Plan on about 10 h 55 min of driving for the 503-mile (809 km) trip from Tigre to Barra de Valizas, Uruguay, before any stops. You cross from Argentina into Uruguay at about mile 152, at the Gualeguaychú–Fray Bentos bridge.
Full advisory: Argentina, Uruguay. Advisory issued: Argentina July 10, 2026; Uruguay July 28, 2026; checked October 10, 2026.
On the roads, the State Department says:
- Argentina: “Drivers in Argentina tend to be aggressive, especially in Buenos Aires, and often ignore traffic regulations.”
- Uruguay: “Illumination, pavement markings, and road surfaces for secondary roads can be poor.”
| Distance by road | 503 mi (809 km) |
|---|---|
| Drive time without stops | 10 h 55 min |
| Main roads, in order | RP24 → RN9 → RP6 → RN12 → RN14 → RN136 → I-B |
| Border crossing | about mile 152, Argentina → Uruguay (the Gualeguaychú–Fray Bentos bridge) |
| Regions on the route | Buenos Aires, Entre Ríos, Río Negro, Soriano, Colonia, San José, Canelones, Maldonado, Rocha |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 20.1 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
The border on the way to Barra de Valizas
The route crosses at about mile 152, at the Gualeguaychú–Fray Bentos bridge, from Entre Ríos into Río Negro. Plan on two checks on each side: immigration for your passport and customs for the car.
| Entering Uruguay (U.S. citizens) | No visa needed for visits of 90 days or less. Passport: must be valid for 6 months beyond your arrival date. |
|---|---|
| Driving in Uruguay | You can drive on your U.S. license. |
| Entering Argentina (U.S. citizens) | No visa needed for visits of 90 days or less. Passport: must be valid when you enter; leave a blank page for the entry and exit stamps. |
| Driving in Argentina | A valid U.S. license usually works; an International Driving Permit is recommended. |
| Rental car | Cross only if the rental company authorizes it in writing and gives you the papers for the border; ask before you book. |
Sources: U.S. State Department, Uruguay (updated August 13, 2026); U.S. State Department, Argentina (updated July 16, 2026). Checked October 10, 2026; rules change, so confirm before you go.
How the Tigre to Barra de Valizas drive plays out
RN12 (47 mi) and RN14 (36 mi) carry about 17% of the 503 miles. The first 152 miles are in Argentina; the last 351 are in Uruguay. It runs through 9 regions: Buenos Aires, Entre Ríos, Río Negro, Soriano, Colonia, San José, Canelones, Maldonado, Rocha. Of the 9 stops listed below, 4 are within a mile of the road.
Which roads connect Tigre and Barra de Valizas
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–1 | 1 | Buenos Aires |
| RP24 | 1–7 | 6 | Buenos Aires |
| RN9 | 7–35 | 28 | Buenos Aires |
| RP6 | 35–40 | 5 | Buenos Aires |
| RN12 | 40–87 | 47 | Buenos Aires, Entre Ríos |
| RN14 | 87–123 | 36 | Entre Ríos |
| local roads | 123–130 | 7 | Entre Ríos |
| RN136 | 130–149 | 19 | Entre Ríos |
| connecting roads | 149–152 | 3 | Entre Ríos |
| local roads | 152–285 | 133 | Río Negro, Soriano, Colonia, San José |
| connecting roads | 285–288 | 3 | San José |
| local roads | 288–385 | 97 | San José, Canelones, Maldonado |
| I-B | 385–390 | 5 | Maldonado |
| connecting roads | 390–391 | 1 | Maldonado |
| local roads | 391–503 | 112 | Maldonado, Rocha |
- Mile 57 of this route: Buenos Aires → Entre Ríos (region line)
- Mile 152 of this route: Entre Ríos → Río Negro (international border)
- Mile 168 of this route: Río Negro → Soriano (region line)
- Mile 249 of this route: Soriano → Colonia (region line)
- Mile 267 of this route: Colonia → San José (region line)
- Mile 310 of this route: San José → Canelones (region line)
- Mile 380 of this route: Canelones → Maldonado (region line)
- Mile 437 of this route: Maldonado → Rocha (region line)
What to see on the way from Tigre to Barra de Valizas
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Temaikèn (mile 18), Japanese Garden, Belén de Escobar (mile 19), Cathedral of Mercedes (mile 170), Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe (mile 321)
- Nature and outdoors: Japanese Garden, Belén de Escobar (mile 19), Ciervo de los Pantanos National Park (mile 27), Laguna José Ignacio (mile 425), La Sirena Beach (mile 496)
- Museums and history: Alejandro Berro Paleontology Museum (mile 167), Cathedral of Mercedes (mile 170), Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe (mile 321), Iglesia de Cristo Obrero y Nuestra Señora de Lourdes (mile 357)
- With kids: Temaikèn (mile 18)
Temaikèn
Temaikèn is a zoo in Belén de Escobar, outside Buenos Aires, and the only zoo in Argentina accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
Japanese Garden, Belén de Escobar
Landscape engineer Yasuo Inomata designed this Japanese garden in Belén de Escobar in 1969, and the local Japanese community donated it to the city. Red, white and spotted koi swim in its 1,000-square-meter pond.
Ciervo de los Pantanos National Park
About 2,500 hectares of wetlands in Campana, Buenos Aires province, are protected as Ciervo de los Pantanos National Park. It's a Ramsar Site and home to the marsh deer and plenty of waterbirds.
Alejandro Berro Paleontology Museum
In a 19th-century building in Mercedes' Parque Castillo Mauá, this paleontology museum opened in 1946 around the collection of naturalist Alejandro Berro; a well-preserved glyptodon shell found on a nearby riverbank is a highlight.
Cathedral of Mercedes
Since 1960, the Diocese of Mercedes has had its seat at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Mercy, the main Catholic church in this Uruguayan city.
Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe
Construction of Canelones' Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe began in 1816; the church became a cathedral in 1961 and Uruguay's national shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in 2020.
Iglesia de Cristo Obrero y Nuestra Señora de Lourdes
Engineer Eladio Dieste's Church of Christ the Worker in Estación Atlántida, inaugurated in 1960, joined UNESCO's World Heritage List in 2021. Look for its wavy brick walls and roof, an openwork brick bell tower and an underground baptistery.
Laguna José Ignacio
In Uruguay's Maldonado Department, Laguna José Ignacio is a coastal lagoon kept apart from the Atlantic Ocean by a sandbank.
La Sirena Beach
About 2.5 km north of Aguas Dulces, La Sirena is one of Uruguay's two official naturist beaches, backed by vegetated dunes, small marshes, lagoons and pine and acacia woods where coastal birds are common.
Once you reach Barra de Valizas
Parque nacional Cabo Polonio
Part of Uruguay's national protected areas system since 2009, Cabo Polonio National Park spans 25,820 hectares of coastline, ocean and offshore islands.
Cabo Polonio Lighthouse
Standing on the Cabo Polonio headland in Uruguay's Rocha department, this lighthouse looks out over the Atlantic Ocean and was built in 1881.
Dunes of Cabo Polonio
Inside Cabo Polonio National Park in Uruguay's Rocha department, a band of natural sand dunes runs along the Atlantic Ocean.
More drives to Barra de Valizas
- Maldonado to Barra de Valizas
- Montevideo to Barra de Valizas
- Veinticinco de Agosto to Barra de Valizas
- Nueva Helvecia to Barra de Valizas
- Colonia del Sacramento to Barra de Valizas
- Conchillas to Barra de Valizas
More drives from Tigre
- Tigre to Adrogué
- Tigre to Magdalena
- Tigre to Ayacucho, Argentina
- Tigre to Cariló
- Tigre to Villa Gesell
- Tigre to Sierra de La Ventana
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to drive from Tigre to Barra de Valizas, Uruguay?
About 10 h 55 min of driving without stops, over 503 miles.
How far is Barra de Valizas, Uruguay from Tigre by car?
About 503 miles (809 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.
Where does the Tigre to Barra de Valizas drive cross the border?
At about mile 152, from Argentina into Uruguay, at the Gualeguaychú–Fray Bentos bridge.
What do U.S. citizens need to drive from Tigre into Uruguay?
No visa needed for visits of 90 days or less. Passport: must be valid for 6 months beyond your arrival date. You can drive on your U.S. license. (U.S. State Department, updated August 13, 2026.)
Is it safe to drive from Tigre to Barra de Valizas, Uruguay?
The U.S. State Department rates Argentina Level 1: Exercise Normal Precautions; Uruguay Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution. Read the full advisory before you go.
Which highways go from Tigre to Barra de Valizas?
In order: RP24, RN9, RP6, RN12, RN14, RN136 and I-B. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between Tigre and Barra de Valizas?
Closest to the road: Temaikèn (zoo, mile 18, 0.6 mi from the route); Japanese Garden, Belén de Escobar (japanese garden, mile 19, 0.2 mi from the route); Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe (cathedral, mile 321, 0.2 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.