The Wayro route from São Carlos to Barbacena is 373 miles (600 km), about 8 h 53 min of driving without 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: “Flooding makes some roads through the Amazon impassable for much of the year.”
| Distance by road | 373 mi (600 km) |
|---|---|
| Drive time without stops | 8 h 53 min |
| Main roads, in order | SP-310 → SP-330 → SP-147 → SP-191 → MG-290 → BR-381 → BR-265 |
| States on the route | São Paulo, Minas Gerais |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 14.9 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 7 |
How the São Carlos to Barbacena drive plays out
BR-381 (100 mi) and BR-265 (99 mi) carry about 53% of the 373 miles. It runs through 2 states: São Paulo, Minas Gerais. Of the 7 stops listed below, 1 are within a mile of the road.
The route from São Carlos to Barbacena, road by road
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–3 | 3 | São Paulo |
| SP-310 | 3–50 | 47 | São Paulo |
| SP-330 | 50–53 | 3 | São Paulo |
| SP-147 | 53–80 | 27 | São Paulo |
| SP-191 | 80–86 | 6 | São Paulo |
| SP-147 | 86–95 | 9 | São Paulo |
| local roads | 95–108 | 13 | São Paulo |
| MG-290 | 108–168 | 60 | São Paulo, Minas Gerais |
| connecting roads | 168–171 | 3 | Minas Gerais |
| BR-381 | 171–271 | 100 | Minas Gerais |
| BR-265 | 271–370 | 99 | Minas Gerais |
| local roads | 370–373 | 3 | Minas Gerais |
- Mile 109 of this route: São Paulo → Minas Gerais (state line)
Stops between São Carlos and Barbacena
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Good Jesus Cathedral, Pouso Alegre (mile 167)
- Museums and history: Museu de Minerais e Rochas Heinz Ebert (mile 36), Museum of Biblical Archeology Paulo Bork (mile 68), Good Jesus Cathedral, Pouso Alegre (mile 167), Museu Bi Moreira (mile 280), Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar, São João del Rei (mile 337), Museu Regional de São João del-Rei (mile 337), Casa do Padre Toledo (mile 342)
Museu de Minerais e Rochas Heinz Ebert
On the Unesp university campus in Rio Claro, the Museu de Minerais e Rochas Heinz Ebert occupies the building of the Department of Petrology and Metallogeny at the Institute of Geosciences and Exact Sciences.
Museum of Biblical Archeology Paulo Bork
Founded on May 14, 2000, the Museum of Biblical Archeology Paulo Bork is on the Engenheiro Coelho campus of the Centro Universitário Adventista de São Paulo.
Good Jesus Cathedral, Pouso Alegre
Good Jesus Cathedral is the Catholic seat of the Archdiocese of Pouso Alegre, in the city of the same name in Minas Gerais.
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.
Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar, São João del Rei
Also called the São João del Rei Cathedral, this Catholic shrine is a protected heritage site known for colonial-era art, with gold decoration, paintings and statues inside.
Museu Regional de São João del-Rei
Museu Regional de São João del-Rei is a history and art museum in the town of São João del-Rei, in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais.
Casa do Padre Toledo
In Tiradentes, Minas Gerais, this 18th-century mansion was the home of Father Carlos Correia de Toledo e Melo.
Arriving in Barbacena
Museu da Loucura
Housed in the restored 1922 Torreão of the former Hospital Colônia de Barbacena, the Museu da Loucura opened in 1996 and uses objects, equipment, photos and documents to tell the history of psychiatric care in Minas Gerais.
More drives to Barbacena
- Rio de Janeiro to Barbacena
- Niterói to Barbacena
- Pouso Alegre to Barbacena
- Araruama to Barbacena
- Cabo Frio to Barbacena
- Poços de Caldas to Barbacena
From São Carlos to other places in Brazil
- São Carlos to Bragança Paulista
- São Carlos to Paranapiacaba
- São Carlos to Cubatão
- São Carlos to Itanhaém
- São Carlos to Pindamonhangaba
- São Carlos to Itapetininga
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to drive from São Carlos to Barbacena?
About 8 h 53 min of driving without stops, over 373 miles.
How far is Barbacena from São Carlos by car?
About 373 miles (600 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 São Carlos to Barbacena 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 São Carlos to Barbacena use?
In order: SP-310, SP-330, SP-147, SP-191, MG-290, BR-381 and BR-265. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
Where can you stop on the way from São Carlos to Barbacena?
Closest to the road: Good Jesus Cathedral, Pouso Alegre (cathedral, mile 167, 0.4 mi from the route); Museu Regional de São João del-Rei (history museum, mile 337, 1 mi from the route); Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar, São João del Rei (cathedral, mile 337, 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.