Plan on about 6 h 38 min of driving for the 251-mile (404 km) trip from Poços de Caldas to Barbacena, 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 | 251 mi (404 km) |
|---|---|
| Drive time without stops | 6 h 38 min |
| Main roads, in order | BR-146 → BR-267 → MG-453 → BR-491 → BR-381 → BR-265 |
| States on the route | Minas Gerais |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 10.0 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 5 |
On the road from Poços de Caldas to Barbacena
BR-265 (99 mi) and BR-381 (42 mi) carry about 56% of the 251 miles. None of the 5 stops below is right on the road, so plan each as a short side trip.
Road-by-road breakdown: Poços de Caldas to Barbacena
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–5 | 5 | Minas Gerais |
| connecting roads | 5–6 | 1 | Minas Gerais |
| BR-146 | 6–14 | 8 | Minas Gerais |
| BR-267 | 14–51 | 37 | Minas Gerais |
| connecting roads | 51–53 | 2 | Minas Gerais |
| MG-453 | 53–70 | 17 | Minas Gerais |
| BR-491 | 70–107 | 37 | Minas Gerais |
| BR-381 | 107–149 | 42 | Minas Gerais |
| BR-265 | 149–248 | 99 | Minas Gerais |
| local roads | 248–251 | 3 | Minas Gerais |
Breaking up the drive: stops between Poços de Caldas and Barbacena
Museu Municipal de Varginha
Varginha's municipal museum occupies a building put up in 1920 as the local Banco do Brasil office, in what was then the town's commercial heart.
Museu Bi Moreira
On the historic campus of the Federal University of Lavras, Museu Bi Moreira holds around five thousand historical, ethnographic, archaeological and science-and-technology artifacts tied to the history of Lavras and the university.
Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar, São João del Rei
Also called the São João del Rei Cathedral, this Catholic shrine is a protected heritage site known for colonial-era art, with gold decoration, paintings and statues inside.
Museu Regional de São João del-Rei
Museu Regional de São João del-Rei is a history and art museum in the town of São João del-Rei, in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais.
Museu de Sant'Ana
Founded in 2014 by the Instituto Cultural Flávio Gutierrez, this Tiradentes art museum specializes in images of Saint Anne, with a collection of 291 statues.
When you get to Barbacena
Museu da Loucura
Housed in the restored 1922 Torreão of the former Hospital Colônia de Barbacena, the Museu da Loucura opened in 1996 and uses objects, equipment, photos and documents to tell the history of psychiatric care in Minas Gerais.
More drives to Barbacena
- Rio de Janeiro to Barbacena
- Niterói to Barbacena
- Pouso Alegre to Barbacena
- Araruama to Barbacena
- Cabo Frio to Barbacena
- Macaé to Barbacena
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 does it take to drive from Poços de Caldas to Barbacena?
About 6 h 38 min of driving without stops, over 251 miles.
What is the driving distance from Poços de Caldas to Barbacena?
About 251 miles (404 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 Poços de Caldas to Barbacena?
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 Poços de Caldas to Barbacena use?
In order: BR-146, BR-267, MG-453, BR-491, BR-381 and BR-265. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between Poços de Caldas and Barbacena?
Closest to the road: Museu Municipal de Varginha (museum, mile 94, 2 mi from the route); Museu Regional de São João del-Rei (history museum, mile 214, 1 mi from the route); Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar, São João del Rei (cathedral, mile 214, 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.