Plan on about 8 h 60 min of driving for the 367-mile (591 km) trip from Sete Lagoas to Araruama, 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.”
| Distance | 367 mi (591 km) |
|---|---|
| Drive time without stops | 8 h 60 min |
| Main roads, in order | BR-040 → BR-116 → BR-493 → BR-101 → RJ-124 |
| States on the route | Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 14.7 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
How the Sete Lagoas to Araruama drive plays out
BR-040 (282 mi) and BR-101 (22 mi) carry about 83% of the 367 miles. It runs through 2 states: Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro. None of the 9 stops below is right on the road, so plan each as a short side trip.
Which roads connect Sete Lagoas and Araruama
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–4 | 4 | Minas Gerais |
| BR-040 | 4–169 | 165 | Minas Gerais |
| local roads | 169–173 | 4 | Minas Gerais |
| BR-040 | 173–290 | 117 | Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro |
| connecting roads | 290–291 | 1 | Rio de Janeiro |
| BR-116 | 291–304 | 13 | Rio de Janeiro |
| BR-493 | 304–321 | 17 | Rio de Janeiro |
| BR-101 | 321–343 | 22 | Rio de Janeiro |
| RJ-124 | 343–362 | 19 | Rio de Janeiro |
| local roads | 362–367 | 5 | Rio de Janeiro |
- Mile 222 of this route: Minas Gerais → Rio de Janeiro (state line)
Stops between Sete Lagoas and Araruama
- Nature and outdoors: Natural Sciences Museum of the Pontifical Catholic University of Minas Gerais (mile 40), Pedra do Elefante Natural Monument (mile 257), Serra do Barbosão Municipal Nature Park (mile 334)
- Museums and history: Pampulha Art Museum (mile 35), Natural Sciences Museum of the Pontifical Catholic University of Minas Gerais (mile 40), Museu da Loucura (mile 144), Pedra do Elefante Natural Monument (mile 257), Valongo Wharf (mile 292)
- With kids: Natural Sciences Museum of the Pontifical Catholic University of Minas Gerais (mile 40)
Pampulha Modern Ensemble
Laid out around the artificial Lake Pampulha in Belo Horizonte, the Pampulha Modern Ensemble is an urban project that includes a casino, a ballroom, the Golf Yacht Club and the Church of Saint Francis of Assisi.
Pampulha Art Museum
Designed by Oscar Niemeyer as the Cassino da Pampulha, the Pampulha Art Museum in Belo Horizonte is part of the Pampulha Modern Ensemble, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2016.
Natural Sciences Museum of the Pontifical Catholic University of Minas Gerais
On the PUC Minas campus in Belo Horizonte, this natural sciences museum shows Brazilian fauna, largely from the cerrado, alongside fossil South American mammals and an 'Age of Reptiles' hall with dinosaurs, pterosaurs and a large crocodile.
Piemonte Tower
Rising 101 meters on a mountain ridge between the Serra do Curral and Serra do Rola-Moça, Piemonte Tower (Torre Piemonte) is a tourist structure at the Alta Vila shopping center on the Nova Lima–Belo Horizonte line.
Sanctuary of Bom Jesus de Matosinhos
A UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1985, this hilltop sanctuary in Congonhas is famous for Aleijadinho's 12 soapstone prophets on the front terraces and six chapels holding 64 life-size cedar figures of the Passion.
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.
Pedra do Elefante Natural Monument
The Pedra do Elefante Natural Monument is a municipal natural monument, a protected area in the state of Rio de Janeiro.
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.
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.
In Araruama itself
Coqueiral
Coqueiral is a beach in Araruama, Rio de Janeiro state, in a neighborhood of the same name along the Amaral Peixoto highway.
More drives to Araruama
- Barra Mansa to Araruama
- Angra dos Reis to Araruama
- Pindamonhangaba to Araruama
- Taubaté to Araruama
- São José dos Campos to Araruama
- Jacareí to Araruama
From Sete Lagoas to other places in Brazil
- Sete Lagoas to Conselheiro Lafaiete
- Sete Lagoas to Barbacena
- Sete Lagoas to Muriaé
- Sete Lagoas to Itaperuna
- Sete Lagoas to Pouso Alegre
- Sete Lagoas to Teresópolis
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Sete Lagoas to Araruama?
About 8 h 60 min of driving without stops, over 367 miles.
What is the driving distance from Sete Lagoas to Araruama?
About 367 miles (591 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.
Is it safe to drive from Sete Lagoas to Araruama?
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 Sete Lagoas to Araruama use?
In order: BR-040, BR-116, BR-493, BR-101 and RJ-124. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
Where can you stop on the way from Sete Lagoas to Araruama?
Closest to the road: Natural Sciences Museum of the Pontifical Catholic University of Minas Gerais (museum, mile 40, 1 mi from the route); Piemonte Tower (observation tower, mile 47, 1 mi from the route); Sanctuary of Bom Jesus de Matosinhos (calvary, mile 89, 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.