Salvador to Petrolina is about 315 road miles (507 km): roughly 7 h 16 min at the wheel if you don't stop.
- 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: “Drivers must have their daytime running lights on during the day and headlights on at night on Federal Highways.”
| Total distance | 315 mi (507 km) |
|---|---|
| Drive time without stops | 7 h 16 min |
| Main roads, in order | BR-324 → BR-116 → BR-407 |
| States on the route | Bahia, Pernambuco |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 12.6 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 4 |
How the Salvador to Petrolina drive plays out
BR-324 (152 mi) and BR-407 (140 mi) carry about 93% of the 315 miles. It runs through 2 states: Bahia, Pernambuco. Of the 4 stops listed below, 1 are within a mile of the road.
Road-by-road breakdown: Salvador to Petrolina
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–4 | 4 | Bahia |
| BR-324 | 4–71 | 67 | Bahia |
| connecting roads | 71–72 | 1 | Bahia |
| BR-116 | 72–85 | 13 | Bahia |
| BR-324 | 85–170 | 85 | Bahia |
| connecting roads | 170–171 | 1 | Bahia |
| BR-407 | 171–311 | 140 | Bahia |
| local roads | 311–315 | 4 | Bahia, Pernambuco |
- Mile 314 of this route: Bahia → Pernambuco (state line)
Places worth a stop between Salvador and Petrolina
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Sertão Museum (mile 74)
- Nature and outdoors: Pedra de Xangô (mile 9)
- Museums and history: Chapel of Our Lady of the Ladder (mile 7), Engenho Matoim (mile 19), Sertão Museum (mile 74)
Chapel of Our Lady of the Ladder
Built for the Nossa Senhora de Escada sugar plantation, likely in 1566, this 16th-century Catholic chapel in Salvador was later donated by its builder, Lázaro Arévolo, to the Jesuits.
Pedra de Xangô
Sacred to Candomblé and Umbanda, Pedra de Xangô is an eight-meter rock in the Cajazeiras X neighborhood of Salvador, protected as municipal heritage along with the site of the old Buraco do Tatu quilombo.
Engenho Matoim
Engenho Matoim is a building in Candeias, Bahia, listed by Brazil's national heritage institute IPHAN in 1943.
Sertão Museum
On the campus of the State University of Feira de Santana, the Sertão Museum (Museu Casa do Sertão) opened in 1978 and preserves the culture and history of the Feira de Santana area.
When you get to Petrolina
Aqueduto do Horto Florestal
In Juazeiro's São Geraldo neighborhood, the old Horto Florestal aqueduct (Aqueduto do Antigo Horto Florestal) is an aqueduct standing in this town in the interior of Bahia.
Sacred Heart Cathedral, Petrolina
In the center of Petrolina, Pernambuco, the Sacred Heart Cathedral is the city's Catholic cathedral, dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Christ the King.
Museu do Sertão
The Museu do Sertão is a museum in the city of Petrolina, in the Brazilian state of Pernambuco.
More drives to Petrolina
From Salvador to other places in Brazil
- Salvador to Praia do Forte
- Salvador to Feira de Santana
- Salvador to Santo Antônio de Jesus
- Salvador to Morro de São Paulo
- Salvador to Jequié
- Salvador to Itabuna
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to drive from Salvador to Petrolina?
About 7 h 16 min of driving without stops, over 315 miles.
How far is Petrolina from Salvador by car?
About 315 miles (507 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 Salvador to Petrolina 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 Salvador to Petrolina use?
In order: BR-324, BR-116 and BR-407. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between Salvador and Petrolina?
Closest to the road: Chapel of Our Lady of the Ladder (church, mile 7, 2 mi from the route); Pedra de Xangô (park, mile 9, 2 mi from the route); Sertão Museum (university museum, mile 74, 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.