The Wayro route from Recife to Cumbuco is 517 miles (832 km), about 11 h 49 min of driving without 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: “Use caution when walking or driving at night.”
| Total distance | 517 mi (832 km) |
|---|---|
| Drive time without stops | 11 h 49 min |
| Main roads, in order | BR-232 → BR-408 → PE-090 → APE-088 → PE-088 → BR-104 → BR-230 → PB-233 → RN-118 → BR-427 → BR-226 → BR-110 → BR-304 → CE-040 → BR-020 → CE-090 |
| States on the route | Pernambuco, Paraíba, Rio Grande do Norte, Ceará |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 20.7 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
Driving Recife to Cumbuco: the shape of the trip
BR-230 (86 mi) and CE-040 (78 mi) carry about 32% of the 517 miles. It runs through 4 states: Pernambuco, Paraíba, Rio Grande do Norte, Ceará. Of the 9 stops listed below, 2 are within a mile of the road.
Roads you'll take from Recife to Cumbuco
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–2 | 2 | Pernambuco |
| BR-232 | 2–8 | 6 | Pernambuco |
| connecting roads | 8–9 | 1 | Pernambuco |
| BR-408 | 9–34 | 25 | Pernambuco |
| connecting roads | 34–36 | 2 | Pernambuco |
| PE-090 | 36–59 | 23 | Pernambuco |
| APE-088 | 59–63 | 4 | Pernambuco |
| PE-088 | 63–73 | 10 | Pernambuco, Paraíba |
| local roads | 73–102 | 29 | Paraíba |
| connecting roads | 102–104 | 2 | Paraíba |
| BR-104 | 104–116 | 12 | Paraíba |
| BR-230 | 116–202 | 86 | Paraíba |
| PB-233 | 202–214 | 12 | Paraíba |
| local roads | 214–230 | 16 | Rio Grande do Norte |
| RN-118 | 230–233 | 3 | Rio Grande do Norte |
| BR-427 | 233–239 | 6 | Rio Grande do Norte |
| RN-118 | 239–270 | 31 | Rio Grande do Norte |
| BR-226 | 270–298 | 28 | Rio Grande do Norte |
| BR-110 | 298–346 | 48 | Rio Grande do Norte |
| connecting roads | 346–347 | 1 | Rio Grande do Norte |
| BR-304 | 347–409 | 62 | Rio Grande do Norte, Ceará |
| CE-040 | 409–487 | 78 | Ceará |
| connecting roads | 487–488 | 1 | Ceará |
| BR-020 | 488–505 | 17 | Ceará |
| local roads | 505–509 | 4 | Ceará |
| connecting roads | 509–511 | 2 | Ceará |
| CE-090 | 511–517 | 6 | Ceará |
- Mile 72 of this route: Pernambuco → Paraíba (state line)
- Mile 214 of this route: Paraíba → Rio Grande do Norte (state line)
- Mile 375 of this route: Rio Grande do Norte → Ceará (state line)
Places worth a stop between Recife and Cumbuco
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Jardim Botânico do Recife (mile 7), Museu da Cachaça (mile 41)
- Nature and outdoors: Furna Feia National Park (mile 368), Praia de Majorlândia (mile 402), Canoa Quebrada (mile 404), Lagoon of Messejana (mile 492), Parque Botânico de Caucaia (mile 509)
- Museums and history: Jardim Botânico do Recife (mile 7), Oficina Brennand (mile 10), Museu da Cachaça (mile 41), St. Ann Cathedral, Caicó (mile 239)
Jardim Botânico do Recife
Recife's Botanical Garden runs environmental education with nature walks, a permanent Atlantic Forest exhibit, environmental films and visits to its medicinal and forest plant nurseries.
Oficina Brennand
Created by Pernambuco artist Francisco Brennand, the Oficina Brennand (Oficina Cerâmica Francisco Brennand) is an art museum in Recife whose buildings carry his name.
Museu da Cachaça
Museu da Cachaça is a museum located in the town of Lagoa do Carro, in the Brazilian state of Pernambuco.
St. Ann Cathedral, Caicó
Standing on Monsenhor Walfredo Gurgel Square in the center of Caicó, Rio Grande do Norte, St. Ann Cathedral is a Catholic church.
Furna Feia National Park
Furna Feia National Park in Rio Grande do Norte protects an extensive cave system.
Praia de Majorlândia
About 12 km from the center of Aracati and 6 km from neighboring Canoa Quebrada, Praia de Majorlândia is a beach on the Ceará coast, 170 km from Fortaleza.
Canoa Quebrada
About 164 km from Fortaleza in the municipality of Aracati, Canoa Quebrada is a fishing village and beach resort set among dunes and cliffs on Ceará's east coast.
Lagoon of Messejana
Lagoon of Messejana (Lagoa de Messejana) sits in the Messejana neighborhood of Fortaleza, Ceará, and is part of the Cocó River basin.
Parque Botânico de Caucaia
Covering 190 hectares in Caucaia, 15 km from Fortaleza, the Ceará State Botanical Park sits along highway CE-090, the road to Icaraí, Cumbuco and other beaches.
In Cumbuco itself
Cumbuco Beach
About 30 kilometers from Fortaleza in the municipality of Caucaia, Cumbuco Beach (Praia de Cumbuco) is considered Caucaia's main tourist destination and one of the most important in Ceará.
Icaraí beach
In the municipality of Caucaia, Ceará, Icaraí Beach stretches the length of the neighborhood of the same name, about 20 kilometers from central Fortaleza.
Tabuba Beach
Separated from Icaraí Beach by the Barra Nova River, Tabuba Beach is one of the longest beaches in Caucaia, about 18 kilometers from Fortaleza.
More drives to Cumbuco
- Parnamirim to Cumbuco
- Campina Grande to Cumbuco
- Olinda to Cumbuco
- Garanhuns to Cumbuco
- Paulo Afonso to Cumbuco
- Cabo de Santo Agostinho to Cumbuco
From Recife to other places in Brazil
- Recife to Aracaju
- Recife to Itabaiana
- Recife to Praia do Forte
- Recife to Santo Antônio de Jesus
- Recife to Campina Grande
- Recife to Pipa Beach
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Recife to Cumbuco?
About 11 h 49 min of driving without stops, over 517 miles.
What is the driving distance from Recife to Cumbuco?
About 517 miles (832 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 Recife to Cumbuco?
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 Recife to Cumbuco use?
In order: BR-232, BR-408, PE-090, APE-088, PE-088, BR-104, BR-230, PB-233, RN-118, BR-427, BR-226, BR-110, BR-304, CE-040, BR-020 and CE-090. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between Recife and Cumbuco?
Closest to the road: Jardim Botânico do Recife (museum, mile 7, 0.2 mi from the route); Museu da Cachaça (museum, mile 41, 0.6 mi from the route); Parque Botânico de Caucaia (state park, mile 509, 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.