Santa Cruz do Sul to Cabo Polonio, Uruguay is about 399 road miles (642 km): roughly 9 h 37 min at the wheel if you don't stop. You cross from Brazil into Uruguay at about mile 337.
- Level 4: Do Not Travel in Brazil: informal housing developments (favelas, vilas, comunidades or conglomerados).
Full advisory: Brazil, Uruguay. Advisory issued: Brazil August 31, 2026; Uruguay July 28, 2026; checked October 10, 2026.
On the roads, the State Department says:
- Brazil: “Road maintenance is inadequate in many areas.”
- Uruguay: “Several of the main highways are particularly accident-ridden.”
| Distance by road | 399 mi (642 km) |
|---|---|
| Drive time without stops | 9 h 37 min |
| Main roads, in order | BR-471 → RSC-471 → BR-392 |
| Border crossing | about mile 337, Brazil → Uruguay |
| Regions on the route | Rio Grande do Sul, Rocha |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 16.0 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 6 |
Getting across the Brazil–Uruguay border
The route crosses at about mile 337, from Rio Grande do Sul into Rocha. 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 Uruguay | You can drive on your U.S. license. |
| Entering Brazil (U.S. citizens) | Visa required: apply and get approved before you travel; travelers without visas can't enter. Passport: must be valid for one month at entry, with a blank page for each stamp. |
| Driving in Brazil | If you'll stay more than 180 days and drive, carry an Inter-American Driving Permit with your U.S. license. |
| Rental car | Cross 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, Brazil (updated August 06, 2026). Checked October 10, 2026; rules change, so confirm before you go.
The Santa Cruz do Sul–Cabo Polonio drive in a few lines
BR-471 (168 mi) and RSC-471 (88 mi) carry about 64% of the 399 miles. The first 337 miles are in Brazil; the last 62 are in Uruguay. It runs through 2 regions: Rio Grande do Sul, Rocha. Of the 6 stops listed below, 2 are within a mile of the road.
Which roads connect Santa Cruz do Sul and Cabo Polonio
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–4 | 4 | Rio Grande do Sul |
| BR-471 | 4–34 | 30 | Rio Grande do Sul |
| RSC-471 | 34–122 | 88 | Rio Grande do Sul |
| connecting roads | 122–123 | 1 | Rio Grande do Sul |
| BR-392 | 123–199 | 76 | Rio Grande do Sul |
| BR-471 | 199–337 | 138 | Rio Grande do Sul |
| local roads | 337–399 | 62 | Rocha |
- Mile 337 of this route: Rio Grande do Sul → Rocha (international border)
What to see on the way from Santa Cruz do Sul to Cabo Polonio
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Igreja Matriz Nossa Senhora do Rosário (mile 20), Santa Teresa National Park (mile 359)
- Nature and outdoors: Santa Teresa National Park (mile 359), La Sirena Beach (mile 388)
- Museums and history: Igreja Matriz Nossa Senhora do Rosário (mile 20), Museu da Baronesa (mile 178), Museu de Arte Leopoldo Gotuzzo (mile 178)
Igreja Matriz Nossa Senhora do Rosário
Rio Pardo's mother church, Igreja Matriz Nossa Senhora do Rosário, was begun in 1791 in late Baroque style to a design by Francisco João Roscio, on the site of an earlier chapel.
Museu da Baronesa
Opened in 1982 and run by the Pelotas city culture department, Museu da Baronesa occupies a building listed as municipal heritage in 1985.
Museu de Arte Leopoldo Gotuzzo
Opened in 1986 on Praça 7 de Julho, across from the Mercado Central in downtown Pelotas, this art museum is part of the Federal University of Pelotas arts center.
Parque Nacional Laguna Negra
In Rocha department, Laguna Negra National Park protects the waters of Laguna Negra, the Potrerillo de Santa Teresa biological station and part of Santa Teresa National Park north of Route 9.
Santa Teresa National Park
Santa Teresa National Park on Rocha's coast was created to frame the colonial Santa Teresa Fortress; its grounds hold more than two million planted trees from five continents, a greenhouse and native wetland and woodland wildlife.
La Sirena Beach
About 2.5 km north of Aguas Dulces, La Sirena is one of Uruguay's two official naturist beaches, backed by vegetated dunes, small marshes, lagoons and pine and acacia woods where coastal birds are common.
When you get to Cabo Polonio
Parque nacional Cabo Polonio
Part of Uruguay's national protected areas system since 2009, Cabo Polonio National Park spans 25,820 hectares of coastline, ocean and offshore islands.
Cabo Polonio Lighthouse
Standing on the Cabo Polonio headland in Uruguay's Rocha department, this lighthouse looks out over the Atlantic Ocean and was built in 1881.
Dunes of Cabo Polonio
Inside Cabo Polonio National Park in Uruguay's Rocha department, a band of natural sand dunes runs along the Atlantic Ocean.
More drives to Cabo Polonio
- Mercedes, Uruguay to Cabo Polonio
- Rivera to Cabo Polonio
- Paysandú to Cabo Polonio
- Salto to Cabo Polonio
- Bella Unión to Cabo Polonio
- Durazno to Cabo Polonio
More drives from Santa Cruz do Sul
- Santa Cruz do Sul to Guaíra
- Santa Cruz do Sul to Tubarão
- Santa Cruz do Sul to Santana do Livramento
- Santa Cruz do Sul to Chuí
- Santa Cruz do Sul to Salto, Uruguay
- Santa Cruz do Sul to Maldonado, Uruguay
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to drive from Santa Cruz do Sul to Cabo Polonio, Uruguay?
About 9 h 37 min of driving without stops, over 399 miles.
How far is Cabo Polonio, Uruguay from Santa Cruz do Sul by car?
About 399 miles (642 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 Santa Cruz do Sul to Cabo Polonio drive cross the border?
At about mile 337, from Brazil into Uruguay.
What do U.S. citizens need to drive from Santa Cruz do Sul 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.)
What does the U.S. travel advisory say about the Santa Cruz do Sul to Cabo Polonio drive?
The U.S. State Department rates Brazil Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Uruguay Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution. Read the full advisory before you go.
What roads does the drive from Santa Cruz do Sul to Cabo Polonio use?
In order: BR-471, RSC-471 and BR-392. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between Santa Cruz do Sul and Cabo Polonio?
Closest to the road: Igreja Matriz Nossa Senhora do Rosário (church, mile 20, 0.7 mi from the route); Museu de Arte Leopoldo Gotuzzo (museum, mile 178, 1 mi from the route); Santa Teresa National Park (national park, mile 359, 0.1 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.