Plan on about 2 h 16 min of driving for the 105-mile (169 km) trip from Santos to Itu, before any stops.
- 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.”
| Total distance | 105 mi (169 km) |
|---|---|
| Time at the wheel, no stops | 2 h 16 min |
| Main roads, in order | SP-160 → SP-015 → SP-280 → SP-075 |
| States on the route | São Paulo |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 4.2 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 8 |
How the Santos to Itu drive plays out
SP-280 (40 mi) and SP-160 (35 mi) carry about 71% of the 105 miles. Of the 8 stops listed below, 1 are within a mile of the road.
Which roads connect Santos and Itu
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–6 | 6 | São Paulo |
| SP-160 | 6–41 | 35 | São Paulo |
| local roads | 41–47 | 6 | São Paulo |
| SP-015 | 47–53 | 6 | São Paulo |
| SP-280 | 53–93 | 40 | São Paulo |
| connecting roads | 93–94 | 1 | São Paulo |
| SP-075 | 94–102 | 8 | São Paulo |
| local roads | 102–105 | 3 | São Paulo |
What to see on the way from Santos to Itu
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Oceanographic Museum in the Oceanographic Institute of the University of São Paulo (mile 51)
- Nature and outdoors: Serra do Mar State Park (mile 19)
- Museums and history: Museu Lasar Segall (mile 43), Casa das Rosas (mile 47), Oceanographic Museum in the Oceanographic Institute of the University of São Paulo (mile 51), Museum of Art of the Parliament of Itapevi (mile 66)
- With kids: Cidade da Criança (mile 36), Simba Safari (mile 40)
Serra do Mar State Park
Covering 778,381 acres of the Serra do Mar mountain range in São Paulo state, this state park protects a vast expanse of continuous Atlantic Forest.
Cidade da Criança
Opened on October 10, 1968, Cidade da Criança in São Bernardo do Campo was the first theme park in Brazil and Latin America and sits behind the former Vera Cruz Film Studios.
Simba Safari
At Simba Safari, a zoo in São Paulo's Cursino district, visitors ride park vehicles along a route of about 2.9 km through roughly 80,000 square meters to see the animals.
Museu Lasar Segall
Housed in the home and studio architect Gregori Warchavchik designed in 1932, the Museu Lasar Segall in São Paulo is an art museum devoted to artist Lasar Segall, who lived there until 1957.
Casa das Rosas
Casa das Rosas, officially the Espaço Haroldo de Campos de Poesia e Literatura, is a museum and cultural center focused on poetry and literature in São Paulo's Paraíso neighborhood.
Teatro Augusta
Teatro Augusta is a theater in São Paulo's Baixo Augusta area, in Cerqueira César, with 302 seats in its Sala Paulo Goulart and a smaller multipurpose experimental room.
Oceanographic Museum in the Oceanographic Institute of the University of São Paulo
Inside the University of São Paulo campus, the Oceanographic Museum, founded in 1988, has permanent exhibits on ocean dynamics, structure and biodiversity and on oceanographic science.
Museum of Art of the Parliament of Itapevi
Named for Emanuel von Lauenstein Massarani, this contemporary art museum is housed in the Itapevi city council building, in the northeast part of the city.
In Itu itself
Parque da Rocha Moutonnée
In Salto, São Paulo, this park preserves a granite rock outcrop shaped by a Paleozoic glaciation 270 to 350 million years ago, found in 1946 and key evidence for the glacial origin of regional rocks.
Museu Republicano "Convencão de Itú"
Set in a townhouse in Itu where opponents of Brazil's monarchy met in 1873, the Republican Museum focuses on the period of the Old Republic.
FAMA Museu
Formerly the Museu São Pedro, FAMA Museu is a private museum open to the public in central Itu that holds the art collection of artist and collector Marcos Amaro.
More drives to Itu
- Araraquara to Itu
- Ribeirão Preto to Itu
- Bragança Paulista to Itu
- São Paulo to Itu
- São Vicente to Itu
- Mogi das Cruzes to Itu
From Santos to other places in Brazil
- Santos to Itanhaém
- Santos to Bragança Paulista
- Santos to Limeira
- Santos to Mogi Guaçu
- Santos to Botucatu
- Santos to São Carlos
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Santos to Itu?
About 2 h 16 min of driving without stops, over 105 miles.
What is the driving distance from Santos to Itu?
About 105 miles (169 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 Santos to Itu 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 Santos to Itu use?
In order: SP-160, SP-015, SP-280 and SP-075. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
Where can you stop on the way from Santos to Itu?
Closest to the road: Simba Safari (zoo, mile 40, 1 mi from the route); Oceanographic Museum in the Oceanographic Institute of the University of São Paulo (museum, mile 51, 0.8 mi from the route); Museum of Art of the Parliament of Itapevi (museum, mile 66, 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.