Plan on about 8 h 16 min of driving for the 376-mile (605 km) trip from Santos to Nova Friburgo, 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: “Use caution when walking or driving at night.”
| Distance by road | 376 mi (605 km) |
|---|---|
| Time at the wheel, no stops | 8 h 16 min |
| Main roads, in order | SP-150 → SP-021 → SP-070 → SP-060 → BR-116 → BR-493 → RJ-116 |
| States on the route | São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 15.0 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
What the drive from Santos to Nova Friburgo is like
SP-060 (103 mi) and BR-116 (72 mi) carry about 47% of the 376 miles. It runs through 2 states: São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro. Of the 9 stops listed below, 3 are within a mile of the road.
Which roads connect Santos and Nova Friburgo
| 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 | 222–270 | 48 | Rio de Janeiro |
| connecting roads | 270–272 | 2 | Rio de Janeiro |
| BR-493 | 272–301 | 29 | Rio de Janeiro |
| BR-116 | 301–325 | 24 | Rio de Janeiro |
| local roads | 325–347 | 22 | Rio de Janeiro |
| RJ-116 | 347–376 | 29 | Rio de Janeiro |
- Mile 191 of this route: São Paulo → Rio de Janeiro (state line)
Places worth a stop between Santos and Nova Friburgo
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Our Lady of Aparecida Museum (mile 147), Itatiaia National Park (mile 201), Três Picos State Park (mile 357)
- Nature and outdoors: Ecological Park of Perequê (mile 12), Itatiaia National Park (mile 201), Taquara Municipal Nature Park (mile 305), Serra dos Órgãos National Park (mile 325), Três Picos State Park (mile 357)
- Museums and history: Calçada do Lorena (mile 12), Museu da Imigração Italiana de Quiririm "José Indiani" (mile 119), Our Lady of Aparecida Museum (mile 147), Valongo Wharf (mile 302)
Calçada do Lorena
Calçada do Lorena, in the Serra do Mar of São Paulo state, was the first paved road linking São Paulo to Santos, built on the orders of governor Bernardo José Maria de Lorena.
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.
Museu da Imigração Italiana de Quiririm "José Indiani"
Between 1897 and 1903, a family from Cremona built the brick Casa Indiani in Quiririm. Today the house in this Taubaté district holds the Italian Immigration Museum.
Our Lady of Aparecida Museum
Opened in 1956, the Museu Nossa Senhora Aparecida sits within the basilica complex in Aparecida. Its collection brings together regional objects, among them archaeological finds and religious items.
Itatiaia National Park
Straddling the line between Rio de Janeiro and Minas Gerais states, Itatiaia National Park dates to 1937, when it became the first national park Brazil ever created.
Valongo Wharf
Built in 1811 in Rio's old port, the Valongo Wharf was where up to 900,000 enslaved Africans landed. A UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2017, its excavated stone paving is left open to view.
Taquara Municipal Nature Park
Taquara Municipal Nature Park is a municipal nature park in Rio de Janeiro state that protects an area of Atlantic Forest.
Serra dos Órgãos National Park
Serra dos Órgãos National Park protects the Serra dos Órgãos range between Petrópolis and Teresópolis, where a roughly 28 km traverse climbs past the Castelos do Açu to Pedra do Sino at 2,263 meters.
Três Picos State Park
Três Picos State Park protects a large mountainous area of Atlantic Forest in Rio de Janeiro state.
More drives to Nova Friburgo
- Niterói to Nova Friburgo
- Petrópolis to Nova Friburgo
- Jacareí to Nova Friburgo
- São Paulo to Nova Friburgo
- Jundiaí to Nova Friburgo
- São Vicente to Nova Friburgo
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 is the drive from Santos to Nova Friburgo?
About 8 h 16 min of driving without stops, over 376 miles.
How far is Nova Friburgo from Santos by car?
About 376 miles (605 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 Nova Friburgo 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 Nova Friburgo?
In order: SP-150, SP-021, SP-070, SP-060, BR-116, BR-493 and RJ-116. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between Santos and Nova Friburgo?
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); Três Picos State Park (state park, mile 357, 0.4 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.