By road, Praia Grande and Varginha are about 241 miles (388 km) apart, or roughly 5 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: “Drivers must have their daytime running lights on during the day and headlights on at night on Federal Highways.”
| Total distance | 241 mi (388 km) |
|---|---|
| Time at the wheel, no stops | 5 h 13 min |
| Main roads, in order | SP-160 → SP-010 → SP-008 → BR-491 |
| States on the route | São Paulo, Minas Gerais |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 9.7 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 8 |
The Praia Grande–Varginha drive in a few lines
SP-008 (153 mi) and SP-160 (38 mi) carry about 79% of the 241 miles. It runs through 2 states: São Paulo, Minas Gerais. Of the 8 stops listed below, 1 are within a mile of the road.
Road-by-road breakdown: Praia Grande to Varginha
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–2 | 2 | São Paulo |
| SP-160 | 2–40 | 38 | São Paulo |
| local roads | 40–50 | 10 | São Paulo |
| connecting roads | 50–53 | 3 | São Paulo |
| SP-010 | 53–74 | 21 | São Paulo |
| SP-008 | 74–227 | 153 | São Paulo, Minas Gerais |
| BR-491 | 227–237 | 10 | Minas Gerais |
| local roads | 237–241 | 4 | Minas Gerais |
- Mile 110 of this route: São Paulo → Minas Gerais (state line)
Places worth a stop between Praia Grande and Varginha
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Botanical Garden of São Paulo (mile 40)
- Nature and outdoors: Botanical Garden of São Paulo (mile 40), Albert Löfgren State Park (mile 55), Monumento Natural Estadual da Pedra Grande (mile 81)
- Museums and history: Botanical Garden of São Paulo (mile 40), Historical Museum of São Caetano do Sul (mile 43), Catedral de São Nicolau (mile 45), Museum of Sacred Art of São Paulo (mile 50), Palácio das Indústrias (mile 50), Monumento Natural Estadual da Pedra Grande (mile 81)
- With kids: Cidade da Criança (mile 35)
Cidade da Criança
Opened on October 10, 1968, Cidade da Criança in São Bernardo do Campo was the first theme park in Brazil and Latin America and sits behind the former Vera Cruz Film Studios.
Botanical Garden of São Paulo
Next to the São Paulo Zoo, the Botanical Garden of São Paulo spans 406 acres inside Fontes do Ipiranga State Park, in the Água Funda district of the city's South Zone.
Historical Museum of São Caetano do Sul
Run by the Fundação Pró-Memória, the Historical Museum of São Caetano do Sul (Museu Histórico Municipal) is the city's municipal history museum, set in São Caetano do Sul.
Catedral de São Nicolau
This São Paulo church, the Catedral de São Nicolau, belongs to the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia and once served as the seat of the former Diocese of São Paulo and Brazil.
Museum of Sacred Art of São Paulo
In the left wing of the Luz Monastery, founded in 1774 by Frei Galvão, the Museum of Sacred Art of São Paulo collects and displays Brazilian sacred art.
Palácio das Indústrias
Designed for industrial exhibitions, the Palácio das Indústrias is a protected Eclectic-style building in Parque Dom Pedro II, the work of Domiziano Rossi with Ramos de Azevedo and Ricardo Severo.
Albert Löfgren State Park
Better known as the São Paulo Forest Gardens, Albert Löfgren State Park is a state-run park in the state of São Paulo, Brazil.
Monumento Natural Estadual da Pedra Grande
Hang gliders and paragliders launch from Pedra Grande, and a trail leads to views over nearby towns. At about 1,400 meters, it's the highest point in Atibaia.
In Varginha itself
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.
More drives to Varginha
- Belo Horizonte to Varginha
- Conselheiro Lafaiete to Varginha
- Ribeirão Preto to Varginha
- Sete Lagoas to Varginha
- Mogi das Cruzes to Varginha
- Araraquara to Varginha
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 is the drive from Praia Grande to Varginha?
About 5 h 13 min of driving without stops, over 241 miles.
How far is Varginha from Praia Grande by car?
About 241 miles (388 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 Varginha?
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 Praia Grande to Varginha use?
In order: SP-160, SP-010, SP-008 and BR-491. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between Praia Grande and Varginha?
Closest to the road: Botanical Garden of São Paulo (museum, mile 40, 0.6 mi from the route); Historical Museum of São Caetano do Sul (museum, mile 43, 1 mi from the route); Catedral de São Nicolau (cathedral, mile 45, 3 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.