By road, Trinidad, Uruguay and Chuí, Brazil are about 308 miles (495 km) apart, or roughly 6 h 42 min of driving. You cross from Uruguay into Brazil at about mile 305.
- Level 4: Do Not Travel in Brazil: informal housing developments (favelas, vilas, comunidades or conglomerados).
Full advisory: Uruguay, Brazil. Advisory issued: Uruguay July 28, 2026; Brazil August 31, 2026; checked October 10, 2026.
On the roads, the State Department says:
- Uruguay: “If you are in an accident involving injury, stay in place until a police officer arrives.”
- Brazil: “Flooding makes some roads through the Amazon impassable for much of the year.”
| Total distance | 308 mi (495 km) |
|---|---|
| Time at the wheel, no stops | 6 h 42 min |
| Main roads, in order | I-B |
| Border crossing | about mile 305, Uruguay → Brazil |
| Regions on the route | Flores, San José, Canelones, Maldonado, Rocha, Rio Grande do Sul |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 12.3 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
Getting across the Uruguay–Brazil border
The route crosses at about mile 305, from Rocha into Rio Grande do Sul. Plan on two checks on each side: immigration for your passport and customs for the car.
| Entering Brazil (U.S. citizens) | Visa required: apply and get approved before you travel; travelers without visas can't enter. Passport: must be valid for one month at entry, with a blank page for each stamp. |
|---|---|
| Driving in Brazil | If you'll stay more than 180 days and drive, carry an Inter-American Driving Permit with your U.S. license. |
| 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. |
| 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, Brazil (updated August 06, 2026); U.S. State Department, Uruguay (updated August 13, 2026). Checked October 10, 2026; rules change, so confirm before you go.
How the Trinidad to Chuí drive plays out
I-B (6 mi) carries about 2% of the 308 miles. The first 305 miles are in Uruguay; the last 3 are in Brazil. It runs through 6 regions: Flores, San José, Canelones, Maldonado, Rocha, Rio Grande do Sul. Of the 9 stops listed below, 3 are within a mile of the road.
Roads you'll take from Trinidad to Chuí
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–154 | 154 | Flores, San José, Canelones, Maldonado |
| I-B | 154–160 | 6 | Maldonado |
| local roads | 160–308 | 148 | Maldonado, Rocha, Rio Grande do Sul |
- Mile 30 of this route: Flores → San José (region line)
- Mile 80 of this route: San José → Canelones (region line)
- Mile 149 of this route: Canelones → Maldonado (region line)
- Mile 206 of this route: Maldonado → Rocha (region line)
- Mile 305 of this route: Rocha → Rio Grande do Sul (international border)
Stops between Trinidad and Chuí
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Observatorio Astronómico del CURE (mile 222), Teatro 25 de Mayo (mile 224), Santa Teresa National Park (mile 283)
- Nature and outdoors: Cerro Pan de Azúcar Native Wildlife Breeding Station (mile 160), Laguna José Ignacio (mile 194), La Sirena Beach (mile 263), Santa Teresa National Park (mile 283)
- Museums and history: Iglesia de Cristo Obrero y Nuestra Señora de Lourdes (mile 126)
Teatro Macció
San José de Mayo's Teatro Bartolomé Macció is a traditional theater, regarded as the city's most important building architecturally and declared a Historic Monument of Uruguay in 1984.
Iglesia de Cristo Obrero y Nuestra Señora de Lourdes
Since 2021, UNESCO has counted Eladio Dieste's Church of Christ the Worker among its World Heritage Sites. The engineer's brick church in Estación Atlántida was inaugurated in 1960 and is known for its undulating walls and roof.
Cerro Pan de Azúcar Native Wildlife Breeding Station
Near Piriápolis in Maldonado, this breeding station for native wildlife on Cerro Pan de Azúcar is surrounded by native vegetation and offers guided visits, including a native wildlife trail and a path up the hill.
Laguna José Ignacio
In Uruguay's Maldonado Department, Laguna José Ignacio is a coastal lagoon kept apart from the Atlantic Ocean by a sandbank.
Observatorio Astronómico del CURE
Run by the University of the Republic's eastern campus (CURE), this small observatory in Rocha opened in 2016 and uses a 30 cm reflector telescope under a motorized dome for teaching, research and public outreach.
Teatro 25 de Mayo
Rocha's Teatro 25 de Mayo opened in 1910 as an Italian-style theater in the eclectic style, with room for about 400 people. Now a cultural complex, it is a stop on the city's self-guided heritage walk.
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.
Santa Teresa National Park
Santa Teresa National Park on Rocha's coast was created to frame the colonial Santa Teresa Fortress; its grounds hold more than two million planted trees from five continents, a greenhouse and native wetland and woodland wildlife.
Parque Nacional Laguna Negra
In Rocha department, Laguna Negra National Park protects the waters of Laguna Negra, the Potrerillo de Santa Teresa biological station and part of Santa Teresa National Park north of Route 9.
More drives to Chuí
- Bagé to Chuí
- Porto Alegre to Chuí
- São Leopoldo to Chuí
- Santa Cruz do Sul to Chuí
- Novo Hamburgo to Chuí
- Santa Maria, Brazil to Chuí
More drives from Trinidad
- Trinidad, Uruguay to Fray Marcos
- Trinidad, Uruguay to Alejandro Gallinal
- Trinidad, Uruguay to Bella Unión
- Trinidad, Uruguay to Chuy
- Trinidad, Uruguay to Cariló, Argentina
- Trinidad, Uruguay to Magdalena, Argentina
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to drive from Trinidad, Uruguay to Chuí, Brazil?
About 6 h 42 min of driving without stops, over 308 miles.
How far is Chuí, Brazil from Trinidad, Uruguay by car?
About 308 miles (495 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 Trinidad to Chuí drive cross the border?
At about mile 305, from Uruguay into Brazil.
What do U.S. citizens need to drive from Trinidad into Brazil?
Visa required: apply and get approved before you travel; travelers without visas can't enter. Passport: must be valid for one month at entry, with a blank page for each stamp. If you'll stay more than 180 days and drive, carry an Inter-American Driving Permit with your U.S. license. (U.S. State Department, updated August 06, 2026.)
What does the U.S. travel advisory say about the Trinidad to Chuí drive?
The U.S. State Department rates Uruguay Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Brazil Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution. Read the full advisory before you go.
What are good stops between Trinidad and Chuí?
Closest to the road: Observatorio Astronómico del CURE (astronomical observatory, mile 222, 0.3 mi from the route); Teatro 25 de Mayo (theater, mile 224, 1 mi from the route); Santa Teresa National Park (national park, mile 283, 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.