Rosario, Argentina to Minas, Uruguay Road Trip: Border & Stops

By admin, 13 October, 2026

The Wayro route from Rosario, Argentina to Minas, Uruguay is 434 miles (698 km), about 9 h 29 min of driving without stops. You cross from Argentina into Uruguay at about mile 185, at the Gualeguaychú–Fray Bentos bridge.

U.S. State Department travel advisory: Argentina — Level 1, Exercise Normal Precautions; Uruguay — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution

Full advisory: Argentina, Uruguay. Advisory issued: Argentina July 10, 2026; Uruguay July 28, 2026; checked October 10, 2026.

On the roads, the State Department says:

  • Argentina: “Drivers should prepare in advance when taking long road trips and make sure to have adequate insurance coverage.”
  • Uruguay: “Several of the main highways are particularly accident-ridden.”
Balneario La FloridaAbadía del Niño DiosGualeguaychú CathedralFrigorífico Anglo del UruguayAlejandro Berro Paleontology MuseumCathedral of MercedesCathedral of San José de MayoTeatro PoliteamaIglesia de Cristo Obrero y Nuestra Señora de LourdesArgentina–Uruguay borderRosarioMinas
Route from Rosario to Minas with the 9 stops listed below (blue dots) and the approximate Argentina–Uruguay border crossing (red square).
Distance434 mi (698 km)
Time at the wheel, no stops9 h 29 min
Main roads, in orderRN174 → RP11 → RN12 → RP16 → RN136
Border crossingabout mile 185, Argentina → Uruguay (the Gualeguaychú–Fray Bentos bridge)
Regions on the routeSanta Fe, Entre Ríos, Río Negro, Soriano, Colonia, San José, Canelones, Lavalleja
Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg)about 17.3 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic
Stops listed below9

Border crossing: what to bring for Uruguay

The route crosses at about mile 185, at the Gualeguaychú–Fray Bentos bridge, from Entre Ríos into Río Negro. Plan on two checks on each side: immigration for your passport and customs for the car.

Entering Uruguay (U.S. citizens)No visa needed for visits of 90 days or less. Passport: must be valid for 6 months beyond your arrival date.
Driving in UruguayYou can drive on your U.S. license.
Entering Argentina (U.S. citizens)No visa needed for visits of 90 days or less. Passport: must be valid when you enter; leave a blank page for the entry and exit stamps.
Driving in ArgentinaA valid U.S. license usually works; an International Driving Permit is recommended.
Rental carCross only if the rental company authorizes it in writing and gives you the papers for the border; ask before you book.

Sources: U.S. State Department, Uruguay (updated August 13, 2026); U.S. State Department, Argentina (updated July 16, 2026). Checked October 10, 2026; rules change, so confirm before you go.

On the road from Rosario to Minas

RP11 (64 mi) and RP16 (41 mi) carry about 24% of the 434 miles. The first 185 miles are in Argentina; the last 249 are in Uruguay. It runs through 8 regions: Santa Fe, Entre Ríos, Río Negro, Soriano, Colonia, San José, Canelones, Lavalleja. Of the 9 stops listed below, 6 are within a mile of the road.

The route from Rosario to Minas, road by road

RoadRoute miles (from–to)Length, miRegion
local roads0–77Santa Fe
connecting roads7–81Santa Fe
RN1748–4537Santa Fe, Entre Ríos
RP1145–10964Entre Ríos
RN12109–1145Entre Ríos
RP16114–15541Entre Ríos
local roads155–1605Entre Ríos
connecting roads160–1633Entre Ríos
RN136163–18219Entre Ríos
connecting roads182–1853Entre Ríos
local roads185–28196Río Negro, Soriano
connecting roads281–2821Soriano
local roads282–31836Colonia, San José
connecting roads318–3213San José
local roads321–38867San José, Canelones
connecting roads388–3891Canelones
local roads389–43445Canelones, Lavalleja
  • Mile 11 of this route: Santa Fe → Entre Ríos (region line)
  • Mile 185 of this route: Entre Ríos → Río Negro (international border)
  • Mile 201 of this route: Río Negro → Soriano (region line)
  • Mile 282 of this route: Soriano → Colonia (region line)
  • Mile 300 of this route: Colonia → San José (region line)
  • Mile 343 of this route: San José → Canelones (region line)
  • Mile 409 of this route: Canelones → Lavalleja (region line)

Where to stop on the way to Minas

  • Right off the route (under 1 mile): Balneario La Florida (mile 6), Abadía del Niño Dios (mile 45), Gualeguaychú Cathedral (mile 161), Cathedral of Mercedes (mile 202), Cathedral of San José de Mayo (mile 319), Teatro Politeama (mile 353)
  • Nature and outdoors: Balneario La Florida (mile 6)
  • Museums and history: Gualeguaychú Cathedral (mile 161), Alejandro Berro Paleontology Museum (mile 199), Cathedral of Mercedes (mile 202), Cathedral of San José de Mayo (mile 319), Iglesia de Cristo Obrero y Nuestra Señora de Lourdes (mile 389)

Balneario La Florida

Mile 6 · Beach · 0.5 mi from the route

Rosario's municipal riverside beach area runs nearly 4 kilometers along the Paraná River, from the Rosario-Victoria Bridge to Parque Alem, and dates to around 1940.

Abadía del Niño Dios

Mile 45 · Monastery · 0.6 mi from the route

Abadía del Niño Dios is a Benedictine monastery in Victoria, Entre Ríos Province. Founded in 1899, it was the first Benedictine foundation in Hispanic America.

Gualeguaychú Cathedral

Mile 161 · Cathedral · 0.8 mi from the route

In Gualeguaychú, Argentina, the Roman Catholic diocese has its cathedral church at St. Joseph's, also known as Gualeguaychú Cathedral.

Frigorífico Anglo del Uruguay

Mile 184 · Industrial heritage site · 5 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Part of a UNESCO World Heritage landscape inscribed in 2015, the old Anglo meatpacking plant stands on the Uruguay River at Fray Bentos, where frozen meat shipments began in 1924.

Alejandro Berro Paleontology Museum

Mile 199 · Paleontological museum · 2 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

In a 19th-century building in Mercedes' Parque Castillo Mauá, this paleontology museum opened in 1946 around the collection of naturalist Alejandro Berro; a well-preserved glyptodon shell found on a nearby riverbank is a highlight.

Cathedral of Mercedes

Mile 202 · Cathedral · 0.7 mi from the route

Mercedes, Uruguay, centers its Catholic life on the Cathedral of Our Lady of Mercy, which became the seat of the local diocese in 1960.

Cathedral of San José de Mayo

Mile 319 · Cathedral · 0.9 mi from the route

The main Catholic church of San José de Mayo, the Cathedral Basilica of St. Joseph has been the diocesan seat since 1955, a minor basilica since 1957 and Uruguay's national shrine of Saint Joseph.

Teatro Politeama

Mile 353 · Theater · 0.2 mi from the route

Canelones' Teatro Politeama opened in 1921 and reopened in 2014 as the Complejo Cultural Politeama Teatro Atahualpa del Cioppo. Uruguay declared the theater a National Historic Monument in 2022.

Iglesia de Cristo Obrero y Nuestra Señora de Lourdes

Mile 389 · Church · 5 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

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.

In Minas itself

Teatro Lavalleja

Theater · in Minas

Teatro Lavalleja is a theater complex in the city of Minas, in the Lavalleja department of Uruguay.

Cathedral of Minas

Cathedral · in 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.

More drives to Minas

More drives from Rosario

Frequently asked questions

How long is the drive from Rosario, Argentina to Minas, Uruguay?

About 9 h 29 min of driving without stops, over 434 miles.

How far is Minas, Uruguay from Rosario, Argentina by car?

About 434 miles (698 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.

Where does the Rosario to Minas drive cross the border?

At about mile 185, from Argentina into Uruguay, at the Gualeguaychú–Fray Bentos bridge.

What do U.S. citizens need to drive from Rosario into Uruguay?

No visa needed for visits of 90 days or less. Passport: must be valid for 6 months beyond your arrival date. You can drive on your U.S. license. (U.S. State Department, updated August 13, 2026.)

Is it safe to drive from Rosario, Argentina to Minas, Uruguay?

The U.S. State Department rates Argentina Level 1: Exercise Normal Precautions; Uruguay Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution. Read the full advisory before you go.

What roads does the drive from Rosario to Minas use?

In order: RN174, RP11, RN12, RP16 and RN136. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.

What are good stops between Rosario and Minas?

Closest to the road: Balneario La Florida (beach, mile 6, 0.5 mi from the route); Abadía del Niño Dios (monastery, mile 45, 0.6 mi from the route); Teatro Politeama (theater, mile 353, 0.2 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.