The Wayro route from Paysandú to Cabo Polonio is 390 miles (628 km), about 8 h 42 min of driving without stops.
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.”
| Distance by road | 390 mi (628 km) |
|---|---|
| Drive time without stops | 8 h 42 min |
| Main roads, in order | I-B |
| Departments on the route | Paysandú, Río Negro, Flores, San José, Canelones, Maldonado, Rocha |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 15.6 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 8 |
Driving Paysandú to Cabo Polonio: the shape of the trip
I-B (5 mi) carries about 1% of the 390 miles. It runs through 7 departments: Paysandú, Río Negro, Flores, San José, Canelones, Maldonado, Rocha. Of the 8 stops listed below, 3 are within a mile of the road.
Which roads connect Paysandú and Cabo Polonio
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | Department |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–268 | 268 | Paysandú, Río Negro, Flores, San José, Canelones, Maldonado |
| I-B | 268–273 | 5 | Maldonado |
| connecting roads | 273–274 | 1 | Maldonado |
| local roads | 274–390 | 116 | Maldonado, Rocha |
- Mile 28 of this route: Paysandú → Río Negro (department line)
- Mile 83 of this route: Río Negro → Flores (department line)
- Mile 144 of this route: Flores → San José (department line)
- Mile 194 of this route: San José → Canelones (department line)
- Mile 263 of this route: Canelones → Maldonado (department line)
- Mile 321 of this route: Maldonado → Rocha (department line)
Stops between Paysandú and Cabo Polonio
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Reserva de Flora y fauna Dr. Rodolfo Tálice (mile 112), Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe (mile 204), Teatro 25 de Mayo (mile 337)
- Nature and outdoors: Reserva de Flora y fauna Dr. Rodolfo Tálice (mile 112), Laguna del Cisne (mile 239), Cerro Pan de Azúcar Native Wildlife Breeding Station (mile 274), La Sirena Beach (mile 379)
- Museums and history: Cathedral of San José de Mayo (mile 174), Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe (mile 204), Iglesia de Cristo Obrero y Nuestra Señora de Lourdes (mile 240)
Reserva de Flora y fauna Dr. Rodolfo Tálice
Off Route 3 near Trinidad, the Dr. Rodolfo Tálice Ecopark (Reserva de Flora y Fauna Dr. Rodolfo Talice) is a fenced wildlife reserve where axis deer, greater rheas and pampas deer roam free alongside other species.
Cathedral of San José de Mayo
The main Catholic church of San José de Mayo, the Cathedral Basilica of St. Joseph has been the diocesan seat since 1955, a minor basilica since 1957 and Uruguay's national shrine of Saint Joseph.
Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe
Construction of Canelones' Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe began in 1816; the church became a cathedral in 1961 and Uruguay's national shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in 2020.
Laguna del Cisne
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
Engineer Eladio Dieste's Church of Christ the Worker in Estación Atlántida, inaugurated in 1960, joined UNESCO's World Heritage List in 2021. Look for its wavy brick walls and roof, an openwork brick bell tower and an underground baptistery.
Cerro Pan de Azúcar Native Wildlife Breeding Station
Near Piriápolis in Maldonado, this breeding station for native wildlife on Cerro Pan de Azúcar is surrounded by native vegetation and offers guided visits, including a native wildlife trail and a path up the hill.
Teatro 25 de Mayo
Rocha's Teatro 25 de Mayo opened in 1910 as an Italian-style theater in the eclectic style, with room for about 400 people. Now a cultural complex, it is a stop on the city's self-guided heritage walk.
La Sirena Beach
About 2.5 km north of Aguas Dulces, La Sirena is one of Uruguay's two official naturist beaches, backed by vegetated dunes, small marshes, lagoons and pine and acacia woods where coastal birds are common.
Arriving in Cabo Polonio
Parque nacional Cabo Polonio
Part of Uruguay's national protected areas system since 2009, Cabo Polonio National Park spans 25,820 hectares of coastline, ocean and offshore islands.
Cabo Polonio Lighthouse
Standing on the Cabo Polonio headland in Uruguay's Rocha department, this lighthouse looks out over the Atlantic Ocean and was built in 1881.
Dunes of Cabo Polonio
Inside Cabo Polonio National Park in Uruguay's Rocha department, a band of natural sand dunes runs along the Atlantic Ocean.
More drives to Cabo Polonio
- Mercedes, Uruguay to Cabo Polonio
- Rivera to Cabo Polonio
- Salto to Cabo Polonio
- Bella Unión to Cabo Polonio
- Durazno to Cabo Polonio
- Fray Bentos to Cabo Polonio
From Paysandú to other places in Uruguay
- Paysandú to Bella Unión
- Paysandú to Artigas
- Paysandú to Carmelo
- Paysandú to Colonia del Sacramento
- Paysandú to Veinticinco de Agosto
- Paysandú to Fray Marcos
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Paysandú to Cabo Polonio?
About 8 h 42 min of driving without stops, over 390 miles.
How far is Cabo Polonio from Paysandú by car?
About 390 miles (628 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 Paysandú to Cabo Polonio?
The U.S. State Department rates Uruguay Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution. Read the full advisory before you go.
What are good stops between Paysandú and Cabo Polonio?
Closest to the road: Reserva de Flora y fauna Dr. Rodolfo Tálice (botanical garden, mile 112, 0.2 mi from the route); Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe (cathedral, mile 204, 0.1 mi from the route); Teatro 25 de Mayo (theater, mile 337, 1 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.