By road, Teresópolis and Santa Leopoldina are about 302 miles (486 km) apart, or roughly 8 h 21 min of driving.
- 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: “Road maintenance is inadequate in many areas.”
| Distance by road | 302 mi (486 km) |
|---|---|
| Drive time without stops | 8 h 21 min |
| Main roads, in order | BR-116 → CMG-393 → RJ-186 → ES-297 → BR-101 → ES-080 |
| States on the route | Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais, Espírito Santo |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 12.1 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 8 |
Driving Teresópolis to Santa Leopoldina: the shape of the trip
BR-101 (102 mi) and RJ-186 (63 mi) carry about 55% of the 302 miles. It runs through 3 states: Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais, Espírito Santo. None of the 8 stops below is right on the road, so plan each as a short side trip.
Which roads connect Teresópolis and Santa Leopoldina
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–4 | 4 | Rio de Janeiro |
| BR-116 | 4–52 | 48 | Rio de Janeiro |
| connecting roads | 52–55 | 3 | Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais |
| CMG-393 | 55–82 | 27 | Minas Gerais |
| connecting roads | 82–83 | 1 | Minas Gerais |
| RJ-186 | 83–146 | 63 | Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro |
| connecting roads | 146–147 | 1 | Rio de Janeiro |
| ES-297 | 147–175 | 28 | Rio de Janeiro, Espírito Santo |
| BR-101 | 175–277 | 102 | Espírito Santo |
| connecting roads | 277–280 | 3 | Espírito Santo |
| ES-080 | 280–301 | 21 | Espírito Santo |
| local roads | 301–302 | 1 | Espírito Santo |
- Mile 54 of this route: Rio de Janeiro → Minas Gerais (state line)
- Mile 88 of this route: Minas Gerais → Rio de Janeiro (state line)
- Mile 171 of this route: Rio de Janeiro → Espírito Santo (state line)
Stops between Teresópolis and Santa Leopoldina
- Nature and outdoors: Araponga Municipal Nature Park (mile 15), Pedra das Flores Natural Monument (mile 22), Itabira Natural Monument (mile 205), Frade e a Freira Natural Monument (mile 211), Paulo César Vinha State Park (mile 257), Morro do Penedo Natural Monument (mile 277), Fonte Grande State Park (mile 279)
- Museums and history: Itabira Natural Monument (mile 205), Ruins of the Church of São José do Queimado (mile 287)
Araponga Municipal Nature Park
Araponga Municipal Nature Park is a municipal nature park in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, a protected green area along the way.
Pedra das Flores Natural Monument
Pedra das Flores Natural Monument is a municipal natural monument, a protected area in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Itabira Natural Monument
Itabira Natural Monument is a protected area in the state of Espírito Santo, Brazil, listed in the natural monument category.
Frade e a Freira Natural Monument
Created by state decree in 2007, the Frade e a Freira Natural Monument is a state-run protected area in Espírito Santo spanning parts of Itapemirim, Cachoeiro de Itapemirim and Vargem Alta.
Paulo César Vinha State Park
Along the Atlantic shore in Guarapari, Paulo César Vinha State Park protects dunes, lagoons and marshes. Its trails lead to the beach and to Lagoa de Caraís.
Morro do Penedo Natural Monument
Morro do Penedo Natural Monument protects a small sugarloaf-shaped hill on the shore of the bay south of Vitória, the capital of Espírito Santo state.
Fonte Grande State Park
Fonte Grande State Park is a state-protected park in the Brazilian state of Espírito Santo.
Ruins of the Church of São José do Queimado
In the Queimado district of Serra, Espírito Santo, these church ruins stand as a historic reminder of the Queimado Insurrection, an 1849 slave uprising.
In Santa Leopoldina itself
Museu do Colono
Opened in April 1969, the Museu do Colono is a museum in Santa Leopoldina, Espírito Santo, and is run today by the state's Department of Culture.
Historic Center of Santa Leopoldina
Squeezed between hills and the Santa Maria River, the Historic Center of Santa Leopoldina (Núcleo Histórico de Santa Leopoldina) keeps buildings from the late 1800s and early 1900s. Espírito Santo listed it as a State Historic Site in 1983.
Igreja Sagrada Família
Igreja Sagrada Família, the mother church of Santa Leopoldina, Espírito Santo, was built in 1911 on top of a hill above the Santa Maria River valley.
More drives to Santa Leopoldina
- Guarapari to Santa Leopoldina
- Cachoeiro de Itapemirim to Santa Leopoldina
- Campos dos Goytacazes to Santa Leopoldina
- Itaperuna to Santa Leopoldina
- Muriaé to Santa Leopoldina
- Ipatinga to Santa Leopoldina
From Teresópolis to other places in Brazil
- Teresópolis to Itaguaí
- Teresópolis to Guaratinguetá
- Teresópolis to Bragança Paulista
- Teresópolis to Paranapiacaba
- Teresópolis to Cubatão
- Teresópolis to Itu
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to drive from Teresópolis to Santa Leopoldina?
About 8 h 21 min of driving without stops, over 302 miles.
How far is Santa Leopoldina from Teresópolis by car?
About 302 miles (486 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 Teresópolis to Santa Leopoldina drive?
The U.S. State Department rates Brazil Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution. Read the full advisory before you go.
Which highways go from Teresópolis to Santa Leopoldina?
In order: BR-116, CMG-393, RJ-186, ES-297, BR-101 and ES-080. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
Where can you stop on the way from Teresópolis to Santa Leopoldina?
Closest to the road: Araponga Municipal Nature Park (protected area, mile 15, 2 mi from the route); Pedra das Flores Natural Monument (protected area, mile 22, 2 mi from the route); Frade e a Freira Natural Monument (protected area, mile 211, 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.