By road, Santa Maria, Brazil and Carmelo, Uruguay are about 478 miles (769 km) apart, or roughly 11 h 10 min of driving. 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: “Road maintenance is inadequate in many areas.”
- Uruguay: “Illumination, pavement markings, and road surfaces for secondary roads can be poor.”
| Distance | 478 mi (769 km) |
|---|---|
| Drive time without stops | 11 h 10 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, Flores, Soriano, Colonia |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 19.1 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 6 |
The border on the way to Carmelo
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.
What the drive from Santa Maria to Carmelo is like
BR-158 (135 mi) and BR-290 (13 mi) carry about 31% of the 478 miles. The first 151 miles are in Brazil; the last 327 are in Uruguay. It runs through 7 regions: Rio Grande do Sul, Rivera, Tacuarembó, Durazno, Flores, Soriano, Colonia. Of the 6 stops listed below, 3 are within a mile of the road.
Santa Maria to Carmelo: the road sequence
| 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 | 152–349 | 197 | Rivera, Tacuarembó, Durazno |
| connecting roads | 349–351 | 2 | Durazno |
| local roads | 351–373 | 22 | Durazno, Flores |
| connecting roads | 373–375 | 2 | Flores |
| local roads | 375–411 | 36 | Flores, Soriano |
| connecting roads | 411–413 | 2 | Soriano |
| local roads | 413–478 | 65 | Soriano, Colonia |
- 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 354 of this route: Durazno → Flores (region line)
- Mile 399 of this route: Flores → Soriano (region line)
- Mile 428 of this route: Soriano → Colonia (region line)
What to see on the way from Santa Maria to Carmelo
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Cathedral of Tacuarembó (mile 221), Museo del Deporte (mile 221), Casa de Rivera, Durazno (mile 349)
- Nature and outdoors: Chorro de Agua Fría (mile 246), Reserva de Flora y fauna Dr. Rodolfo Tálice (mile 375), Anchorena Presidential Estate (mile 457)
- Museums and history: Cathedral of Tacuarembó (mile 221), Museo del Deporte (mile 221), Casa de Rivera, Durazno (mile 349)
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 Deporte
Located in the city of Tacuarembó, Uruguay, the Museo del Deporte preserves and shares the sports history of the Tacuarembó department.
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.
Reserva de Flora y fauna Dr. Rodolfo Tálice
Off Route 3 near Trinidad, the Dr. Rodolfo Tálice Ecopark (Reserva de Flora y Fauna Dr. Rodolfo Talice) is a fenced wildlife reserve where axis deer, greater rheas and pampas deer roam free alongside other species.
Anchorena Presidential Estate
Located in Colonia Department, 208 km from Montevideo, the Anchorena Presidential Estate is a national park that also serves as a rest residence for Uruguay's president.
Arriving in Carmelo
Teatro Uamá
Teatro Uamá is a theater in the city of Carmelo, in Uruguay's Colonia department, regarded as the town's leading cultural institution.
Museo del Carmen
Facing Plaza Artigas in Carmelo, the Archivo y Museo del Carmen belongs to the local Carmelo parish and holds religious and historical collections.
More drives to Carmelo
- Paysandú to Carmelo
- Salto to Carmelo
- Tacuarembó to Carmelo
- Rivera to Carmelo
- Artigas to Carmelo
- Minas to Carmelo
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 does it take to drive from Santa Maria, Brazil to Carmelo, Uruguay?
About 11 h 10 min of driving without stops, over 478 miles.
How far is Carmelo, Uruguay from Santa Maria, Brazil by car?
About 478 miles (769 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 Carmelo 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.)
Is it safe to drive from Santa Maria, Brazil to Carmelo, Uruguay?
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 Maria to Carmelo use?
In order: BR-158 and BR-290. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
Where can you stop on the way from Santa Maria to Carmelo?
Closest to the road: Cathedral of Tacuarembó (cathedral, mile 221, 0.6 mi from the route); Museo del Deporte (sports museum, mile 221, 0.6 mi from the route); Casa de Rivera, Durazno (historic house museum, mile 349, 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.