Plan on about 9 h 1 min of driving for the 421-mile (677 km) trip from Santos to Macaé, 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: “Road maintenance is inadequate in many areas.”
| Distance by road | 421 mi (677 km) |
|---|---|
| Drive time without stops | 9 h 1 min |
| Main roads, in order | SP-150 → SP-021 → SP-070 → SP-060 → BR-116 → BR-101 → RJ-168 |
| States on the route | São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 16.8 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 8 |
Driving Santos to Macaé: the shape of the trip
BR-101 (111 mi) and SP-060 (103 mi) carry about 51% of the 421 miles. It runs through 2 states: São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro. Of the 8 stops listed below, 2 are within a mile of the road.
Road-by-road breakdown: Santos to Macaé
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–4 | 4 | São Paulo |
| SP-150 | 4–27 | 23 | São Paulo |
| connecting roads | 27–30 | 3 | São Paulo |
| SP-021 | 30–59 | 29 | São Paulo |
| connecting roads | 59–60 | 1 | São Paulo |
| SP-070 | 60–116 | 56 | São Paulo |
| connecting roads | 116–119 | 3 | São Paulo |
| SP-060 | 119–222 | 103 | São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro |
| BR-116 | 222–298 | 76 | Rio de Janeiro |
| BR-101 | 298–409 | 111 | Rio de Janeiro |
| RJ-168 | 409–418 | 9 | Rio de Janeiro |
| local roads | 418–421 | 3 | Rio de Janeiro |
- Mile 191 of this route: São Paulo → Rio de Janeiro (state line)
What to see on the way from Santos to Macaé
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Our Lady of Aparecida Museum (mile 147), Itatiaia National Park (mile 201)
- Nature and outdoors: Ecological Park of Perequê (mile 12), Itatiaia National Park (mile 201), Serra do Barbosão Municipal Nature Park (mile 344)
- Museums and history: Anthropology Museum of the Paraíba Valley (mile 86), Museu Mazzaropi (mile 124), Our Lady of Aparecida Museum (mile 147), Museu da Polícia Militar do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (mile 307)
Ecological Park of Perequê
Named for the Perequê River that runs through it, the Ecological Park of Perequê (Parque Ecológico do Perequê) is a natural area in the municipality of Cubatão.
Anthropology Museum of the Paraíba Valley
Housed in an 1857 mansion in Jacareí, the Anthropology Museum of the Paraíba Valley (Museu de Antropologia do Vale do Paraíba) shows sacred and folk art, paintings, and archaeological finds such as ceramic vessels and stone tools.
Museu Mazzaropi
More than 20,000 items, from photos and furniture to film props and equipment, tell the story of Amácio Mazzaropi at this Taubaté museum, set on the grounds of the comedian's former studio.
Our Lady of Aparecida Museum
Within the Aparecida basilica complex, the Our Lady of Aparecida Museum (Museu Nossa Senhora Aparecida) gathers objects from the region, including archaeological pieces and sacred items. It opened in 1956.
Itatiaia National Park
Brazil's national park system started here: Itatiaia National Park (Parque Nacional do Itatiaia) was created in 1937 as the country's first. The protected area lies on the border between Rio de Janeiro and Minas Gerais states.
Museu da Polícia Militar do Estado do Rio de Janeiro
Museu da Polícia Militar do Estado do Rio de Janeiro is a themed museum that preserves and presents the history of Rio de Janeiro's state military police.
Convent of Santo Antônio
Atop Morro de Santo Antônio and facing Largo da Carioca, this Franciscan convent in central Rio forms, with the neighboring Church of the Third Order of St. Francis of Penance, one of the city's surviving colonial ensembles.
Serra do Barbosão Municipal Nature Park
Serra do Barbosão Municipal Nature Park is a protected area in Rio de Janeiro state, set aside by the municipality to safeguard a stretch of Atlantic Forest.
Arriving in Macaé
Forte Marechal Hermes
Forte Marechal Hermes stands just south of the Macaé River mouth in Macaé, on the point of land between Imbetiba and Conchas beaches, facing the Sant'Anna archipelago.
Palácio dos Urubus
Palácio dos Urubus is a historic building on Rua Doutor Télio Barreto in the center of Macaé, in Rio de Janeiro state.
More drives to Macaé
- Taubaté to Macaé
- São José dos Campos to Macaé
- Mogi das Cruzes to Macaé
- São Paulo to Macaé
- Jundiaí to Macaé
- Campinas to Macaé
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 Macaé?
About 9 h 1 min of driving without stops, over 421 miles.
How far is Macaé from Santos by car?
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.
What does the U.S. travel advisory say about the Santos to Macaé 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 Macaé?
In order: SP-150, SP-021, SP-070, SP-060, BR-116, BR-101 and RJ-168. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between Santos and Macaé?
Closest to the road: Our Lady of Aparecida Museum (museum, mile 147, 0.4 mi from the route); Itatiaia National Park (national park, mile 201, 0.3 mi from the route); Serra do Barbosão Municipal Nature Park (protected area, mile 344, 1 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.