Plan on about 9 h 38 min of driving for the 437-mile (703 km) trip from Santa Maria, Brazil to Fray Marcos, 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: “Drivers must have their daytime running lights on during the day and headlights on at night on Federal Highways.”
- Uruguay: “Traffic fatalities are high in Uruguay.”
| Total distance | 437 mi (703 km) |
|---|---|
| Time at the wheel, no stops | 9 h 38 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 17.5 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 6 |
The border on the way to Fray Marcos
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 Fray Marcos is like
BR-158 (135 mi) and BR-290 (13 mi) carry about 34% of the 437 miles. The first 151 miles are in Brazil; the last 286 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.
Road-by-road breakdown: Santa Maria to Fray Marcos
| 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 | 152–422 | 270 | Rivera, Tacuarembó, Durazno, Florida |
| connecting roads | 422–425 | 3 | Florida |
| local roads | 425–437 | 12 | 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)
What to see on the way from Santa Maria to Fray Marcos
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Zoológico Municipal Dr. Mauricio López Lomba (mile 219), Museo de Artes Visuales de Tacuarembó (mile 221), Casa de Rivera, Durazno (mile 348), Cathedral of Florida (mile 403), Piedra Alta (mile 403)
- Nature and outdoors: Chorro de Agua Fría (mile 246)
- Museums and history: Museo de Artes Visuales de Tacuarembó (mile 221), Casa de Rivera, Durazno (mile 348), Cathedral of Florida (mile 403), Piedra Alta (mile 403)
- With kids: Zoológico Municipal Dr. Mauricio López Lomba (mile 219)
Zoológico Municipal Dr. Mauricio López Lomba
Reachable from Route 5 at kilometer 390, the Mauricio López Lomba reserve is a wildlife reserve in the city of Tacuarembó, Uruguay.
Museo de Artes Visuales de Tacuarembó
The Museum of Visual Arts of Tacuarembó (Museo de Artes Visuales) is a museum 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.
Piedra Alta
On the banks of the Santa Lucía Chico River outside the city of Florida, Piedra Alta is a rock formation of historic importance that appears on the department's coat of arms and flag.
More drives to Fray Marcos
- Nueva Helvecia to Fray Marcos
- Colonia del Sacramento to Fray Marcos
- Carmelo to Fray Marcos
- Paysandú to Fray Marcos
- Rivera to Fray Marcos
- Salto to Fray Marcos
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 Fray Marcos, Uruguay?
About 9 h 38 min of driving without stops, over 437 miles.
How far is Fray Marcos, Uruguay from Santa Maria, Brazil by car?
About 437 miles (703 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 Fray Marcos 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 Fray Marcos, 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 Fray Marcos 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 Fray Marcos?
Closest to the road: Zoológico Municipal Dr. Mauricio López Lomba (zoo, mile 219, 0.2 mi from the route); Casa de Rivera, Durazno (historic house museum, mile 348, 0.4 mi from the route); Piedra Alta (historic site, mile 403, 0.5 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.