By road, Rivera and Minas are about 324 miles (522 km) apart, or roughly 7 h 12 min of driving.
Full advisory: Uruguay. Advisory issued: Uruguay July 28, 2026; checked October 10, 2026.
On the roads, the State Department says:
- Uruguay: “Illumination, pavement markings, and road surfaces for secondary roads can be poor.”
| Distance by road | 324 mi (522 km) |
|---|---|
| Time at the wheel, no stops | 7 h 12 min |
| Departments on the route | Rivera, Tacuarembó, Durazno, Florida, Canelones, Lavalleja |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 13.0 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 6 |
Driving Rivera to Minas: the shape of the trip
It runs through 6 departments: Rivera, Tacuarembó, Durazno, Florida, Canelones, Lavalleja. Of the 6 stops listed below, 5 are within a mile of the road.
Roads you'll take from Rivera to Minas
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | Department |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–324 | 324 | Rivera, Tacuarembó, Durazno, Florida, Canelones, Lavalleja |
- Mile 49 of this route: Rivera → Tacuarembó (department line)
- Mile 158 of this route: Tacuarembó → Durazno (department line)
- Mile 207 of this route: Durazno → Florida (department line)
- Mile 275 of this route: Florida → Canelones (department line)
- Mile 301 of this route: Canelones → Lavalleja (department line)
Places worth a stop between Rivera and Minas
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Zoológico Municipal Dr. Mauricio López Lomba (mile 67), Museo del Indio y del Gaucho Washington Escobar (mile 69), Casa de Rivera, Durazno (mile 198), Cathedral of Florida (mile 252), Piedra Alta (mile 253)
- Nature and outdoors: Chorro de Agua Fría (mile 94)
- Museums and history: Museo del Indio y del Gaucho Washington Escobar (mile 69), Casa de Rivera, Durazno (mile 198), Cathedral of Florida (mile 252), Piedra Alta (mile 253)
- With kids: Zoológico Municipal Dr. Mauricio López Lomba (mile 67)
Zoológico Municipal Dr. Mauricio López Lomba
Reachable from Route 5 at kilometer 390, the Mauricio López Lomba reserve is a wildlife reserve in the city of Tacuarembó, Uruguay.
Museo del Indio y del Gaucho Washington Escobar
The Museo del Indio y del Gaucho, a museum of the Indigenous people and the gaucho, is located in the city of Tacuarembó, Uruguay.
Chorro de Agua Fría
In Uruguay's Tacuarembó Department, Chorro de Agua Fría is a waterfall that drops roughly 14 meters, the highest uninterrupted fall in the country.
Casa de Rivera, Durazno
Facing Plaza Independencia in Durazno, the Casa de Fructuoso Rivera (Casa de Rivera) is one of the town's main heritage sites and now houses the department's historical museum.
Cathedral of Florida
Florida's cathedral basilica is also Uruguay's national shrine of the Virgin of the Thirty-Three, the country's patroness, and keeps the original image; look for its bronze door by sculptor José Belloni and his son Stelio, stained glass and domes.
Piedra Alta
On the banks of the Santa Lucía Chico River outside the city of Florida, Piedra Alta is a rock formation of historic importance that appears on the department's coat of arms and flag.
Arriving in Minas
Cathedral of Minas
Minas's main Catholic church, the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception served as the seat of the Diocese of Minas from 1960 to 2020.
Teatro Lavalleja
Teatro Lavalleja is a theater complex in the city of Minas, in the Lavalleja department of Uruguay.
More drives to Minas
- Tacuarembó to Minas
- Salto to Minas
- Artigas to Minas
- Montevideo to Minas
- Melo to Minas
- Buenos Aires to Minas, Uruguay
From Rivera to other places in Uruguay
- Rivera to Paysandú
- Rivera to Mercedes, Uruguay
- Rivera to Carmelo
- Rivera to Colonia del Sacramento
- Rivera to Nueva Helvecia
- Rivera to Veinticinco de Agosto
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to drive from Rivera to Minas?
About 7 h 12 min of driving without stops, over 324 miles.
How far is Minas from Rivera by car?
About 324 miles (522 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 Rivera to Minas?
The U.S. State Department rates Uruguay Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution. Read the full advisory before you go.
Where can you stop on the way from Rivera to Minas?
Closest to the road: Zoológico Municipal Dr. Mauricio López Lomba (zoo, mile 67, 0.1 mi from the route); Casa de Rivera, Durazno (historic house museum, mile 198, 0.3 mi from the route); Piedra Alta (historic site, mile 253, 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.