Plan on about 7 h 44 min of driving for the 357-mile (575 km) trip from Nova Friburgo to Paranapiacaba, 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: “Flooding makes some roads through the Amazon impassable for much of the year.”
| Distance by road | 357 mi (575 km) |
|---|---|
| Drive time without stops | 7 h 44 min |
| Main roads, in order | RJ-116 → RJ-122 → BR-116 → BR-493 → SPI 117/070 → SP-070 → SP-021 → SP-122 |
| States on the route | Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 14.3 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
On the road from Nova Friburgo to Paranapiacaba
BR-116 (173 mi) and SPI 117/070 (43 mi) carry about 61% of the 357 miles. It runs through 2 states: Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo. Of the 9 stops listed below, 3 are within a mile of the road.
Roads you'll take from Nova Friburgo to Paranapiacaba
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–1 | 1 | Rio de Janeiro |
| RJ-116 | 1–29 | 28 | Rio de Janeiro |
| RJ-122 | 29–52 | 23 | Rio de Janeiro |
| connecting roads | 52–53 | 1 | Rio de Janeiro |
| BR-116 | 53–75 | 22 | Rio de Janeiro |
| BR-493 | 75–105 | 30 | Rio de Janeiro |
| connecting roads | 105–106 | 1 | Rio de Janeiro |
| BR-116 | 106–257 | 151 | Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo |
| SPI 117/070 | 257–300 | 43 | São Paulo |
| SP-070 | 300–316 | 16 | São Paulo |
| connecting roads | 316–317 | 1 | São Paulo |
| SP-021 | 317–339 | 22 | São Paulo |
| connecting roads | 339–341 | 2 | São Paulo |
| local roads | 341–347 | 6 | São Paulo |
| SP-122 | 347–357 | 10 | São Paulo |
- Mile 185 of this route: Rio de Janeiro → São Paulo (state line)
Breaking up the drive: stops between Nova Friburgo and Paranapiacaba
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Três Picos State Park (mile 19), Itatiaia National Park (mile 175), Museu Barão de Mauá (mile 343)
- Nature and outdoors: Três Picos State Park (mile 19), Serra dos Órgãos National Park (mile 52), Taquara Municipal Nature Park (mile 71), Itatiaia National Park (mile 175), Pedroso Municipal Nature Park (mile 341)
- Museums and history: Valongo Wharf (mile 75), Museu Mazzaropi (mile 252), Anthropology Museum of the Paraíba Valley (mile 290), Museu Barão de Mauá (mile 343)
Três Picos State Park
Três Picos State Park protects a large mountainous area of Atlantic Forest in Rio de Janeiro state.
Serra dos Órgãos National Park
Serra dos Órgãos National Park protects the Serra dos Órgãos range between Petrópolis and Teresópolis, where a roughly 28 km traverse climbs past the Castelos do Açu to Pedra do Sino at 2,263 meters.
Taquara Municipal Nature Park
Taquara Municipal Nature Park is a municipal nature park in Rio de Janeiro state that protects an area of Atlantic Forest.
Valongo Wharf
Built in 1811 in Rio's old port, the Valongo Wharf was where up to 900,000 enslaved Africans landed. A UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2017, its excavated stone paving is left open to view.
Itatiaia National Park
Straddling the line between Rio de Janeiro and Minas Gerais states, Itatiaia National Park dates to 1937, when it became the first national park Brazil ever created.
Museu Mazzaropi
More than 20,000 items, from photos and furniture to film props and equipment, tell the story of Amácio Mazzaropi at this Taubaté museum, set on the grounds of the comedian's former studio.
Anthropology Museum of the Paraíba Valley
An 1857 mansion in Jacareí is home to the Anthropology Museum of the Paraíba Valley, where collections range from paintings and religious and popular art to archaeological pottery and stone tools.
Pedroso Municipal Nature Park
Santo André's Pedroso Municipal Nature Park (Parque do Pedroso) is a strictly protected conservation unit that holds important water sources and a fragment of Atlantic Forest.
Museu Barão de Mauá
Mauá's history museum keeps photographs, objects and documents on the city's past and serves as its main center for historical research.
In Paranapiacaba itself
Museu Tecnológico Ferroviário do Funicular
In the village of Paranapiacaba, high in the Serra do Mar, this railway museum fills sheds that once served as workshops for the funicular trains running between Raiz da Serra in Cubatão and the plateau.
Casa Fox
Casa Fox is a museum at Paranapiacaba made of two restored, semi-detached workers' houses that share the personal and collective memories of local residents. It is named after Daniel M. Fox.
More drives to Paranapiacaba
- São Paulo to Paranapiacaba
- Jundiaí to Paranapiacaba
- Bragança Paulista to Paranapiacaba
- Campinas to Paranapiacaba
- Itu to Paranapiacaba
- Limeira to Paranapiacaba
From Nova Friburgo to other places in Brazil
- Nova Friburgo to Itaguaí
- Nova Friburgo to Pindamonhangaba
- Nova Friburgo to Caraguatatuba
- Nova Friburgo to Bragança Paulista
- Nova Friburgo to Itu
- Nova Friburgo to Itanhaém
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Nova Friburgo to Paranapiacaba?
About 7 h 44 min of driving without stops, over 357 miles.
What is the driving distance from Nova Friburgo to Paranapiacaba?
About 357 miles (575 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 Nova Friburgo to Paranapiacaba?
The U.S. State Department rates Brazil Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution. Read the full advisory before you go.
Which highways go from Nova Friburgo to Paranapiacaba?
In order: RJ-116, RJ-122, BR-116, BR-493, SPI 117/070, SP-070, SP-021 and SP-122. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
Where can you stop on the way from Nova Friburgo to Paranapiacaba?
Closest to the road: Três Picos State Park (state park, mile 19, 0.3 mi from the route); Itatiaia National Park (national park, mile 175, 0.4 mi from the route); Museu Barão de Mauá (museum, mile 343, 0.9 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.