Santa Maria, Brazil to Maldonado, Uruguay is about 421 road miles (677 km): roughly 10 h 6 min at the wheel if you don't stop. You cross from Brazil into Uruguay at about mile 186.
- 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.”
| Total distance | 421 mi (677 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 10 h 6 min |
| Main roads, in order | BR-392 → BR-153 |
| Border crossing | about mile 186, Brazil → Uruguay |
| Regions on the route | Rio Grande do Sul, Cerro Largo, Treinta y Tres, Lavalleja, Maldonado |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 16.8 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 6 |
Getting across the Brazil–Uruguay border
The route crosses at about mile 186, from Rio Grande do Sul into Cerro Largo. 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 Maldonado is like
BR-153 (113 mi) and BR-392 (68 mi) carry about 43% of the 421 miles. The first 186 miles are in Brazil; the last 235 are in Uruguay. It runs through 5 regions: Rio Grande do Sul, Cerro Largo, Treinta y Tres, Lavalleja, Maldonado. Of the 6 stops listed below, 1 are within a mile of the road.
Road-by-road breakdown: Santa Maria to Maldonado
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–2 | 2 | Rio Grande do Sul |
| BR-392 | 2–70 | 68 | Rio Grande do Sul |
| BR-153 | 70–183 | 113 | Rio Grande do Sul |
| local roads | 183–421 | 238 | Rio Grande do Sul, Cerro Largo, Treinta y Tres, Lavalleja, Maldonado |
- Mile 186 of this route: Rio Grande do Sul → Cerro Largo (international border)
- Mile 252 of this route: Cerro Largo → Treinta y Tres (region line)
- Mile 307 of this route: Treinta y Tres → Lavalleja (region line)
- Mile 367 of this route: Lavalleja → Maldonado (region line)
Stops between Santa Maria and Maldonado
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Museo Agustín Araújo (mile 290)
- Museums and history: Forte de D. Pedro II de Caçapava (mile 62), Dom Diogo de Souza Museum (mile 147), Cathedral of Melo (mile 219), Regional History Museum of Melo (mile 219), Museo Agustín Araújo (mile 290)
Forte de D. Pedro II de Caçapava
North of the town of Caçapava do Sul, in Rio Grande do Sul, Forte de D. Pedro II de Caçapava is a fort listed as protected heritage by IPHAN, Brazil's national heritage institute.
Dom Diogo de Souza Museum
Founded in 1956 by historian Tarcísio Taborda, Bagé's Dom Diogo de Souza Museum has been housed since 1975 in the Portuguese Beneficence Society building.
Cathedral of Melo
The Cathedral of Our Lady of the Pillar and St. Raphael is the main Roman Catholic church in the city of Melo, Uruguay.
Regional History Museum of Melo
Founded on June 27, 1976, Melo's municipal history museum displays archaeological pieces and historical items from the region and hosts temporary exhibitions and talks.
Quebrada de los Cuervos
Crossed by the Yerbal Chico creek, the Quebrada de los Cuervos is a ravine in Treinta y Tres department and a natural protected area in Uruguay.
Museo Agustín Araújo
Treinta y Tres's departmental fine arts museum, the Museo Agustín Araújo is a public museum in the city of Treinta y Tres, Uruguay.
In Maldonado itself
Cathedral of Maldonado
The Cathedral of Saint Ferdinand is Maldonado's main Roman Catholic church and has been a cathedral since 1966, when the Diocese of Maldonado-Punta del Este was founded.
Laguna del Diario
Close to Maldonado and Punta del Este, Laguna del Diario is a lagoon where the first settlement of Maldonado was built in 1755, before the town moved to its present site in 1757.
García Uriburu Collection Museum
García Uriburu Collection Museum (Museo Colección García Uriburu) is a museum collection in the city of Maldonado, Uruguay.
More drives to Maldonado
- Salto to Maldonado
- Buenos Aires to Maldonado, Uruguay
- Rosario, Argentina to Maldonado, Uruguay
- Santa Fe to Maldonado, Uruguay
- Paraná to Maldonado, Uruguay
- La Plata to Maldonado, Uruguay
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 Maldonado, Uruguay?
About 10 h 6 min of driving without stops, over 421 miles.
What is the driving distance from Santa Maria, Brazil to Maldonado, Uruguay?
About 421 miles (677 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 Maldonado drive cross the border?
At about mile 186, 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 Maldonado, 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.
Which highways go from Santa Maria to Maldonado?
In order: BR-392 and BR-153. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
Where can you stop on the way from Santa Maria to Maldonado?
Closest to the road: Regional History Museum of Melo (museum, mile 219, 1 mi from the route); Cathedral of Melo (cathedral, mile 219, 1 mi from the route); Museo Agustín Araújo (museum, mile 290, 0.8 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.