By road, Porto Alegre and Maldonado, Uruguay are about 455 miles (733 km) apart, or roughly 10 h 24 min of driving. You cross from Brazil into Uruguay at about mile 324.
- Level 4: Do Not Travel in Brazil: informal housing developments (favelas, vilas, comunidades or conglomerados).
Full advisory: Brazil, Uruguay. Advisory issued: Brazil August 31, 2026; Uruguay July 28, 2026; checked October 10, 2026.
On the roads, the State Department says:
- Brazil: “Road maintenance is inadequate in many areas.”
- Uruguay: “Several of the main highways are particularly accident-ridden.”
| Distance | 455 mi (733 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 10 h 24 min |
| Main roads, in order | BR-116 → BR-392 → BR-471 |
| Border crossing | about mile 324, Brazil → Uruguay |
| Regions on the route | Rio Grande do Sul, Rocha, Maldonado |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 18.2 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
Getting across the Brazil–Uruguay border
The route crosses at about mile 324, from Rio Grande do Sul into Rocha. Plan on two checks on each side: immigration for your passport and customs for the car.
| Entering Uruguay (U.S. citizens) | No visa needed for visits of 90 days or less. Passport: must be valid for 6 months beyond your arrival date. |
|---|---|
| Driving in Uruguay | You can drive on your U.S. license. |
| Entering Brazil (U.S. citizens) | Visa required: apply and get approved before you travel; travelers without visas can't enter. Passport: must be valid for one month at entry, with a blank page for each stamp. |
| Driving in Brazil | If you'll stay more than 180 days and drive, carry an Inter-American Driving Permit with your U.S. license. |
| Rental car | Cross only if the rental company authorizes it in writing and gives you the papers for the border; ask before you book. |
Sources: U.S. State Department, Uruguay (updated August 13, 2026); U.S. State Department, Brazil (updated August 06, 2026). Checked October 10, 2026; rules change, so confirm before you go.
Driving Porto Alegre to Maldonado: the shape of the trip
BR-471 (137 mi) and BR-116 (94 mi) carry about 51% of the 455 miles. The first 324 miles are in Brazil; the last 131 are in Uruguay. It runs through 3 regions: Rio Grande do Sul, Rocha, Maldonado. Of the 9 stops listed below, 3 are within a mile of the road.
Porto Alegre to Maldonado: the road sequence
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–4 | 4 | Rio Grande do Sul |
| BR-116 | 4–98 | 94 | Rio Grande do Sul |
| local roads | 98–158 | 60 | Rio Grande do Sul |
| connecting roads | 158–160 | 2 | Rio Grande do Sul |
| BR-392 | 160–186 | 26 | Rio Grande do Sul |
| BR-471 | 186–323 | 137 | Rio Grande do Sul |
| local roads | 323–446 | 123 | Rio Grande do Sul, Rocha, Maldonado |
| connecting roads | 446–448 | 2 | Maldonado |
| local roads | 448–455 | 7 | Maldonado |
- Mile 324 of this route: Rio Grande do Sul → Rocha (international border)
- Mile 423 of this route: Rocha → Maldonado (region line)
Stops between Porto Alegre and Maldonado
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Parque Histórico General Bento Gonçalves (mile 99), Santa Teresa National Park (mile 345), Observatorio Astronómico del CURE (mile 406)
- Nature and outdoors: Jacuí Delta State Park (mile 11), Santa Teresa National Park (mile 345), La Sirena Beach (mile 365)
- Museums and history: Estância das Pedras Brancas (mile 18), Parque Histórico General Bento Gonçalves (mile 99), Museu da Baronesa (mile 164), Museu de Arte Leopoldo Gotuzzo (mile 164)
Jacuí Delta State Park
Created in 1976, Jacuí Delta State Park (Parque Estadual Delta do Jacuí) protects the delta between Porto Alegre, Canoas, Eldorado do Sul and nearby towns, where fishers from Ilha da Pintada still practice traditional fishing.
Estância das Pedras Brancas
Estância das Pedras Brancas is a historic ranch tied to the history of Rio Grande do Sul and the town of Guaíba. Its first owner was Antônio Ferreira Leitão.
Parque Histórico General Bento Gonçalves
Created by state decree in 1972 and linked to Rio Grande do Sul's culture department, this historic park stands on the old Sesmaria do Cristal, land once granted to the father of Farroupilha leader Bento Gonçalves da Silva.
Museu da Baronesa
Opened in 1982 and run by the Pelotas city culture department, Museu da Baronesa occupies a building listed as municipal heritage in 1985.
Museu de Arte Leopoldo Gotuzzo
Opened in 1986 on Praça 7 de Julho, across from the Mercado Central in downtown Pelotas, this art museum is part of the Federal University of Pelotas arts center.
Parque Nacional Laguna Negra
In Rocha department, Laguna Negra National Park protects the waters of Laguna Negra, the Potrerillo de Santa Teresa biological station and part of Santa Teresa National Park north of Route 9.
Santa Teresa National Park
Santa Teresa National Park on Rocha's coast was created to frame the colonial Santa Teresa Fortress; its grounds hold more than two million planted trees from five continents, a greenhouse and native wetland and woodland wildlife.
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.
Observatorio Astronómico del CURE
Run by the University of the Republic's eastern campus (CURE), this small observatory in Rocha opened in 2016 and uses a 30 cm reflector telescope under a motorized dome for teaching, research and public outreach.
When you get to Maldonado
Cathedral of Maldonado
The Cathedral of Saint Ferdinand is Maldonado's main Roman Catholic church and has been a cathedral since 1966, when the Diocese of Maldonado-Punta del Este was founded.
Museum of the Sea
Opened in 1996 in La Barra, Maldonado, the Museum of the Sea is a natural history museum of about 2,300 square meters split into four large halls.
García Uriburu Collection Museum
García Uriburu Collection Museum (Museo Colección García Uriburu) is a museum collection in the city of Maldonado, Uruguay.
More drives to Maldonado
- Salto to Maldonado
- Buenos Aires to Maldonado, Uruguay
- Rosario, Argentina to Maldonado, Uruguay
- Santa Fe to Maldonado, Uruguay
- Paraná to Maldonado, Uruguay
- La Plata to Maldonado, Uruguay
More drives from Porto Alegre
- Porto Alegre to Bento Gonçalves
- Porto Alegre to Caxias do Sul
- Porto Alegre to Erechim
- Porto Alegre to Chapecó
- Porto Alegre to Santa Maria, Brazil
- Porto Alegre to Ponta Grossa
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Porto Alegre to Maldonado, Uruguay?
About 10 h 24 min of driving without stops, over 455 miles.
What is the driving distance from Porto Alegre to Maldonado, Uruguay?
About 455 miles (733 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.
Where does the Porto Alegre to Maldonado drive cross the border?
At about mile 324, from Brazil into Uruguay.
What do U.S. citizens need to drive from Porto Alegre into Uruguay?
No visa needed for visits of 90 days or less. Passport: must be valid for 6 months beyond your arrival date. You can drive on your U.S. license. (U.S. State Department, updated August 13, 2026.)
Is it safe to drive from Porto Alegre to Maldonado, Uruguay?
The U.S. State Department rates Brazil Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Uruguay Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution. Read the full advisory before you go.
What roads does the drive from Porto Alegre to Maldonado use?
In order: BR-116, BR-392 and BR-471. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between Porto Alegre and Maldonado?
Closest to the road: Parque Histórico General Bento Gonçalves (museum, mile 99, 0.4 mi from the route); Santa Teresa National Park (national park, mile 345, 0.1 mi from the route); Observatorio Astronómico del CURE (astronomical observatory, mile 406, 0.4 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.