Plan on about 6 h 8 min of driving for the 276-mile (444 km) trip from Santos to Lavras, 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 | 276 mi (444 km) |
|---|---|
| Drive time without stops | 6 h 8 min |
| Main roads, in order | SP-150 → SP-010 → SP-008 → BR-381 → BR-265 |
| States on the route | São Paulo, Minas Gerais |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 11.0 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 8 |
How the Santos to Lavras drive plays out
SP-008 (156 mi) and BR-381 (40 mi) carry about 71% of the 276 miles. It runs through 2 states: São Paulo, Minas Gerais. Of the 8 stops listed below, 1 are within a mile of the road.
Which roads connect Santos and Lavras
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–4 | 4 | São Paulo |
| SP-150 | 4–40 | 36 | São Paulo |
| connecting roads | 40–41 | 1 | São Paulo |
| local roads | 41–47 | 6 | São Paulo |
| connecting roads | 47–50 | 3 | São Paulo |
| SP-010 | 50–70 | 20 | São Paulo |
| SP-008 | 70–226 | 156 | São Paulo, Minas Gerais |
| BR-381 | 226–266 | 40 | Minas Gerais |
| BR-265 | 266–274 | 8 | Minas Gerais |
| local roads | 274–276 | 2 | Minas Gerais |
- Mile 107 of this route: São Paulo → Minas Gerais (state line)
Stops between Santos and Lavras
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Zoológico Municipal de Guarulhos (mile 53)
- Nature and outdoors: Botanical Garden of São Paulo (mile 37), Albert Löfgren State Park (mile 52)
- Museums and history: Sabina Escola Parque do Conhecimento (mile 33), Museu de Santo André (mile 34), Botanical Garden of São Paulo (mile 37), Orthodox Metropolitan Cathedral of São Paulo (mile 41), Catedral de São Nicolau (mile 41), Pinacoteca do Estado de São Paulo (mile 47)
- With kids: Sabina Escola Parque do Conhecimento (mile 33), Zoológico Municipal de Guarulhos (mile 53)
Sabina Escola Parque do Conhecimento
Sabina Escola Parque do Conhecimento is a science museum in Santo André, in Greater São Paulo, and one of the area's planetarium venues.
Museu de Santo André
Museu de Santo André Dr. Octaviano Armando Gaiarsa is one of the main museums in the city of Santo André, São Paulo.
Botanical Garden of São Paulo
Next to the São Paulo Zoo, the Botanical Garden of São Paulo spans 406 acres inside Fontes do Ipiranga State Park, in the Água Funda district of the city's South Zone.
Orthodox Metropolitan Cathedral of São Paulo
On Rua Vergueiro in the Paraíso area of São Paulo, the Orthodox Metropolitan Cathedral belongs to the Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch and is dedicated to Paul the Apostle.
Catedral de São Nicolau
This São Paulo church, the Catedral de São Nicolau, belongs to the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia and once served as the seat of the former Diocese of São Paulo and Brazil.
Pinacoteca do Estado de São Paulo
Founded by the state government in 1905, the Pinacoteca do Estado de São Paulo shows Brazilian art from the 19th century to today across three buildings: Pinacoteca Luz, Pinacoteca Estação and Pinacoteca Contemporânea.
Albert Löfgren State Park
Better known as the São Paulo Forest Gardens, Albert Löfgren State Park is a state-run park in the state of São Paulo, Brazil.
Zoológico Municipal de Guarulhos
Founded in 1982, the Guarulhos Municipal Zoo keeps more than 400 animals of 100 species on 70,000 square meters, mostly birds, mammals and reptiles native to Brazil.
Once you reach Lavras
Museu Bi Moreira
On the historic campus of the Federal University of Lavras, Museu Bi Moreira holds around five thousand historical, ethnographic, archaeological and science-and-technology artifacts tied to the history of Lavras and the university.
More drives to Lavras
- Barbacena to Lavras
- Juiz de Fora to Lavras
- Barra Mansa to Lavras
- Teresópolis to Lavras
- Itu to Lavras
- Rio de Janeiro to Lavras
From Santos to other places in Brazil
- Santos to Itanhaém
- Santos to Bragança Paulista
- Santos to Itu
- Santos to Limeira
- Santos to Mogi Guaçu
- Santos to Botucatu
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to drive from Santos to Lavras?
About 6 h 8 min of driving without stops, over 276 miles.
How far is Lavras from Santos by car?
About 276 miles (444 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 Lavras drive?
The U.S. State Department rates Brazil Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution. Read the full advisory before you go.
Which highways go from Santos to Lavras?
In order: SP-150, SP-010, SP-008, BR-381 and BR-265. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between Santos and Lavras?
Closest to the road: Sabina Escola Parque do Conhecimento (science museum, mile 33, 2 mi from the route); Botanical Garden of São Paulo (museum, mile 37, 2 mi from the route); Zoológico Municipal de Guarulhos (zoo, mile 53, 0.9 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.