The Wayro route from Rivera to Rocha is 418 miles (672 km), about 8 h 43 min of driving without stops.
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 | 418 mi (672 km) |
|---|---|
| Drive time without stops | 8 h 43 min |
| Main roads, in order | I-B |
| Departments on the route | Rivera, Tacuarembó, Durazno, Florida, Canelones, Maldonado, Rocha |
| 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 Rivera to Rocha is like
I-B (5 mi) carries about 1% of the 418 miles. It runs through 7 departments: Rivera, Tacuarembó, Durazno, Florida, Canelones, Maldonado, Rocha. Of the 9 stops listed below, 5 are within a mile of the road.
Which roads connect Rivera and Rocha
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | Department |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–347 | 347 | Rivera, Tacuarembó, Durazno, Florida, Canelones, Maldonado |
| I-B | 347–352 | 5 | Maldonado |
| connecting roads | 352–353 | 1 | Maldonado |
| local roads | 353–418 | 65 | Maldonado, Rocha |
- 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 273 of this route: Florida → Canelones (department line)
- Mile 342 of this route: Canelones → Maldonado (department line)
- Mile 399 of this route: Maldonado → Rocha (department line)
Breaking up the drive: stops between Rivera and Rocha
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Zoológico Municipal Dr. Mauricio López Lomba (mile 67), Museo de Geociencias (mile 69), Casa de Rivera, Durazno (mile 198), Museo Histórico Departamental de Florida (mile 252), Cathedral of Florida (mile 252)
- Nature and outdoors: Chorro de Agua Fría (mile 94), Cerro Pan de Azúcar Native Wildlife Breeding Station (mile 353), Laguna José Ignacio (mile 386)
- Museums and history: Museo de Geociencias (mile 69), Casa de Rivera, Durazno (mile 198), Museo Histórico Departamental de Florida (mile 252), Cathedral of Florida (mile 252), Iglesia de Cristo Obrero y Nuestra Señora de Lourdes (mile 319)
- 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 de Geociencias
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.
Museo Histórico Departamental de Florida
This history museum is located in the central part of Florida, capital of the Uruguayan department of the same name, on Rivera street.
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.
Iglesia de Cristo Obrero y Nuestra Señora de Lourdes
Since 2021, UNESCO has counted Eladio Dieste's Church of Christ the Worker among its World Heritage Sites. The engineer's brick church in Estación Atlántida was inaugurated in 1960 and is known for its undulating walls and roof.
Cerro Pan de Azúcar Native Wildlife Breeding Station
Near Piriápolis in Maldonado, this breeding station for native wildlife on Cerro Pan de Azúcar is surrounded by native vegetation and offers guided visits, including a native wildlife trail and a path up the hill.
Laguna José Ignacio
In Uruguay's Maldonado Department, Laguna José Ignacio is a coastal lagoon kept apart from the Atlantic Ocean by a sandbank.
In Rocha itself
Teatro 25 de Mayo
Rocha's Teatro 25 de Mayo opened in 1910 as an Italian-style theater in the eclectic style, with room for about 400 people. Now a cultural complex, it is a stop on the city's self-guided heritage walk.
Observatorio Astronómico del CURE
Run by the University of the Republic's eastern campus (CURE), this small observatory in Rocha opened in 2016 and uses a 30 cm reflector telescope under a motorized dome for teaching, research and public outreach.
More drives to Rocha
- Montevideo to Rocha
- Tacuarembó to Rocha
- Salto to Rocha
- Buenos Aires to Rocha, Uruguay
- Rosario, Argentina to Rocha, Uruguay
- Santa Fe to Rocha, 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 is the drive from Rivera to Rocha?
About 8 h 43 min of driving without stops, over 418 miles.
How far is Rocha from Rivera by car?
About 418 miles (672 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 Rocha?
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 Rocha?
Closest to the road: Zoológico Municipal Dr. Mauricio López Lomba (zoo, mile 67, 0.1 mi from the route); Museo de Geociencias (museum, mile 69, 0.7 mi from the route); Casa de Rivera, Durazno (historic house museum, mile 198, 0.3 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.