Santa Maria, Brazil to Camboriú is about 495 road miles (796 km): roughly 10 h 32 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.”
| Distance by road | 495 mi (796 km) |
|---|---|
| Time at the wheel, no stops | 10 h 32 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 19.8 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
Driving Santa Maria to Camboriú: the shape of the trip
BR-101 (256 mi) and RSC-287 (127 mi) carry about 77% of the 495 miles. It runs through 2 states: Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina. Of the 9 stops listed below, 3 are within a mile of the road.
The route from Santa Maria to Camboriú, road by road
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–7 | 7 | Rio Grande do Sul |
| RSC-287 | 7–134 | 127 | Rio Grande do Sul |
| BR-386 | 134–168 | 34 | Rio Grande do Sul |
| BR-448 | 168–175 | 7 | Rio Grande do Sul |
| connecting roads | 175–176 | 1 | Rio Grande do Sul |
| BR-116 | 176–234 | 58 | Rio Grande do Sul |
| BR-101 | 234–490 | 256 | Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina |
| local roads | 490–495 | 5 | Santa Catarina |
- Mile 290 of this route: Rio Grande do Sul → Santa Catarina (state line)
Stops between Santa Maria and Camboriú
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Morro de Osório Protected Area (mile 232), Museu Willy Zumblick (mile 369), São Miguel Aqueduct (mile 460)
- Nature and outdoors: Jacuí Delta State Park (mile 170), Itapeva State Park (mile 285), Praia de Naufragados (mile 429)
- Museums and history: Aristides Carlos Rodrigues Museum (mile 65), St. John the Baptist Cathedral, Santa Cruz do Sul (mile 88), Museu Willy Zumblick (mile 369)
Aqueduto de Candelária
In Candelária, Rio Grande do Sul, the Aqueduto de Candelária stands in the Linha Curitiba area. It was commissioned by João Kochenborger, one of the first German immigrants to reach the municipality, in 1862.
Aristides Carlos Rodrigues Museum
In the town of Candelária, Rio Grande do Sul, the Aristides Carlos Rodrigues Museum is part of the Paleorrota Geopark and offers information about the region.
St. John the Baptist Cathedral, Santa Cruz do Sul
Facing Getúlio Vargas Square in central Santa Cruz do Sul, St. John the Baptist Cathedral is the city's Roman Catholic cathedral.
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.
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.
Itapeva State Park
Itapeva State Park is a protected area managed at the state level in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, one of the parks in the state system.
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.
Praia de Naufragados
Praia de Naufragados is a beach about 1.45 km long on Santa Catarina Island in Florianópolis, reachable only by a 4 km walking trail.
São Miguel Aqueduct
Built in the 19th century to carry water from the São Miguel waterfall dam to the beach, this aqueduct is part of the Vila de São Miguel ensemble in Biguaçu, listed as national heritage in 1969.
When you get to Camboriú
Praia do Pinho
Officially founded in 1984, Praia do Pinho in Balneário Camboriú is Brazil's first official naturist beach. The roughly 500-meter cove lies off the Interpraias road between Laranjeiras and Estaleirinho, with marked nude and clothing-optional areas.
Praia das Taquaras
Reached by the Interpraias road, Praia das Taquaras (Praia de Taquaras) in Balneário Camboriú has about 1.1 km of coarse sand and calm but deep water, popular for surf casting, plus a small fishing community.
Praia do Estaleirinho
The first of six beaches along Balneário Camboriú's Interpraias road, Praia do Estaleirinho has coarse sand and plenty of waves, and sits a little over 10 km from downtown.
More drives to Camboriú
- Paranaguá to Camboriú
- Curitiba to Camboriú
- Ponta Grossa to Camboriú
- Guarapuava to Camboriú
- Porto Alegre to Camboriú
- São Leopoldo to Camboriú
From Santa Maria to other places in Brazil
- 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
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Santa Maria, Brazil to Camboriú?
About 10 h 32 min of driving without stops, over 495 miles.
How far is Camboriú from Santa Maria, Brazil by car?
About 495 miles (796 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 Santa Maria to Camboriú 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 Santa Maria to Camboriú use?
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 Maria and Camboriú?
Closest to the road: Morro de Osório Protected Area (environmental protection area, mile 232, 0.8 mi from the route); Museu Willy Zumblick (museum, mile 369, 0.3 mi from the route); São Miguel Aqueduct (aqueduct, mile 460, 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.