Plan on about 7 h 23 min of driving for the 277-mile (445 km) trip from Rio das Ostras to Aracruz, before any 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: “Road maintenance is inadequate in many areas.”
| Distance | 277 mi (445 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 7 h 23 min |
| Main roads, in order | RJ-106 → BR-101 → RJ-228 → ES-257 |
| States on the route | Rio de Janeiro, Espírito Santo |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 11.1 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
How the Rio das Ostras to Aracruz drive plays out
BR-101 (193 mi) and RJ-228 (43 mi) carry about 85% of the 277 miles. It runs through 2 states: Rio de Janeiro, Espírito Santo. Of the 9 stops listed below, 1 are within a mile of the road.
Rio das Ostras to Aracruz: the road sequence
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–4 | 4 | Rio de Janeiro |
| RJ-106 | 4–12 | 8 | Rio de Janeiro |
| local roads | 12–25 | 13 | Rio de Janeiro |
| RJ-106 | 25–32 | 7 | Rio de Janeiro |
| BR-101 | 32–108 | 76 | Rio de Janeiro |
| RJ-228 | 108–151 | 43 | Rio de Janeiro, Espírito Santo |
| BR-101 | 151–268 | 117 | Espírito Santo |
| ES-257 | 268–276 | 8 | Espírito Santo |
| local roads | 276–277 | 1 | Espírito Santo |
- Mile 123 of this route: Rio de Janeiro → Espírito Santo (state line)
Stops between Rio das Ostras and Aracruz
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Casa da Cultura de Fundão (mile 258)
- Nature and outdoors: Serra das Torres Natural Monument (mile 137), Frade e a Freira Natural Monument (mile 159), Morro do Penedo Natural Monument (mile 226), Fonte Grande State Park (mile 229)
- Museums and history: Forte Marechal Hermes (mile 16), Serra das Torres Natural Monument (mile 137), Museu Histórico da Ilha das Caieiras (mile 231), Ruins of the Church of São José do Queimado (mile 240), Casa da Cultura de Fundão (mile 258)
Forte Marechal Hermes
Forte Marechal Hermes stands just south of the Macaé River mouth in Macaé, on the point of land between Imbetiba and Conchas beaches, facing the Sant'Anna archipelago.
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.
Fonte Grande State Park
Fonte Grande State Park is a state-protected park in the Brazilian state of Espírito Santo.
Museu Histórico da Ilha das Caieiras
On Ilha das Caieiras in Vitória, Espírito Santo, this history museum is named for Manoel Passos Lyrio; an expansion begun in 2022 adds a section devoted to local fishermen.
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.
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
- Itabira to Aracruz
- Teresópolis to Aracruz
From Rio das Ostras to other places in Brazil
- Rio das Ostras to Itaguaí
- Rio das Ostras to Barra do Piraí
- Rio das Ostras to Resende
- Rio das Ostras to Penedo
- Rio das Ostras to Fumaça
- Rio das Ostras to Historic Village of Mambucaba
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Rio das Ostras to Aracruz?
About 7 h 23 min of driving without stops, over 277 miles.
How far is Aracruz from Rio das Ostras by car?
About 277 miles (445 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 Rio das Ostras to Aracruz drive?
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 Rio das Ostras to Aracruz use?
In order: RJ-106, BR-101, RJ-228 and ES-257. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
Where can you stop on the way from Rio das Ostras to Aracruz?
Closest to the road: Frade e a Freira Natural Monument (protected area, mile 159, 1 mi from the route); Casa da Cultura de Fundão (museum, mile 258, 0.3 mi from the route); Buddha of Ibiraçu (statue, mile 265, 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.