The Wayro route from Rio das Ostras to Caraguatatuba is 357 miles (575 km), about 8 h 2 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 | 357 mi (575 km) |
|---|---|
| Drive time without stops | 8 h 2 min |
| Main roads, in order | RJ-162 → BR-101 → BR-040 → BR-116 → SPI 117/070 → SP-099 |
| States on the route | Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 14.3 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
Driving Rio das Ostras to Caraguatatuba: the shape of the trip
BR-116 (176 mi) and BR-101 (90 mi) carry about 75% of the 357 miles. It runs through 2 states: Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo. Of the 9 stops listed below, 3 are within a mile of the road.
Road-by-road breakdown: Rio das Ostras to Caraguatatuba
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–2 | 2 | |
| RJ-162 | 2–11 | 9 | Rio de Janeiro |
| BR-101 | 11–101 | 90 | Rio de Janeiro |
| BR-040 | 101–110 | 9 | Rio de Janeiro |
| connecting roads | 110–112 | 2 | Rio de Janeiro |
| BR-116 | 112–288 | 176 | Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo |
| connecting roads | 288–289 | 1 | São Paulo |
| SPI 117/070 | 289–310 | 21 | São Paulo |
| SP-099 | 310–355 | 45 | São Paulo |
| local roads | 355–357 | 2 | São Paulo |
- Mile 216 of this route: Rio de Janeiro → São Paulo (state line)
What to see on the way from Rio das Ostras to Caraguatatuba
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Metropolitan Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, Niterói (mile 93), Itatiaia National Park (mile 206), Museu Histórico Pedagógico Conselheiro Rodrigues Alves (mile 256)
- Nature and outdoors: Serra do Barbosão Municipal Nature Park (mile 64), Itatiaia National Park (mile 206)
- Museums and history: Metropolitan Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, Niterói (mile 93), Janete Costa Museum (mile 93), Old Cathedral of Rio de Janeiro (mile 97), Naval Museum (mile 97), Museus Castro Maya (mile 101), Museu Histórico Pedagógico Conselheiro Rodrigues Alves (mile 256), Museu Monteiro Lobato (mile 284)
Serra do Barbosão Municipal Nature Park
Serra do Barbosão Municipal Nature Park is a protected area in Rio de Janeiro state, set aside by the municipality to safeguard a stretch of Atlantic Forest.
Metropolitan Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, Niterói
Built in a late colonial style, the Metropolitan Cathedral of St. John the Baptist (Niterói Cathedral) is the Catholic cathedral of Niterói, in Rio de Janeiro state.
Janete Costa Museum
The Janete Costa Museum of Popular Art occupies an 1892 mansion in Niterói's Ingá neighborhood, with about 1,400 square meters including its annex.
Old Cathedral of Rio de Janeiro
Dedicated to Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Rio's Old Cathedral is a Carmelite church that served as cathedral from around 1808 to 1976 and as Royal and then Imperial Chapel.
Naval Museum
Dedicated to preserving Brazil's naval history, the Naval Museum (Museu Naval) is in the center of Rio de Janeiro.
Museus Castro Maya
The Museus Castro Maya are two federal public museums in Rio de Janeiro: Museu do Açude beside the Tijuca Forest and Museu da Chácara do Céu in Santa Teresa, both showing the art collection of Raymundo Ottoni de Castro Maya.
Itatiaia National Park
Straddling the line between Rio de Janeiro and Minas Gerais states, Itatiaia National Park dates to 1937, when it became the first national park Brazil ever created.
Museu Histórico Pedagógico Conselheiro Rodrigues Alves
Francisco de Paula Rodrigues Alves, who lived in Guaratinguetá and served as Brazil's president from 1902 to 1906, is honored at the town's history museum.
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.
Arriving in Caraguatatuba
Prainha (Caraguatatuba)
Prainha is a beach in Caraguatatuba between Martim de Sá and Pedra da Freira; a trail along the hillside leads to the Pedra do Jacaré rock.
Martim de Sá Beach
About 2.5 km from downtown Caraguatatuba, Martim de Sá Beach sits between Prainha to the south and Praia Brava to the north.
Brava Beach (Caraguatatuba)
Close to Martim de Sá in Caraguatatuba, Praia Brava sees few visitors because of its isolated access, and nudism is permitted on the beach.
More drives to Caraguatatuba
- Pindamonhangaba to Caraguatatuba
- Guarujá to Caraguatatuba
- São Paulo to Caraguatatuba
- Jundiaí to Caraguatatuba
- Sorocaba to Caraguatatuba
- Itu to Caraguatatuba
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 does it take to drive from Rio das Ostras to Caraguatatuba?
About 8 h 2 min of driving without stops, over 357 miles.
What is the driving distance from Rio das Ostras to Caraguatatuba?
About 357 miles (575 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 Caraguatatuba 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 Caraguatatuba use?
In order: RJ-162, BR-101, BR-040, BR-116, SPI 117/070 and SP-099. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between Rio das Ostras and Caraguatatuba?
Closest to the road: Metropolitan Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, Niterói (cathedral, mile 93, 1 mi from the route); Itatiaia National Park (national park, mile 206, 0.2 mi from the route); Museu Histórico Pedagógico Conselheiro Rodrigues Alves (museum, mile 256, 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.