in what was then the town's commercial heart.
More drives to Varginha
- Belo Horizonte to Varginha
- Conselheiro Lafaiete to Varginha
- Ribeirão Preto to Varginha
- Sete Lagoas to Varginha
- Mogi das Cruzes to Varginha
- Araraquara to Varginha
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 Passos
- Montes Claros to Colatina
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Montes Claros to Varginha?
About 10 h 0 min of driving without stops, over 428 miles.
How far is Varginha from Montes Claros by car?
About 428 miles (688 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.
What does the U.S. travel advisory say about the Montes Claros to Varginha drive?
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 Varginha?
In order: CMG-135, MGC-135, BR-135, BR-262 and BR-381. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
Where can you stop on the way from Montes Claros to Varginha?
Closest to the road: Basilica of St. Gerard Majella (basilica, mile 157, 1 mi from the route); Francisco Firmo de Mattos Filho Cultural Center (museum, mile 256, 1 mi from the route); Casa de Cacos (museum, mile 257, 0.4 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.