Plan on about 9 h 1 min of driving for the 356-mile (573 km) trip from Niterói to Aracruz, 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: “Use caution when walking or driving at night.”
| Total distance | 356 mi (573 km) |
|---|---|
| Time at the wheel, no stops | 9 h 1 min |
| Main roads, in order | BR-101 → RJ-228 → ES-257 |
| States on the route | Rio de Janeiro, Espírito Santo |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 14.2 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
How the Niterói to Aracruz drive plays out
BR-101 (302 mi) and RJ-228 (44 mi) carry about 97% of the 356 miles. It runs through 2 states: Rio de Janeiro, Espírito Santo. Of the 9 stops listed below, 2 are within a mile of the road.
The route from Niterói to Aracruz, road by road
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–1 | 1 | Rio de Janeiro |
| BR-101 | 1–187 | 186 | Rio de Janeiro |
| RJ-228 | 187–231 | 44 | Rio de Janeiro, Espírito Santo |
| BR-101 | 231–347 | 116 | Espírito Santo |
| ES-257 | 347–355 | 8 | Espírito Santo |
| local roads | 355–356 | 1 | Espírito Santo |
- Mile 203 of this route: Rio de Janeiro → Espírito Santo (state line)
Breaking up the drive: stops between Niterói and Aracruz
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Museu da Polícia Militar do Espírito Santo (mile 307), Casa da Cultura de Fundão (mile 337)
- Nature and outdoors: Praia do Buraco (mile 7), Serra das Torres Natural Monument (mile 216), Itabira Natural Monument (mile 233), Morro do Penedo Natural Monument (mile 306)
- Museums and history: Serra das Torres Natural Monument (mile 216), Itabira Natural Monument (mile 233), Museu da Polícia Militar do Espírito Santo (mile 307), Museu Histórico da Ilha das Caieiras (mile 311), Ruins of the Church of São José do Queimado (mile 319), Casa da Cultura de Fundão (mile 337)
Praia do Buraco
About four kilometers from Praia Central in Balneário Camboriú, Praia do Buraco borders Praia do Canto; strong waves make it unsafe for swimming, so it draws mostly fishermen and photographers.
Serra das Torres Natural Monument
Covering about 10,459 hectares of Atlantic Forest in Atílio Vivácqua, Mimoso do Sul and Muqui, the Serra das Torres Natural Monument was created in 2010 to protect the peaks of a mountain range in southern Espírito Santo.
Itabira Natural Monument
Itabira Natural Monument is a protected area in the state of Espírito Santo, Brazil, listed in the natural monument category.
Morro do Penedo Natural Monument
Morro do Penedo Natural Monument protects a small sugarloaf-shaped hill on the shore of the bay south of Vitória, the capital of Espírito Santo state.
Museu da Polícia Militar do Espírito Santo
In Cariacica, the Espírito Santo Military Police Museum holds more than 600 objects and 900 photographs on the force's history, in a building that closely resembles the state's first barracks, Quartel do Moscoso.
Museu Histórico da Ilha das Caieiras
On Ilha das Caieiras in Vitória, Espírito Santo, this history museum is named for Manoel Passos Lyrio; an expansion begun in 2022 adds a section devoted to local fishermen.
Ruins of the Church of São José do Queimado
In the Queimado district of Serra, Espírito Santo, these church ruins stand as a historic reminder of the Queimado Insurrection, an 1849 slave uprising.
Casa da Cultura de Fundão
Once the Agostini family residence, this two-story house in Fundão is protected as cultural heritage by Espírito Santo state and now works as a museum.
Buddha of Ibiraçu
Beside the BR-101 highway in Ibiraçu, a 35-meter Buddha statue rises at the Morro da Vargem Zen monastery. The giant figure, part of the monastery grounds, was officially inaugurated in August 2021.
More drives to Aracruz
- Cariacica to Aracruz
- Vitória to Aracruz
- Guarapari to Aracruz
- Itaperuna to Aracruz
- Rio das Ostras to Aracruz
- Itabira to Aracruz
From Niterói to other places in Brazil
- Niterói to Petrópolis
- Niterói to Itaguaí
- Niterói to Barra do Piraí
- Niterói to Penedo
- Niterói to Guaratinguetá
- Niterói to Pindamonhangaba
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Niterói to Aracruz?
About 9 h 1 min of driving without stops, over 356 miles.
What is the driving distance from Niterói to Aracruz?
About 356 miles (573 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 Niterói to Aracruz drive?
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 Niterói to Aracruz use?
In order: BR-101, RJ-228 and ES-257. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
Where can you stop on the way from Niterói to Aracruz?
Closest to the road: Museu da Polícia Militar do Espírito Santo (police museum, mile 307, 0.2 mi from the route); Casa da Cultura de Fundão (museum, mile 337, 0.2 mi from the route); Buddha of Ibiraçu (statue, mile 344, 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.