By road, Santa Leopoldina and Penedo are about 444 miles (715 km) apart, or roughly 10 h 39 min of driving.
- 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 | 444 mi (715 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 10 h 39 min |
| Main roads, in order | ES-080 → BR-101 → CA-M-197 → RJ-238 → RJ-180 → BR-040 → BR-116 |
| States on the route | Espírito Santo, Rio de Janeiro |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 17.8 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
Driving Santa Leopoldina to Penedo: the shape of the trip
RJ-180 (152 mi) and BR-101 (144 mi) carry about 67% of the 444 miles. It runs through 2 states: Espírito Santo, Rio de Janeiro. Of the 9 stops listed below, 1 are within a mile of the road.
Roads you'll take from Santa Leopoldina to Penedo
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| ES-080 | 0–19 | 19 | Espírito Santo |
| connecting roads | 19–30 | 11 | Espírito Santo |
| BR-101 | 30–165 | 135 | Espírito Santo, Rio de Janeiro |
| connecting roads | 165–167 | 2 | Rio de Janeiro |
| local roads | 167–171 | 4 | Rio de Janeiro |
| CA-M-197 | 171–175 | 4 | Rio de Janeiro |
| RJ-238 | 175–179 | 4 | Rio de Janeiro |
| RJ-180 | 179–331 | 152 | Rio de Janeiro |
| BR-101 | 331–340 | 9 | Rio de Janeiro |
| BR-040 | 340–349 | 9 | Rio de Janeiro |
| connecting roads | 349–351 | 2 | Rio de Janeiro |
| BR-116 | 351–441 | 90 | Rio de Janeiro |
| local roads | 441–444 | 3 | Rio de Janeiro |
- Mile 129 of this route: Espírito Santo → Rio de Janeiro (state line)
What to see on the way from Santa Leopoldina to Penedo
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Catedral de Santo Antônio de Jacutinga (mile 359)
- Nature and outdoors: Fonte Grande State Park (mile 22), Frade e a Freira Natural Monument (mile 92), Serra das Torres Natural Monument (mile 114), Tijuca National Park (mile 340)
- Museums and history: Serra das Torres Natural Monument (mile 114), Janete Costa Museum (mile 332), National Historical Museum (mile 336), Civil Police Museum (mile 339), Catedral de Santo Antônio de Jacutinga (mile 359)
Fonte Grande State Park
Fonte Grande State Park is a state-protected park in the Brazilian state of Espírito Santo.
Frade e a Freira Natural Monument
Created by state decree in 2007, the Frade e a Freira Natural Monument is a state-run protected area in Espírito Santo spanning parts of Itapemirim, Cachoeiro de Itapemirim and Vargem Alta.
Serra das Torres Natural Monument
Covering about 10,459 hectares of Atlantic Forest in Atílio Vivácqua, Mimoso do Sul and Muqui, the Serra das Torres Natural Monument was created in 2010 to protect the peaks of a mountain range in southern Espírito Santo.
Janete Costa Museum
The Janete Costa Museum of Popular Art occupies an 1892 mansion in Niterói's Ingá neighborhood, with about 1,400 square meters including its annex.
National Historical Museum
Created in 1922, Brazil's National Historical Museum holds more than 287,000 items, including the largest coin collection in Latin America.
Carioca Aqueduct
Better known as Arcos da Lapa, the Carioca Aqueduct in Rio de Janeiro was built in the mid-18th century to carry fresh water from the Carioca River to the city.
Civil Police Museum
Through permanent and temporary exhibitions, the Rio de Janeiro Civil Police Museum shows documents and objects tracing the work of the Civil Police in the city since colonial times.
Tijuca National Park
Covering mountains inside the city of Rio de Janeiro, Tijuca National Park is an urban national park within the Atlantic Forest Biosphere Reserve, managed by the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation.
Catedral de Santo Antônio de Jacutinga
Also known as Nova Iguaçu Cathedral, the Catedral de Santo Antônio de Jacutinga stands on Avenida Marechal Floriano Peixoto and is the mother church of the Diocese of Nova Iguaçu.
In Penedo itself
Rio Pombo Nature Park
Formerly the Serrinha do Alambari Municipal Park, Rio Pombo Nature Park is a municipal nature park in the state of Rio de Janeiro.
Itatiaia National Park
Created in 1937, Parque Nacional do Itatiaia holds the distinction of being Brazil's first national park. It sits on the border of two states, Rio de Janeiro and Minas Gerais.
More drives to Penedo
- Pindamonhangaba to Penedo
- Taubaté to Penedo
- São José dos Campos to Penedo
- Jacareí to Penedo
- Mogi das Cruzes to Penedo
- Caraguatatuba to Penedo
From Santa Leopoldina to other places in Brazil
- Santa Leopoldina to Fumaça
- Santa Leopoldina to Historic Village of Mambucaba
- Santa Leopoldina to Trindade
- Santa Leopoldina to Arraial d'Ajuda
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Santa Leopoldina to Penedo?
About 10 h 39 min of driving without stops, over 444 miles.
How far is Penedo from Santa Leopoldina by car?
About 444 miles (715 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 Leopoldina to Penedo?
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 Santa Leopoldina to Penedo use?
In order: ES-080, BR-101, CA-M-197, RJ-238, RJ-180, BR-040 and BR-116. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between Santa Leopoldina and Penedo?
Closest to the road: Frade e a Freira Natural Monument (protected area, mile 92, 1 mi from the route); Janete Costa Museum (museum, mile 332, 2 mi from the route); Catedral de Santo Antônio de Jacutinga (cathedral, mile 359, 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.