The Wayro route from Rio Grande to Tubarão is 391 miles (629 km), about 8 h 28 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: “Driving on Brazil’s roads poses significant risks.”
| Total distance | 391 mi (629 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 8 h 28 min |
| Main roads, in order | BR-392 → BR-116 → BR-101 |
| States on the route | Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 15.6 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
How the Rio Grande to Tubarão drive plays out
BR-116 (154 mi) and BR-101 (137 mi) carry about 74% of the 391 miles. It runs through 2 states: Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina. Of the 9 stops listed below, 2 are within a mile of the road.
Rio Grande to Tubarão: the road sequence
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–7 | 7 | Rio Grande do Sul |
| BR-392 | 7–99 | 92 | Rio Grande do Sul |
| BR-116 | 99–253 | 154 | Rio Grande do Sul |
| BR-101 | 253–390 | 137 | Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina |
| local roads | 390–391 | 1 | Santa Catarina |
- Mile 309 of this route: Rio Grande do Sul → Santa Catarina (state line)
Places worth a stop between Rio Grande and Tubarão
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Parque Histórico General Bento Gonçalves (mile 99), Morro de Osório Protected Area (mile 252)
- Nature and outdoors: Jacuí Delta State Park (mile 188), Itapeva State Park (mile 304)
- Museums and history: Museu da Baronesa (mile 34), Museu de Arte Leopoldo Gotuzzo (mile 34), Parque Histórico General Bento Gonçalves (mile 99), Estância das Pedras Brancas (mile 180), Museu do Trabalho (mile 192), Museu de História da Medicina do Rio Grande do Sul (mile 193)
Museu da Baronesa
Opened in 1982 and run by the Pelotas city culture department, Museu da Baronesa occupies a building listed as municipal heritage in 1985.
Museu de Arte Leopoldo Gotuzzo
Opened in 1986 on Praça 7 de Julho, across from the Mercado Central in downtown Pelotas, this art museum is part of the Federal University of Pelotas arts center.
Parque Histórico General Bento Gonçalves
Created by state decree in 1972 and linked to Rio Grande do Sul's culture department, this historic park stands on the old Sesmaria do Cristal, land once granted to the father of Farroupilha leader Bento Gonçalves da Silva.
Estância das Pedras Brancas
Estância das Pedras Brancas is a historic ranch tied to the history of Rio Grande do Sul and the town of Guaíba. Its first owner was Antônio Ferreira Leitão.
Jacuí Delta State Park
Created in 1976, Jacuí Delta State Park (Parque Estadual Delta do Jacuí) protects the delta between Porto Alegre, Canoas, Eldorado do Sul and nearby towns, where fishers from Ilha da Pintada still practice traditional fishing.
Museu do Trabalho
Founded in 1982 on Rua dos Andradas in Porto Alegre, Museu do Trabalho is a private museum and cultural center with machines, photographs and documents on the lives of companies and workers.
Museu de História da Medicina do Rio Grande do Sul
In Porto Alegre, the Museu de História da Medicina do Rio Grande do Sul preserves documents, medical instruments and other objects tracing the practice and evolution of medicine in the state.
Morro de Osório Protected Area
Created in 1994, the Morro de Osório Environmental Protection Area is a municipal conservation unit of Osório, Rio Grande do Sul, originally covering about 6,896 acres.
Itapeva State Park
Itapeva State Park is a protected area managed at the state level in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, one of the parks in the state system.
When you get to Tubarão
Museu Willy Zumblick
In downtown Tubarão, Santa Catarina, the Museu Willy Zumblick keeps a permanent exhibition of part of the collection of local-born artist Willy Zumblick.
More drives to Tubarão
- Palhoça to Tubarão
- Camboriú to Tubarão
- Itajaí to Tubarão
- Blumenau to Tubarão
- Jaraguá do Sul to Tubarão
- Porto Alegre to Tubarão
From Rio Grande to other places in Brazil
- Rio Grande to Bagé
- Rio Grande to Santa Cruz do Sul
- Rio Grande to Santana do Livramento
- Rio Grande to Bento Gonçalves
- Rio Grande to Erechim
- Rio Grande to Lages
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Rio Grande to Tubarão?
About 8 h 28 min of driving without stops, over 391 miles.
What is the driving distance from Rio Grande to Tubarão?
About 391 miles (629 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 Grande to Tubarão 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 Grande to Tubarão use?
In order: BR-392, BR-116 and BR-101. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between Rio Grande and Tubarão?
Closest to the road: Museu de Arte Leopoldo Gotuzzo (museum, mile 34, 1 mi from the route); Parque Histórico General Bento Gonçalves (museum, mile 99, 0.5 mi from the route); Morro de Osório Protected Area (environmental protection area, mile 252, 0.8 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.