By road, Praia Grande and Nova Friburgo are about 380 miles (611 km) apart, or roughly 8 h 13 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 | 380 mi (611 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 8 h 13 min |
| Main roads, in order | SP-160 → SP-021 → SP-070 → SP-060 → BR-116 → BR-493 → RJ-116 |
| States on the route | São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 15.2 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
What the drive from Praia Grande to Nova Friburgo is like
SP-060 (103 mi) and BR-116 (73 mi) carry about 46% of the 380 miles. It runs through 2 states: São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro. Of the 9 stops listed below, 3 are within a mile of the road.
Which roads connect Praia Grande and Nova Friburgo
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–2 | 2 | São Paulo |
| SP-160 | 2–29 | 27 | São Paulo |
| connecting roads | 29–30 | 1 | São Paulo |
| SP-021 | 30–62 | 32 | São Paulo |
| connecting roads | 62–63 | 1 | São Paulo |
| SP-070 | 63–119 | 56 | São Paulo |
| connecting roads | 119–122 | 3 | São Paulo |
| SP-060 | 122–225 | 103 | São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro |
| BR-116 | 225–274 | 49 | Rio de Janeiro |
| connecting roads | 274–275 | 1 | Rio de Janeiro |
| BR-493 | 275–304 | 29 | Rio de Janeiro |
| BR-116 | 304–328 | 24 | Rio de Janeiro |
| local roads | 328–350 | 22 | Rio de Janeiro |
| RJ-116 | 350–379 | 29 | Rio de Janeiro |
| local roads | 379–380 | 1 | Rio de Janeiro |
- Mile 194 of this route: São Paulo → Rio de Janeiro (state line)
Breaking up the drive: stops between Praia Grande and Nova Friburgo
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Basilica of Our Lady of Aparecida (mile 150), Itatiaia National Park (mile 204), Três Picos State Park (mile 360)
- Nature and outdoors: Serra do Mar State Park (mile 18), Itatiaia National Park (mile 204), Taquara Municipal Nature Park (mile 309), Serra dos Órgãos National Park (mile 328), Três Picos State Park (mile 360)
- Museums and history: Museu Barão de Mauá (mile 43), Museu Monteiro Lobato (mile 126), Basilica of Our Lady of Aparecida (mile 150), Valongo Wharf (mile 306)
Serra do Mar State Park
Covering 778,381 acres of the Serra do Mar mountain range in São Paulo state, this state park protects a vast expanse of continuous Atlantic Forest.
Museu Barão de Mauá
Mauá's history museum keeps photographs, objects and documents on the city's past and serves as its main center for historical research.
Museu Monteiro Lobato
Founded in 1958 on the grounds known as the Sítio do Picapau Amarelo, Taubaté's Museu Monteiro Lobato honors the children's author with exhibitions, a historic main house, green areas and plays featuring characters from his stories.
Basilica of Our Lady of Aparecida
Brazil's National Shrine in Aparecida houses the image of Our Lady Aparecida that fishermen pulled from the Paraíba do Sul River in 1717. Work on the current basilica began in 1955, and Pope John Paul II consecrated it in 1980.
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.
Valongo Wharf
Built in 1811 in Rio's old port, the Valongo Wharf was where up to 900,000 enslaved Africans landed. A UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2017, its excavated stone paving is left open to view.
Taquara Municipal Nature Park
Taquara Municipal Nature Park is a municipal nature park in Rio de Janeiro state that protects an area of Atlantic Forest.
Serra dos Órgãos National Park
Serra dos Órgãos National Park protects the Serra dos Órgãos range between Petrópolis and Teresópolis, where a roughly 28 km traverse climbs past the Castelos do Açu to Pedra do Sino at 2,263 meters.
Três Picos State Park
Três Picos State Park protects a large mountainous area of Atlantic Forest in Rio de Janeiro state.
More drives to Nova Friburgo
- Niterói to Nova Friburgo
- Petrópolis to Nova Friburgo
- Jacareí to Nova Friburgo
- São Paulo to Nova Friburgo
- Jundiaí to Nova Friburgo
- Santos to Nova Friburgo
From Praia Grande to other places in Brazil
- Praia Grande to Paranapiacaba
- Praia Grande to Bragança Paulista
- Praia Grande to Itu
- Praia Grande to Limeira
- Praia Grande to Mogi Guaçu
- Praia Grande to Botucatu
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to drive from Praia Grande to Nova Friburgo?
About 8 h 13 min of driving without stops, over 380 miles.
How far is Nova Friburgo from Praia Grande by car?
About 380 miles (611 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 Praia Grande to Nova Friburgo?
The U.S. State Department rates Brazil Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution. Read the full advisory before you go.
Which highways go from Praia Grande to Nova Friburgo?
In order: SP-160, SP-021, SP-070, SP-060, BR-116, BR-493 and RJ-116. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between Praia Grande and Nova Friburgo?
Closest to the road: Basilica of Our Lady of Aparecida (basilica, mile 150, 0.4 mi from the route); Itatiaia National Park (national park, mile 204, 0.2 mi from the route); Três Picos State Park (state park, mile 360, 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.