Plan on about 9 h 47 min of driving for the 449-mile (722 km) trip from Santa Maria, Brazil to Alejandro Gallinal, Uruguay, before any stops. You cross from Brazil into Uruguay at about mile 151.
- 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: “Use caution when walking or driving at night.”
- Uruguay: “If you are in an accident involving injury, stay in place until a police officer arrives.”
| Distance by road | 449 mi (722 km) |
|---|---|
| Time at the wheel, no stops | 9 h 47 min |
| Main roads, in order | BR-158 → BR-290 |
| Border crossing | about mile 151, Brazil → Uruguay |
| Regions on the route | Rio Grande do Sul, Rivera, Tacuarembó, Durazno, Florida |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 17.9 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 6 |
The border on the way to Alejandro Gallinal
The route crosses at about mile 151, from Rio Grande do Sul into Rivera. 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.
How the Santa Maria to Alejandro Gallinal drive plays out
BR-158 (135 mi) and BR-290 (13 mi) carry about 33% of the 449 miles. The first 151 miles are in Brazil; the last 298 are in Uruguay. It runs through 5 regions: Rio Grande do Sul, Rivera, Tacuarembó, Durazno, Florida. Of the 6 stops listed below, 5 are within a mile of the road.
Roads you'll take from Santa Maria to Alejandro Gallinal
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–3 | 3 | Rio Grande do Sul |
| BR-158 | 3–74 | 71 | Rio Grande do Sul |
| BR-290 | 74–87 | 13 | Rio Grande do Sul |
| BR-158 | 87–151 | 64 | Rio Grande do Sul |
| connecting roads | 151–152 | 1 | Rivera |
| local roads | 152–449 | 297 | Rivera, Tacuarembó, Durazno, Florida |
- Mile 151 of this route: Rio Grande do Sul → Rivera (international border)
- Mile 201 of this route: Rivera → Tacuarembó (region line)
- Mile 310 of this route: Tacuarembó → Durazno (region line)
- Mile 358 of this route: Durazno → Florida (region line)
Places worth a stop between Santa Maria and Alejandro Gallinal
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Cathedral of Tacuarembó (mile 221), Museo del Indio y del Gaucho Washington Escobar (mile 221), Casa de Rivera, Durazno (mile 348), Cathedral of Florida (mile 403), Museo Histórico Departamental de Florida (mile 403)
- Nature and outdoors: Chorro de Agua Fría (mile 246)
- Museums and history: Cathedral of Tacuarembó (mile 221), Museo del Indio y del Gaucho Washington Escobar (mile 221), Casa de Rivera, Durazno (mile 348), Cathedral of Florida (mile 403), Museo Histórico Departamental de Florida (mile 403)
Cathedral of Tacuarembó
Saint Fructuosus Cathedral is the main Catholic church of Tacuarembó, Uruguay, and has been the seat of the local diocese since 1960.
Museo del Indio y del Gaucho Washington Escobar
The Museo del Indio y del Gaucho, a museum of the Indigenous people and the gaucho, is located in the city of Tacuarembó, Uruguay.
Chorro de Agua Fría
In Uruguay's Tacuarembó Department, Chorro de Agua Fría is a waterfall that drops roughly 14 meters, the highest uninterrupted fall in the country.
Casa de Rivera, Durazno
Facing Plaza Independencia in Durazno, the Casa de Fructuoso Rivera (Casa de Rivera) is one of the town's main heritage sites and now houses the department's historical museum.
Cathedral of Florida
Florida's cathedral basilica is also Uruguay's national shrine of the Virgin of the Thirty-Three, the country's patroness, and keeps the original image; look for its bronze door by sculptor José Belloni and his son Stelio, stained glass and domes.
Museo Histórico Departamental de Florida
This history museum is located in the central part of Florida, capital of the Uruguayan department of the same name, on Rivera street.
More drives to Alejandro Gallinal
- Nueva Helvecia to Alejandro Gallinal
- Colonia del Sacramento to Alejandro Gallinal
- Carmelo to Alejandro Gallinal
- Mercedes, Uruguay to Alejandro Gallinal
- Tacuarembó to Alejandro Gallinal
- Paysandú to Alejandro Gallinal
More drives from Santa Maria
- Santa Maria, Brazil to Santa Cruz do Sul
- Santa Maria, Brazil to Bento Gonçalves
- Santa Maria, Brazil to Erechim
- Santa Maria, Brazil to Guaíra
- Santa Maria, Brazil to Umuarama
- Santa Maria, Brazil to Jaraguá do Sul
Continue Your Adventure
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Santa Maria, Brazil to Alejandro Gallinal, Uruguay?
About 9 h 47 min of driving without stops, over 449 miles.
What is the driving distance from Santa Maria, Brazil to Alejandro Gallinal, Uruguay?
About 449 miles (722 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 Maria to Alejandro Gallinal drive cross the border?
At about mile 151, from Brazil into Uruguay.
What do U.S. citizens need to drive from Santa Maria 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 Maria to Alejandro Gallinal 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.
Which highways go from Santa Maria to Alejandro Gallinal?
In order: BR-158 and BR-290. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between Santa Maria and Alejandro Gallinal?
Closest to the road: Museo del Indio y del Gaucho Washington Escobar (museum, mile 221, 0.6 mi from the route); Cathedral of Tacuarembó (cathedral, mile 221, 0.6 mi from the route); Casa de Rivera, Durazno (historic house museum, mile 348, 0.4 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.