By road, Santana do Livramento and Barra de Valizas, Uruguay are about 365 miles (588 km) apart, or roughly 9 h 23 min of driving. You cross from Brazil into Uruguay at about mile 142.
- 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: “If you are in an accident involving injury, stay in place until a police officer arrives.”
| Distance | 365 mi (588 km) |
|---|---|
| Drive time without stops | 9 h 23 min |
| Main roads, in order | BR-158 → BR-293 → RSC-473 → BR-473 |
| Border crossing | about mile 142, Brazil → Uruguay |
| Regions on the route | Rio Grande do Sul, Cerro Largo, Treinta y Tres, Lavalleja, Rocha |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 14.6 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 7 |
The border on the way to Barra de Valizas
The route crosses at about mile 142, 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.
How the Santana do Livramento to Barra de Valizas drive plays out
BR-293 (72 mi) and BR-473 (38 mi) carry about 30% of the 365 miles. The first 142 miles are in Brazil; the last 223 are in Uruguay. It runs through 5 regions: Rio Grande do Sul, Cerro Largo, Treinta y Tres, Lavalleja, Rocha. Of the 7 stops listed below, 3 are within a mile of the road.
Santana do Livramento to Barra de Valizas: the road sequence
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–1 | 1 | Rio Grande do Sul |
| BR-158 | 1–23 | 22 | Rio Grande do Sul |
| BR-293 | 23–95 | 72 | Rio Grande do Sul |
| RSC-473 | 95–99 | 4 | Rio Grande do Sul |
| connecting roads | 99–101 | 2 | Rio Grande do Sul |
| BR-473 | 101–139 | 38 | Rio Grande do Sul |
| local roads | 139–365 | 226 | Rio Grande do Sul, Cerro Largo, Treinta y Tres, Lavalleja, Rocha |
- Mile 142 of this route: Rio Grande do Sul → Cerro Largo (international border)
- Mile 208 of this route: Cerro Largo → Treinta y Tres (region line)
- Mile 263 of this route: Treinta y Tres → Lavalleja (region line)
- Mile 280 of this route: Lavalleja → Rocha (region line)
Places worth a stop between Santana do Livramento and Barra de Valizas
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Museu da Gravura Brasileira (mile 99), Dom Diogo de Souza Museum (mile 101), Museo Agustín Araújo (mile 245)
- Nature and outdoors: La Sirena Beach (mile 359)
- Museums and history: Museu da Gravura Brasileira (mile 99), Dom Diogo de Souza Museum (mile 101), Cathedral of Melo (mile 175), Regional History Museum of Melo (mile 175), Museo Agustín Araújo (mile 245)
Museu da Gravura Brasileira
Founded in 1977, the Museu da Gravura Brasileira is an art museum in Bagé that keeps works by local, Brazilian and international artists.
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.
La Sirena Beach
About 2.5 km north of Aguas Dulces, La Sirena is one of Uruguay's two official naturist beaches, backed by vegetated dunes, small marshes, lagoons and pine and acacia woods where coastal birds are common.
When you get to Barra de Valizas
Parque nacional Cabo Polonio
Part of Uruguay's national protected areas system since 2009, Cabo Polonio National Park spans 25,820 hectares of coastline, ocean and offshore islands.
Cabo Polonio Lighthouse
Standing on the Cabo Polonio headland in Uruguay's Rocha department, this lighthouse looks out over the Atlantic Ocean and was built in 1881.
Dunes of Cabo Polonio
Inside Cabo Polonio National Park in Uruguay's Rocha department, a band of natural sand dunes runs along the Atlantic Ocean.
More drives to Barra de Valizas
- Maldonado to Barra de Valizas
- Montevideo to Barra de Valizas
- Veinticinco de Agosto to Barra de Valizas
- Nueva Helvecia to Barra de Valizas
- Colonia del Sacramento to Barra de Valizas
- Conchillas to Barra de Valizas
More drives from Santana do Livramento
- Santana do Livramento to Chuí
- Santana do Livramento to Paysandú, Uruguay
- Santana do Livramento to Durazno, Uruguay
- Santana do Livramento to Minas, Uruguay
- Santana do Livramento to Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguay
- Santana do Livramento to Rocha, Uruguay
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to drive from Santana do Livramento to Barra de Valizas, Uruguay?
About 9 h 23 min of driving without stops, over 365 miles.
How far is Barra de Valizas, Uruguay from Santana do Livramento by car?
About 365 miles (588 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 Santana do Livramento to Barra de Valizas drive cross the border?
At about mile 142, from Brazil into Uruguay.
What do U.S. citizens need to drive from Santana do Livramento 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 Santana do Livramento to Barra de Valizas, 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 Santana do Livramento to Barra de Valizas?
In order: BR-158, BR-293, RSC-473 and BR-473. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between Santana do Livramento and Barra de Valizas?
Closest to the road: Museu da Gravura Brasileira (museum, mile 99, 0.3 mi from the route); Dom Diogo de Souza Museum (museum, mile 101, 0.4 mi from the route); Museo Agustín Araújo (museum, mile 245, 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.