The Wayro route from Santa Cruz do Sul to Tubarão is 285 miles (458 km), about 5 h 58 min of driving without stops.
- 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.”
| Distance by road | 285 mi (458 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 5 h 58 min |
| Main roads, in order | RSC-287 → BR-386 → BR-448 → BR-116 → BR-101 |
| States on the route | Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 11.4 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 6 |
What the drive from Santa Cruz do Sul to Tubarão is like
BR-101 (137 mi) and BR-116 (58 mi) carry about 68% of the 285 miles. It runs through 2 states: Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina. Of the 6 stops listed below, 2 are within a mile of the road.
Road-by-road breakdown: Santa Cruz do Sul to Tubarão
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–3 | 3 | Rio Grande do Sul |
| RSC-287 | 3–47 | 44 | Rio Grande do Sul |
| BR-386 | 47–81 | 34 | Rio Grande do Sul |
| BR-448 | 81–88 | 7 | Rio Grande do Sul |
| connecting roads | 88–89 | 1 | Rio Grande do Sul |
| BR-116 | 89–147 | 58 | Rio Grande do Sul |
| BR-101 | 147–284 | 137 | Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina |
| local roads | 284–285 | 1 | Santa Catarina |
- Mile 203 of this route: Rio Grande do Sul → Santa Catarina (state line)
Breaking up the drive: stops between Santa Cruz do Sul and Tubarão
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Museu Municipal Agostinho Martha (mile 101), Morro de Osório Protected Area (mile 145)
- Nature and outdoors: Jacuí Delta State Park (mile 83), Guarita State Park (mile 199), Praia da Guarita (mile 200)
- Museums and history: Arquivo Histórico e Museu de Canoas (mile 86), Museu Municipal Agostinho Martha (mile 101)
Jacuí Delta State Park
Created in 1976, Jacuí Delta State Park (Parque Estadual Delta do Jacuí) protects the delta between Porto Alegre, Canoas, Eldorado do Sul and nearby towns, where fishers from Ilha da Pintada still practice traditional fishing.
Arquivo Histórico e Museu de Canoas
Canoas's history museum and archive keeps photos, newspapers, maps, documents, audiovisual material and objects that tell the story of the city in Rio Grande do Sul.
Museu Municipal Agostinho Martha
At Rua Nossa Senhora dos Anjos 547 in central Gravataí, the Agostinho Martha Municipal Museum covers local history and art; it was created in 1974 and organized in 1981.
Morro de Osório Protected Area
Created in 1994, the Morro de Osório Environmental Protection Area is a municipal conservation unit of Osório, Rio Grande do Sul, originally covering about 6,896 acres.
Guarita State Park
Officially Parque Estadual José Lutzenberger, Guarita State Park in Rio Grande do Sul protects a promontory on the South Atlantic Ocean.
Praia da Guarita
Guarita Beach in Torres, Rio Grande do Sul, is a public beach resort along the city's coast.
Arriving in Tubarão
Museu Willy Zumblick
In downtown Tubarão, Santa Catarina, the Museu Willy Zumblick keeps a permanent exhibition of part of the collection of local-born artist Willy Zumblick.
More drives to Tubarão
- Palhoça to Tubarão
- Camboriú to Tubarão
- Itajaí to Tubarão
- Blumenau to Tubarão
- Jaraguá do Sul to Tubarão
- Porto Alegre to Tubarão
From Santa Cruz do Sul to other places in Brazil
- Santa Cruz do Sul to Guaíra
- 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
- Santa Cruz do Sul to Rivera, Uruguay
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to drive from Santa Cruz do Sul to Tubarão?
About 5 h 58 min of driving without stops, over 285 miles.
How far is Tubarão from Santa Cruz do Sul by car?
About 285 miles (458 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 Santa Cruz do Sul to Tubarão?
The U.S. State Department rates Brazil Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution. Read the full advisory before you go.
Which highways go from Santa Cruz do Sul to Tubarão?
In order: RSC-287, BR-386, BR-448, BR-116 and BR-101. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between Santa Cruz do Sul and Tubarão?
Closest to the road: Arquivo Histórico e Museu de Canoas (museum, mile 86, 2 mi from the route); Museu Municipal Agostinho Martha (museum, mile 101, 0.5 mi from the route); Morro de Osório Protected Area (environmental protection area, mile 145, 0.8 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.