Plan on about 11 h 19 min of driving for the 539-mile (867 km) trip from Patos de Minas to Caraguatatuba, 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: “Road maintenance is inadequate in many areas.”
| Distance by road | 539 mi (867 km) |
|---|---|
| Drive time without stops | 11 h 19 min |
| Main roads, in order | BR-365 → BR-146 → SP-334 → SP-330 → SP-065 → SP-070 → SP-099 |
| States on the route | Minas Gerais, São Paulo |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 21.5 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
On the road from Patos de Minas to Caraguatatuba
BR-146 (142 mi) and SP-330 (133 mi) carry about 51% of the 539 miles. It runs through 2 states: Minas Gerais, São Paulo. Of the 9 stops listed below, 3 are within a mile of the road.
Roads you'll take from Patos de Minas to Caraguatatuba
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–5 | 5 | Minas Gerais |
| BR-365 | 5–20 | 15 | Minas Gerais |
| BR-146 | 20–162 | 142 | Minas Gerais, São Paulo |
| SP-334 | 162–252 | 90 | São Paulo |
| connecting roads | 252–253 | 1 | São Paulo |
| SP-330 | 253–386 | 133 | São Paulo |
| SP-065 | 386–477 | 91 | São Paulo |
| connecting roads | 477–478 | 1 | São Paulo |
| SP-070 | 478–492 | 14 | São Paulo |
| SP-099 | 492–537 | 45 | São Paulo |
| local roads | 537–539 | 2 | São Paulo |
- Mile 161 of this route: Minas Gerais → São Paulo (state line)
Where to stop on the way to Caraguatatuba
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Jardim Zoobotânico de Franca (mile 198), Vassununga State Park (mile 298), Basílica Nossa Senhora do Patrocínio (mile 345)
- Nature and outdoors: Furnas do Bom Jesus State Park (mile 175), Vassununga State Park (mile 298), Museu de História Natural (mile 397), Parque Estadual de Itaberaba (mile 446)
- Museums and history: Basílica Nossa Senhora do Patrocínio (mile 345), Museu de História Natural (mile 397), Anthropology Museum of the Paraíba Valley (mile 481)
- With kids: Jardim Zoobotânico de Franca (mile 198)
Furnas do Bom Jesus State Park
Furnas do Bom Jesus State Park in São Paulo state protects cerrado and Atlantic Forest with high biodiversity in and around a canyon.
Jardim Zoobotânico de Franca
In the city of Franca, the Jardim Zoobotânico de Franca is a public zoo and botanical garden that preserves plants and native forest. It began as a 1950s tree nursery and became a zoobotanical garden in the 1990s.
Vassununga State Park
Vassununga State Park, beside the Anhanguera highway in Santa Rita do Passa Quatro, protects Atlantic Forest and cerrado and shelters the Patriarca, a jequitibá-rosa about 42 meters tall estimated at roughly 600 years old.
Basílica Nossa Senhora do Patrocínio
Araras' Basílica Nossa Senhora do Patrocínio is a Catholic parish church that Pope Benedict XVI elevated to the rank of minor basilica in 2010; it belongs to the Diocese of Limeira.
Planetário de Campinas
Inside Parque Portugal, the Lagoa do Taquaral park in Campinas, this municipal planetarium has projected the night sky onto its 8-meter dome since 1987, with shows on constellations and astronomy.
Centro de Convivência
The Centro de Convivência Cultural "Carlos Gomes" is an architectural complex in the Cambuí neighborhood of Campinas. Designed by architect Fábio Penteado, it opened on September 9, 1976.
Museu de História Natural
In Campinas' Bosque dos Jequitibás, the Natural History Museum (Museu de História Natural) has displayed about 5,000 pieces since 1939, from taxidermied mammals, birds and reptiles to fossils and specimens from Brazil's biomes.
Parque Estadual de Itaberaba
Created in 2010, Itaberaba State Park (Parque Estadual Itaberaba) protects land in São Paulo state spread across Arujá, Guarulhos, Mairiporã, Nazaré Paulista and Santa Isabel.
Anthropology Museum of the Paraíba Valley
Ceramic vessels and stone tools are among the archaeological finds at the Museu de Antropologia do Vale do Paraíba in Jacareí, which also displays sacred art, folk art and paintings.
Once you reach Caraguatatuba
Prainha (Caraguatatuba)
Prainha is a beach in Caraguatatuba between Martim de Sá and Pedra da Freira; a trail along the hillside leads to the Pedra do Jacaré rock.
Martim de Sá Beach
About 2.5 km from downtown Caraguatatuba, Martim de Sá Beach sits between Prainha to the south and Praia Brava to the north.
Brava Beach (Caraguatatuba)
Close to Martim de Sá in Caraguatatuba, Praia Brava sees few visitors because of its isolated access, and nudism is permitted on the beach.
More drives to Caraguatatuba
- Pindamonhangaba to Caraguatatuba
- Guarujá to Caraguatatuba
- São Paulo to Caraguatatuba
- Jundiaí to Caraguatatuba
- Sorocaba to Caraguatatuba
- Itu to Caraguatatuba
From Patos de Minas to other places in Brazil
- Patos de Minas to Itabira
- Patos de Minas to Muriaé
- Patos de Minas to Assis
- Patos de Minas to Itaperuna
- Patos de Minas to Paranapiacaba
- Patos de Minas to Cubatão
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to drive from Patos de Minas to Caraguatatuba?
About 11 h 19 min of driving without stops, over 539 miles.
How far is Caraguatatuba from Patos de Minas by car?
About 539 miles (867 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 Patos de Minas to Caraguatatuba 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 Patos de Minas to Caraguatatuba use?
In order: BR-365, BR-146, SP-334, SP-330, SP-065, SP-070 and SP-099. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between Patos de Minas and Caraguatatuba?
Closest to the road: Jardim Zoobotânico de Franca (zoo, mile 198, 0.5 mi from the route); Vassununga State Park (state park, mile 298, 0.2 mi from the route); Basílica Nossa Senhora do Patrocínio (basilica, mile 345, 0.7 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.