Sete Lagoas to São Mateus is about 417 road miles (671 km): roughly 10 h 54 min at the wheel if you don't stop.
- 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 | 417 mi (671 km) |
|---|---|
| Time at the wheel, no stops | 10 h 54 min |
| Main roads, in order | MG-424 → MG-010 → BR-381 → BR-259 → ES-320 → ES-220 → BR-342 |
| States on the route | Minas Gerais, Espírito Santo |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 16.7 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 8 |
Driving Sete Lagoas to São Mateus: the shape of the trip
BR-381 (271 mi) and BR-259 (43 mi) carry about 75% of the 417 miles. It runs through 2 states: Minas Gerais, Espírito Santo. Of the 8 stops listed below, 3 are within a mile of the road.
Sete Lagoas to São Mateus: the road sequence
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–2 | 2 | Minas Gerais |
| MG-424 | 2–16 | 14 | Minas Gerais |
| local roads | 16–19 | 3 | Minas Gerais |
| MG-424 | 19–34 | 15 | Minas Gerais |
| MG-010 | 34–37 | 3 | Minas Gerais |
| local roads | 37–42 | 5 | Minas Gerais |
| connecting roads | 42–43 | 1 | Minas Gerais |
| BR-381 | 43–157 | 114 | Minas Gerais |
| local roads | 157–167 | 10 | Minas Gerais |
| BR-381 | 167–233 | 66 | Minas Gerais |
| BR-259 | 233–276 | 43 | Minas Gerais |
| BR-381 | 276–327 | 51 | Minas Gerais, Espírito Santo |
| connecting roads | 327–331 | 4 | Espírito Santo |
| ES-320 | 331–339 | 8 | Espírito Santo |
| ES-220 | 339–370 | 31 | Espírito Santo |
| BR-342 | 370–376 | 6 | Espírito Santo |
| BR-381 | 376–416 | 40 | Espírito Santo |
| local roads | 416–417 | 1 | Espírito Santo |
- Mile 324 of this route: Minas Gerais → Espírito Santo (state line)
Places worth a stop between Sete Lagoas and São Mateus
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Belo Horizonte Botanical Garden (mile 37), Museu do Telefone (mile 42), Saint Sebastian Cathedral, Coronel Fabriciano (mile 162)
- Nature and outdoors: Sumidouro State Park (mile 22), Belo Horizonte Botanical Garden (mile 37), Museu de História Natural e Jardim Botânico da Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (mile 42)
- Museums and history: Museu Histórico de Capim Branco (mile 11), Lapa Vermelha (mile 22), Museu de História Natural e Jardim Botânico da Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (mile 42), Museu do Telefone (mile 42), Saint Sebastian Cathedral, Coronel Fabriciano (mile 162), St. Anthony of Padua Cathedral, Governador Valadares (mile 234)
Museu Histórico de Capim Branco
Founded in 2013, the Museu Histórico de Capim Branco preserves the history of this Minas Gerais town and is housed in its oldest house, the Casarão Inhô Cachimbo.
Sumidouro State Park
In Minas Gerais, Sumidouro State Park is where remains of some of Brazil's earliest human inhabitants were found in the early 19th century, along with bones of extinct megafauna.
Lapa Vermelha
Lapa Vermelha is an archaeological site in the Lagoa Santa Karst Environmental Protection Area in Minas Gerais, a limestone massif on the shore of a small lake.
Belo Horizonte Botanical Garden
Belo Horizonte Botanical Garden opened to the public in 2001 to conserve and display plant collections, and it is part of the city's Fundação Zoo-Botânica.
Museu de História Natural e Jardim Botânico da Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais
The Federal University of Minas Gerais runs this natural history museum and botanical garden in Belo Horizonte, with an auditorium, a plant nursery, a lagoon, an ecological amphitheater and a sensory garden.
Museu do Telefone
The Museu do Telefone is a museum in the Mangabeiras neighborhood of Belo Horizonte.
Saint Sebastian Cathedral, Coronel Fabriciano
Inaugurated in 1993, Saint Sebastian Cathedral in Coronel Fabriciano, Minas Gerais, shares the role of seat of the Diocese of Itabira-Fabriciano with Our Lady of the Rosary Cathedral in Itabira.
St. Anthony of Padua Cathedral, Governador Valadares
St. Anthony of Padua Cathedral is the cathedral of the Catholic Diocese of Governador Valadares, in the city of the same name in Minas Gerais.
In São Mateus itself
St. Matthew Cathedral, São Mateus
St. Matthew Cathedral in the municipality of São Mateus is a Catholic church regarded as a reference for modern religious art in Brazil.
Igreja Velha
Listed as historic heritage of São Mateus in Espírito Santo, Igreja Velha was planned as the town's biggest church, but construction was never finished for lack of municipal funds.
Museu Eclesiástico de Arte Sacra
Set in a former seminary chapel in São Mateus, Espírito Santo, this museum of sacred art was founded by Bishop Dom Aldo Gerna.
More drives to São Mateus
- Rio das Ostras to São Mateus
- Nova Friburgo to São Mateus
- Conselheiro Lafaiete to São Mateus
- Teresópolis to São Mateus
- Juiz de Fora to São Mateus
- Petrópolis to São Mateus
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 São Mateus?
About 10 h 54 min of driving without stops, over 417 miles.
How far is São Mateus from Sete Lagoas by car?
About 417 miles (671 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 Sete Lagoas to São Mateus drive?
The U.S. State Department rates Brazil Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution. Read the full advisory before you go.
Which highways go from Sete Lagoas to São Mateus?
In order: MG-424, MG-010, BR-381, BR-259, ES-320, ES-220 and BR-342. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between Sete Lagoas and São Mateus?
Closest to the road: Belo Horizonte Botanical Garden (botanical garden, mile 37, 0.6 mi from the route); Museu do Telefone (museum, mile 42, 0.9 mi from the route); Saint Sebastian Cathedral, Coronel Fabriciano (cathedral, mile 162, 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.