Montevideo to Treinta y Tres Road Trip: Route & Stops

By admin, 13 October, 2026

By road, Montevideo and Treinta y Tres are about 176 miles (284 km) apart, or roughly 4 h 5 min of driving.

U.S. State Department travel advisory: Uruguay — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution

Full advisory: Uruguay. Advisory issued: Uruguay July 28, 2026; checked October 10, 2026.

On the roads, the State Department says:

  • Uruguay: “Traffic fatalities are high in Uruguay.”
Bañados de CarrascoLaguna del CisneIglesia de Cristo Obrero y Nuestra Señora de LourdesCathedral of MinasParque nacional ArequitaSalto del PenitenteMontevideoTreinta y Tres
Route from Montevideo to Treinta y Tres with the 6 stops listed below (blue dots).
Distance176 mi (284 km)
Time at the wheel, no stops4 h 5 min
Departments on the routeMontevideo, Canelones, Lavalleja, Treinta y Tres
Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg)about 7.1 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic
Stops listed below6

Driving Montevideo to Treinta y Tres: the shape of the trip

It runs through 4 departments: Montevideo, Canelones, Lavalleja, Treinta y Tres. Of the 6 stops listed below, 1 are within a mile of the road.

The route from Montevideo to Treinta y Tres, road by road

RoadRoute miles (from–to)Length, miDepartment
local roads0–176176Montevideo, Canelones, Lavalleja, Treinta y Tres
  • Mile 14 of this route: Montevideo → Canelones (department line)
  • Mile 49 of this route: Canelones → Lavalleja (department line)
  • Mile 160 of this route: Lavalleja → Treinta y Tres (department line)

Places worth a stop between Montevideo and Treinta y Tres

  • Right off the route (under 1 mile): Cathedral of Minas (mile 73)
  • Nature and outdoors: Laguna del Cisne (mile 27), Parque nacional Arequita (mile 75), Salto del Penitente (mile 84)
  • Museums and history: Iglesia de Cristo Obrero y Nuestra Señora de Lourdes (mile 30), Cathedral of Minas (mile 73)

Bañados de Carrasco

Mile 11 · Swamp · 3 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Spread between Montevideo and Canelones, the Bañados de Carrasco are a wetland system in the Carrasco Creek basin and one of the main wetlands of the Montevideo metro area.

Laguna del Cisne

Mile 27 · Lagoon · 4 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

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.

Iglesia de Cristo Obrero y Nuestra Señora de Lourdes

Mile 30 · Church · 5 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

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.

Cathedral of Minas

Mile 73 · Cathedral · 0.6 mi from the route

Minas's main Catholic church, the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception served as the seat of the Diocese of Minas from 1960 to 2020.

Parque nacional Arequita

Mile 75 · National park · 6 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Arequita National Park is a protected natural area in Lavalleja department, southeastern Uruguay, known for Cerro Arequita, its related rock formations and its biodiversity.

Salto del Penitente

Mile 84 · Waterfall · 3 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Arriving in Treinta y Tres

Museo Agustín Araújo

Museum · in Treinta y Tres

Treinta y Tres's departmental fine arts museum, the Museo Agustín Araújo is a public museum in the city of Treinta y Tres, Uruguay.

More drives to Treinta y Tres

From Montevideo to other places in Uruguay

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to drive from Montevideo to Treinta y Tres?

About 4 h 5 min of driving without stops, over 176 miles.

What is the driving distance from Montevideo to Treinta y Tres?

About 176 miles (284 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 Montevideo to Treinta y Tres?

The U.S. State Department rates Uruguay Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution. Read the full advisory before you go.

Where can you stop on the way from Montevideo to Treinta y Tres?

Closest to the road: Bañados de Carrasco (swamp, mile 11, 3 mi from the route); Cathedral of Minas (cathedral, mile 73, 0.6 mi from the route); Salto del Penitente (waterfall, mile 84, 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.