Salto to Maldonado is about 367 road miles (590 km): roughly 7 h 34 min at the wheel if you don't stop.
Full advisory: Uruguay. Advisory issued: Uruguay July 28, 2026; checked October 10, 2026.
On the roads, the State Department says:
- Uruguay: “Traffic fatalities are high in Uruguay.”
| Total distance | 367 mi (590 km) |
|---|---|
| Drive time without stops | 7 h 34 min |
| Main roads, in order | I-B |
| Departments on the route | Salto, Paysandú, Río Negro, Flores, San José, Canelones, Maldonado |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 14.7 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 7 |
How the Salto to Maldonado drive plays out
I-B (21 mi) carries about 6% of the 367 miles. It runs through 7 departments: Salto, Paysandú, Río Negro, Flores, San José, Canelones, Maldonado. Of the 7 stops listed below, 2 are within a mile of the road.
Road-by-road breakdown: Salto to Maldonado
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | Department |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–339 | 339 | Salto, Paysandú, Río Negro, Flores, San José, Canelones, Maldonado |
| I-B | 339–360 | 21 | Maldonado |
| local roads | 360–367 | 7 | Maldonado |
- Mile 8 of this route: Salto → Paysandú (department line)
- Mile 99 of this route: Paysandú → Río Negro (department line)
- Mile 154 of this route: Río Negro → Flores (department line)
- Mile 215 of this route: Flores → San José (department line)
- Mile 265 of this route: San José → Canelones (department line)
- Mile 334 of this route: Canelones → Maldonado (department line)
Breaking up the drive: stops between Salto and Maldonado
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Termas del Guaviyú (mile 35), Reserva de Flora y fauna Dr. Rodolfo Tálice (mile 183)
- Nature and outdoors: Termas del Guaviyú (mile 35), Reserva de Flora y fauna Dr. Rodolfo Tálice (mile 183), Laguna del Cisne (mile 311), Cerro Pan de Azúcar Native Wildlife Breeding Station (mile 347)
- Museums and history: Nuestra Señora del Rosario y San Benito de Palermo, Paysandú (mile 73), Cathedral of San José de Mayo (mile 245), Iglesia de Cristo Obrero y Nuestra Señora de Lourdes (mile 311)
Termas del Guaviyú
Next to Guaviyú Creek at kilometer 432 of Route 3 in Paysandú department, Termas del Guaviyú is a hot spring complex in northwestern Uruguay.
Nuestra Señora del Rosario y San Benito de Palermo, Paysandú
Paysandú's Catholic parish church of Our Lady of the Rosary and St. Benedict of Palermo was named a minor basilica in 1949 and remains an active parish of the city.
Reserva de Flora y fauna Dr. Rodolfo Tálice
Off Route 3 near Trinidad, the Dr. Rodolfo Tálice Ecopark (Reserva de Flora y Fauna Dr. Rodolfo Talice) is a fenced wildlife reserve where axis deer, greater rheas and pampas deer roam free alongside other species.
Cathedral of San José de Mayo
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.
Laguna del Cisne
Near Salinas in Canelones, Laguna del Cisne is a subtropical lagoon of about 1.8 km², fed by a watershed of some 50 km², that has supplied drinking water to the Costa de Oro area since 1970.
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.
Arriving in Maldonado
Laguna del Diario
Close to Maldonado and Punta del Este, Laguna del Diario is a lagoon where the first settlement of Maldonado was built in 1755, before the town moved to its present site in 1757.
Cathedral of Maldonado
The Cathedral of Saint Ferdinand is Maldonado's main Roman Catholic church and has been a cathedral since 1966, when the Diocese of Maldonado-Punta del Este was founded.
García Uriburu Collection Museum
García Uriburu Collection Museum (Museo Colección García Uriburu) is a museum collection in the city of Maldonado, Uruguay.
More drives to Maldonado
- Buenos Aires to Maldonado, Uruguay
- Rosario, Argentina to Maldonado, Uruguay
- Santa Fe to Maldonado, Uruguay
- Paraná to Maldonado, Uruguay
- La Plata to Maldonado, Uruguay
- Concordia to Maldonado, Uruguay
From Salto to other places in Uruguay
- Salto to Mercedes, Uruguay
- Salto to Carmelo
- Salto to Colonia del Sacramento
- Salto to Nueva Helvecia
- Salto to Veinticinco de Agosto
- Salto to Fray Marcos
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Salto to Maldonado?
About 7 h 34 min of driving without stops, over 367 miles.
How far is Maldonado from Salto by car?
About 367 miles (590 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 Salto to Maldonado drive?
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 Salto to Maldonado?
Closest to the road: Termas del Guaviyú (hot spring, mile 35, 0.6 mi from the route); Reserva de Flora y fauna Dr. Rodolfo Tálice (botanical garden, mile 183, 0.3 mi from the route); Cerro Pan de Azúcar Native Wildlife Breeding Station (nature park, mile 347, 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.