By road, Poços de Caldas and Araruama are about 374 miles (602 km) apart, or roughly 8 h 31 min of driving.
- 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: “Driving on Brazil’s roads poses significant risks.”
| Distance | 374 mi (602 km) |
|---|---|
| Drive time without stops | 8 h 31 min |
| Main roads, in order | BR-459 → SP-048 → SP-060 → BR-116 → BR-101 → RJ-124 |
| States on the route | Minas Gerais, São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 15.0 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 8 |
Driving Poços de Caldas to Araruama: the shape of the trip
BR-459 (147 mi) and BR-116 (76 mi) carry about 60% of the 374 miles. It runs through 3 states: Minas Gerais, São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro. Of the 8 stops listed below, 3 are within a mile of the road.
Poços de Caldas to Araruama: the road sequence
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–5 | 5 | Minas Gerais |
| BR-459 | 5–152 | 147 | Minas Gerais, São Paulo |
| SP-048 | 152–156 | 4 | São Paulo |
| connecting roads | 156–157 | 1 | São Paulo |
| SP-060 | 157–219 | 62 | São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro |
| BR-116 | 219–295 | 76 | Rio de Janeiro |
| BR-101 | 295–350 | 55 | Rio de Janeiro |
| RJ-124 | 350–368 | 18 | Rio de Janeiro |
| local roads | 368–374 | 6 | Rio de Janeiro |
- Mile 136 of this route: Minas Gerais → São Paulo (state line)
- Mile 189 of this route: São Paulo → Rio de Janeiro (state line)
What to see on the way from Poços de Caldas to Araruama
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Itatiaia National Park (mile 198), Catedral de Santo Antônio de Jacutinga (mile 285), Metropolitan Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, Niterói (mile 312)
- Nature and outdoors: Itatiaia National Park (mile 198), Serra do Barbosão Municipal Nature Park (mile 341)
- Museums and history: Good Jesus Cathedral, Pouso Alegre (mile 64), Catedral de Santo Antônio de Jacutinga (mile 285), Civil Police Museum (mile 304), Sala Cecília Meireles (mile 304), Centro Cultural do Movimento Escoteiro (mile 308), Metropolitan Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, Niterói (mile 312)
Good Jesus Cathedral, Pouso Alegre
Good Jesus Cathedral is the Catholic seat of the Archdiocese of Pouso Alegre, in the city of the same name in Minas Gerais.
Itatiaia National Park
Created in 1937, Parque Nacional do Itatiaia holds the distinction of being Brazil's first national park. It sits on the border of two states, Rio de Janeiro and Minas Gerais.
Catedral de Santo Antônio de Jacutinga
Also known as Nova Iguaçu Cathedral, the Catedral de Santo Antônio de Jacutinga stands on Avenida Marechal Floriano Peixoto and is the mother church of the Diocese of Nova Iguaçu.
Civil Police Museum
Through permanent and temporary exhibitions, the Rio de Janeiro Civil Police Museum shows documents and objects tracing the work of the Civil Police in the city since colonial times.
Sala Cecília Meireles
In Rio de Janeiro's Lapa district, Sala Cecília Meireles is a theater known for chamber music and regarded as one of the city's best venues for acoustics.
Centro Cultural do Movimento Escoteiro
Founded in 1985 in Rio de Janeiro, the Centro Cultural do Movimento Escoteiro (CCME) preserves and shares the memory and culture of scouting in Brazil and holds the country's largest scouting collection.
Metropolitan Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, Niterói
Built in a late colonial style, the Metropolitan Cathedral of St. John the Baptist (Niterói Cathedral) is the Catholic cathedral of Niterói, in Rio de Janeiro state.
Serra do Barbosão Municipal Nature Park
Serra do Barbosão Municipal Nature Park is a protected area in Rio de Janeiro state, set aside by the municipality to safeguard a stretch of Atlantic Forest.
In Araruama itself
Coqueiral
Coqueiral is a beach in Araruama, Rio de Janeiro state, in a neighborhood of the same name along the Amaral Peixoto highway.
More drives to Araruama
- Barra Mansa to Araruama
- Angra dos Reis to Araruama
- Pindamonhangaba to Araruama
- Taubaté to Araruama
- São José dos Campos to Araruama
- Jacareí to Araruama
From Poços de Caldas to other places in Brazil
- Poços de Caldas to Tatuí
- Poços de Caldas to Paranapiacaba
- Poços de Caldas to Itapetininga
- Poços de Caldas to Cubatão
- Poços de Caldas to Fumaça
- Poços de Caldas to Itanhaém
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Poços de Caldas to Araruama?
About 8 h 31 min of driving without stops, over 374 miles.
How far is Araruama from Poços de Caldas by car?
About 374 miles (602 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 Poços de Caldas to Araruama drive?
The U.S. State Department rates Brazil Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution. Read the full advisory before you go.
Which highways go from Poços de Caldas to Araruama?
In order: BR-459, SP-048, SP-060, BR-116, BR-101 and RJ-124. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between Poços de Caldas and Araruama?
Closest to the road: Itatiaia National Park (national park, mile 198, 0.4 mi from the route); Catedral de Santo Antônio de Jacutinga (cathedral, mile 285, 0.9 mi from the route); Metropolitan Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, Niterói (cathedral, mile 312, 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.