Plan on about 12 h 24 min of driving for the 467-mile (752 km) trip from Teófilo Otoni to Itaguaí, 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 by road | 467 mi (752 km) |
|---|---|
| Time at the wheel, no stops | 12 h 24 min |
| Main roads, in order | BR-116 → API-010 → BR-393 → BR-040 → BR-493 |
| States on the route | Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 18.7 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
The Teófilo Otoni–Itaguaí drive in a few lines
BR-116 (326 mi) and BR-040 (43 mi) carry about 79% of the 467 miles. It runs through 2 states: Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro. Of the 9 stops listed below, 3 are within a mile of the road.
Road-by-road breakdown: Teófilo Otoni to Itaguaí
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–2 | 2 | Minas Gerais |
| BR-116 | 2–155 | 153 | Minas Gerais |
| local roads | 155–158 | 3 | Minas Gerais |
| connecting roads | 158–159 | 1 | Minas Gerais |
| BR-116 | 159–332 | 173 | Minas Gerais |
| API-010 | 332–337 | 5 | Minas Gerais |
| connecting roads | 337–339 | 2 | Minas Gerais |
| BR-393 | 339–369 | 30 | Rio de Janeiro |
| local roads | 369–380 | 11 | Rio de Janeiro |
| BR-040 | 380–423 | 43 | Rio de Janeiro |
| connecting roads | 423–424 | 1 | Rio de Janeiro |
| BR-493 | 424–461 | 37 | Rio de Janeiro |
| local roads | 461–467 | 6 | Rio de Janeiro |
- Mile 339 of this route: Minas Gerais → Rio de Janeiro (state line)
Places worth a stop between Teófilo Otoni and Itaguaí
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): St. John the Baptist Cathedral, Caratinga (mile 158), Museu Espaço dos Anjos (mile 305), St. Sebastian Cathedral, Leopoldina (mile 306)
- Nature and outdoors: Pedra do Elefante Natural Monument (mile 390), Serra dos Órgãos National Park (mile 395)
- Museums and history: St. Anthony of Padua Cathedral, Governador Valadares (mile 88), St. John the Baptist Cathedral, Caratinga (mile 158), Museu Espaço dos Anjos (mile 305), St. Sebastian Cathedral, Leopoldina (mile 306), Pedra do Elefante Natural Monument (mile 390), Santos Dumont House Museum (mile 405), Casa Stefan Zweig (mile 408), Valongo Wharf (mile 424)
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.
St. John the Baptist Cathedral, Caratinga
Also called Caratinga Cathedral, St. John the Baptist Cathedral is a Catholic church in the town of Caratinga, in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais.
Museu Espaço dos Anjos
Leopoldina's Museu Espaço dos Anjos occupies the house where poet Augusto dos Anjos lived, with a covered outdoor space that hosts music, theater and literary gatherings throughout the year.
St. Sebastian Cathedral, Leopoldina
Seat of the Diocese of Leopoldina, St. Sebastian Cathedral is a Catholic parish church in Leopoldina, 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.
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.
Santos Dumont House Museum
Known as A Encantada, the Santos Dumont House Museum in Petrópolis is the house built in 1918 for aviator Alberto Santos-Dumont on a steep hillside near the city center.
Casa Stefan Zweig
Founded in 2006, Casa Stefan Zweig is a writer's house museum in Petrópolis, set in the home where Stefan Zweig lived with his wife.
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.
More drives to Itaguaí
- São José dos Campos to Itaguaí
- Jacareí to Itaguaí
- Jundiaí to Itaguaí
- Santos to Itaguaí
- São Vicente to Itaguaí
- Praia Grande to Itaguaí
From Teófilo Otoni to other places in Brazil
- Teófilo Otoni to Conselheiro Lafaiete
- Teófilo Otoni to Guarapari
- Teófilo Otoni to Barbacena
- Teófilo Otoni to Nova Serrana
- Teófilo Otoni to Lavras
- Teófilo Otoni to Barra do Piraí
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Teófilo Otoni to Itaguaí?
About 12 h 24 min of driving without stops, over 467 miles.
How far is Itaguaí from Teófilo Otoni by car?
About 467 miles (752 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 Teófilo Otoni to Itaguaí?
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 Teófilo Otoni to Itaguaí use?
In order: BR-116, API-010, BR-393, BR-040 and BR-493. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between Teófilo Otoni and Itaguaí?
Closest to the road: St. John the Baptist Cathedral, Caratinga (cathedral, mile 158, 0.1 mi from the route); Museu Espaço dos Anjos (museum, mile 305, 0.5 mi from the route); St. Sebastian Cathedral, Leopoldina (cathedral, mile 306, 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.