Resende to Aracruz is about 418 road miles (673 km): roughly 11 h 21 min at the wheel if you don't stop.
- 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 | 418 mi (673 km) |
|---|---|
| Time at the wheel, no stops | 11 h 21 min |
| Main roads, in order | BR-116 → BR-393 → CMG-393 → RJ-186 → ES-297 → BR-101 → ES-257 |
| States on the route | Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais, Espírito Santo |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 16.7 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
What the drive from Resende to Aracruz is like
BR-101 (144 mi) and BR-393 (77 mi) carry about 53% of the 418 miles. It runs through 3 states: Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais, Espírito Santo. Of the 9 stops listed below, 3 are within a mile of the road.
Road-by-road breakdown: Resende to Aracruz
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–2 | 2 | Rio de Janeiro |
| BR-116 | 2–21 | 19 | Rio de Janeiro |
| connecting roads | 21–22 | 1 | Rio de Janeiro |
| local roads | 22–27 | 5 | Rio de Janeiro |
| BR-393 | 27–98 | 71 | Rio de Janeiro |
| local roads | 98–103 | 5 | Rio de Janeiro |
| connecting roads | 103–104 | 1 | Rio de Janeiro |
| BR-393 | 104–110 | 6 | Rio de Janeiro |
| local roads | 110–144 | 34 | Rio de Janeiro |
| connecting roads | 144–145 | 1 | Minas Gerais |
| CMG-393 | 145–173 | 28 | Minas Gerais |
| RJ-186 | 173–237 | 64 | Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro |
| ES-297 | 237–265 | 28 | Rio de Janeiro, Espírito Santo |
| BR-101 | 265–409 | 144 | Espírito Santo |
| ES-257 | 409–417 | 8 | Espírito Santo |
| local roads | 417–418 | 1 | Espírito Santo |
- Mile 144 of this route: Rio de Janeiro → Minas Gerais (state line)
- Mile 178 of this route: Minas Gerais → Rio de Janeiro (state line)
- Mile 262 of this route: Rio de Janeiro → Espírito Santo (state line)
Stops between Resende and Aracruz
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Santana Cathedral (mile 48), Museu da Polícia Militar do Espírito Santo (mile 368), Casa da Cultura de Fundão (mile 400)
- Nature and outdoors: Serra das Torres Natural Monument (mile 278), Frade e a Freira Natural Monument (mile 301), Morro do Penedo Natural Monument (mile 368)
- Museums and history: Santana Cathedral (mile 48), Serra das Torres Natural Monument (mile 278), Museu da Polícia Militar do Espírito Santo (mile 368), Ruins of the Church of São José do Queimado (mile 381), Serra Historical Museum (mile 383), Casa da Cultura de Fundão (mile 400)
Santana Cathedral
Dedicated to St. Anne, this cathedral in Barra do Piraí is the seat of the Diocese of Barra do Piraí–Volta Redonda; Emperor Pedro II attended the laying of its cornerstone during a visit to the parish.
Serra das Torres Natural Monument
Covering about 10,459 hectares of Atlantic Forest in Atílio Vivácqua, Mimoso do Sul and Muqui, the Serra das Torres Natural Monument was created in 2010 to protect the peaks of a mountain range in southern Espírito Santo.
Frade e a Freira Natural Monument
Created by state decree in 2007, the Frade e a Freira Natural Monument is a state-run protected area in Espírito Santo spanning parts of Itapemirim, Cachoeiro de Itapemirim and Vargem Alta.
Morro do Penedo Natural Monument
Morro do Penedo Natural Monument protects a small sugarloaf-shaped hill on the shore of the bay south of Vitória, the capital of Espírito Santo state.
Museu da Polícia Militar do Espírito Santo
In Cariacica, the Espírito Santo Military Police Museum holds more than 600 objects and 900 photographs on the force's history, in a building that closely resembles the state's first barracks, Quartel do Moscoso.
Ruins of the Church of São José do Queimado
In the Queimado district of Serra, Espírito Santo, these church ruins stand as a historic reminder of the Queimado Insurrection, an 1849 slave uprising.
Serra Historical Museum
Founded in 2007, the Serra Historical Museum (Museu Histórico da Serra) in the municipality of Serra, Espírito Santo, keeps a collection of documents, period objects and other historical items.
Casa da Cultura de Fundão
Once the Agostini family residence, this two-story house in Fundão is protected as cultural heritage by Espírito Santo state and now works as a museum.
Buddha of Ibiraçu
Beside the BR-101 highway in Ibiraçu, a 35-meter Buddha statue rises at the Morro da Vargem Zen monastery. The giant figure, part of the monastery grounds, was officially inaugurated in August 2021.
More drives to Aracruz
- Cariacica to Aracruz
- Vitória to Aracruz
- Guarapari to Aracruz
- Itaperuna to Aracruz
- Rio das Ostras to Aracruz
- Itabira to Aracruz
From Resende to other places in Brazil
- Resende to Paranapiacaba
- Resende to Cubatão
- Resende to Itanhaém
- Resende to Tatuí
- Resende to Jaú
- Resende to Araxá
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to drive from Resende to Aracruz?
About 11 h 21 min of driving without stops, over 418 miles.
How far is Aracruz from Resende by car?
About 418 miles (673 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.
What does the U.S. travel advisory say about the Resende to Aracruz drive?
The U.S. State Department rates Brazil Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution. Read the full advisory before you go.
Which highways go from Resende to Aracruz?
In order: BR-116, BR-393, CMG-393, RJ-186, ES-297, BR-101 and ES-257. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between Resende and Aracruz?
Closest to the road: Santana Cathedral (cathedral, mile 48, 0.7 mi from the route); Museu da Polícia Militar do Espírito Santo (police museum, mile 368, 0.1 mi from the route); Casa da Cultura de Fundão (museum, mile 400, 0.2 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.