Plan on about 9 h 55 min of driving for the 400-mile (644 km) trip from Natal to Itapipoca, before any 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: “Drivers must have their daytime running lights on during the day and headlights on at night on Federal Highways.”
| Distance | 400 mi (644 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 9 h 55 min |
| Main roads, in order | BR-304 → BR-226 → BR-104 → CE-040 → BR-020 → BR-222 → BR-402 |
| States on the route | Rio Grande do Norte, Ceará |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 16.0 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
How the Natal to Itapipoca drive plays out
BR-104 (88 mi) and CE-040 (77 mi) carry about 41% of the 400 miles. It runs through 2 states: Rio Grande do Norte, Ceará. Of the 9 stops listed below, 3 are within a mile of the road.
Road-by-road breakdown: Natal to Itapipoca
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–7 | 7 | Rio Grande do Norte |
| connecting roads | 7–9 | 2 | Rio Grande do Norte |
| BR-304 | 9–16 | 7 | Rio Grande do Norte |
| BR-226 | 16–82 | 66 | Rio Grande do Norte |
| BR-104 | 82–170 | 88 | Rio Grande do Norte |
| connecting roads | 170–171 | 1 | Rio Grande do Norte |
| local roads | 171–177 | 6 | Rio Grande do Norte |
| BR-304 | 177–232 | 55 | Rio Grande do Norte, Ceará |
| CE-040 | 232–309 | 77 | Ceará |
| connecting roads | 309–310 | 1 | Ceará |
| BR-020 | 310–327 | 17 | Ceará |
| BR-222 | 327–376 | 49 | Ceará |
| BR-402 | 376–398 | 22 | Ceará |
| local roads | 398–400 | 2 | Ceará |
- Mile 197 of this route: Rio Grande do Norte → Ceará (state line)
Where to stop on the way to Itapipoca
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Açu National Forest (mile 132), Memorial da Resistência Mossoroense (mile 173), Museu Sacro São José de Ribamar (mile 303)
- Nature and outdoors: Açu National Forest (mile 132), Furna Feia National Park (mile 190), Canoa Quebrada (mile 226), Praia das Fontes (mile 269), Prainha (mile 302), Lagoon of Messejana (mile 313), Parque Botânico de Caucaia (mile 327)
- Museums and history: Memorial da Resistência Mossoroense (mile 173), Museu Sacro São José de Ribamar (mile 303)
Açu National Forest
The Açu National Forest is a national forest, a protected area in the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Norte.
Memorial da Resistência Mossoroense
Exhibits at this Mossoró memorial cover the cangaço and the town's 1927 resistance to Lampião's band, which tried to invade it, spread over three floors with four thematic modules.
Furna Feia National Park
Furna Feia National Park in Rio Grande do Norte protects an extensive cave system.
Canoa Quebrada
About 164 km from Fortaleza in the municipality of Aracati, Canoa Quebrada is a fishing village and beach resort set among dunes and cliffs on Ceará's east coast.
Praia das Fontes
Praia das Fontes in Beberibe, Ceará, takes its name from the many freshwater springs that flow out of its cliffs.
Prainha
Prainha is a beach in the municipality of Aquiraz, Ceará, Brazil, located at the mouth of the Catu River.
Museu Sacro São José de Ribamar
Opened in 1967, the Museu Sacro São José de Ribamar in Aquiraz holds around 1,400 sacred objects, including images, silverwork, furniture and vestments, mostly from the 18th and 19th centuries.
Lagoon of Messejana
Lagoon of Messejana (Lagoa de Messejana) sits in the Messejana neighborhood of Fortaleza, Ceará, and is part of the Cocó River basin.
Parque Botânico de Caucaia
Covering 190 hectares in Caucaia, 15 km from Fortaleza, the Ceará State Botanical Park sits along highway CE-090, the road to Icaraí, Cumbuco and other beaches.
More drives to Itapipoca
- Mossoró to Itapipoca
- João Pessoa to Itapipoca
- Olinda to Itapipoca
- São Luís to Itapipoca
- Caxias to Itapipoca
- Teresina to Itapipoca
From Natal to other places in Brazil
- Natal to Olinda
- Natal to Cabo de Santo Agostinho
- Natal to Vitória de Santo Antão
- Natal to Caruaru
- Natal to Garanhuns
- Natal to Arapiraca
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Natal to Itapipoca?
About 9 h 55 min of driving without stops, over 400 miles.
What is the driving distance from Natal to Itapipoca?
About 400 miles (644 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 Natal to Itapipoca drive?
The U.S. State Department rates Brazil Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution. Read the full advisory before you go.
Which highways go from Natal to Itapipoca?
In order: BR-304, BR-226, BR-104, CE-040, BR-020, BR-222 and BR-402. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between Natal and Itapipoca?
Closest to the road: Açu National Forest (protected area, mile 132, 0.7 mi from the route); Memorial da Resistência Mossoroense (museum, mile 173, 0.4 mi from the route); Museu Sacro São José de Ribamar (museum, mile 303, 0.6 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.