By road, Uruguaiana and Barra de Valizas, Uruguay are about 504 miles (811 km) apart, or roughly 12 h 21 min of driving. You cross from Brazil into Uruguay at about mile 280.
- Level 4: Do Not Travel in Brazil: informal housing developments (favelas, vilas, comunidades or conglomerados).
Full advisory: Brazil, Uruguay. Advisory issued: Brazil August 31, 2026; Uruguay July 28, 2026; checked October 10, 2026.
On the roads, the State Department says:
- Brazil: “Use caution when walking or driving at night.”
- Uruguay: “Illumination, pavement markings, and road surfaces for secondary roads can be poor.”
| Distance | 504 mi (811 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 12 h 21 min |
| Main roads, in order | BR-290 → RSC-377 → BR-293 → RSC-473 → BR-473 |
| Border crossing | about mile 280, Brazil → Uruguay |
| Regions on the route | Rio Grande do Sul, Cerro Largo, Treinta y Tres, Lavalleja, Rocha |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 20.1 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 7 |
Getting across the Brazil–Uruguay border
The route crosses at about mile 280, from Rio Grande do Sul into Cerro Largo. 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 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. |
| 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, Brazil (updated August 06, 2026). Checked October 10, 2026; rules change, so confirm before you go.
The Uruguaiana–Barra de Valizas drive in a few lines
BR-293 (153 mi) and BR-290 (43 mi) carry about 39% of the 504 miles. The first 280 miles are in Brazil; the last 224 are in Uruguay. It runs through 5 regions: Rio Grande do Sul, Cerro Largo, Treinta y Tres, Lavalleja, Rocha. Of the 7 stops listed below, 3 are within a mile of the road.
Road-by-road breakdown: Uruguaiana to Barra de Valizas
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–2 | 2 | Rio Grande do Sul |
| BR-290 | 2–45 | 43 | Rio Grande do Sul |
| RSC-377 | 45–80 | 35 | Rio Grande do Sul |
| BR-293 | 80–233 | 153 | Rio Grande do Sul |
| RSC-473 | 233–237 | 4 | Rio Grande do Sul |
| connecting roads | 237–239 | 2 | Rio Grande do Sul |
| BR-473 | 239–277 | 38 | Rio Grande do Sul |
| local roads | 277–504 | 227 | Rio Grande do Sul, Cerro Largo, Treinta y Tres, Lavalleja, Rocha |
- Mile 280 of this route: Rio Grande do Sul → Cerro Largo (international border)
- Mile 346 of this route: Cerro Largo → Treinta y Tres (region line)
- Mile 401 of this route: Treinta y Tres → Lavalleja (region line)
- Mile 418 of this route: Lavalleja → Rocha (region line)
Where to stop on the way to Barra de Valizas
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Palacete Pedro Osório (mile 238), Dom Diogo de Souza Museum (mile 239), Museo Agustín Araújo (mile 383)
- Nature and outdoors: La Sirena Beach (mile 497)
- Museums and history: Palacete Pedro Osório (mile 238), Dom Diogo de Souza Museum (mile 239), Cathedral of Melo (mile 313), Regional History Museum of Melo (mile 313), Museo Agustín Araújo (mile 383)
Palacete Pedro Osório
Palacete Pedro Osório is a building in Bagé, in Brazil's Rio Grande do Sul state, listed as protected heritage by IPHAE.
Dom Diogo de Souza Museum
Founded in 1956 by historian Tarcísio Taborda, Bagé's Dom Diogo de Souza Museum has been housed since 1975 in the Portuguese Beneficence Society building.
Cathedral of Melo
The Cathedral of Our Lady of the Pillar and St. Raphael is the main Roman Catholic church in the city of Melo, Uruguay.
Regional History Museum of Melo
Founded on June 27, 1976, Melo's municipal history museum displays archaeological pieces and historical items from the region and hosts temporary exhibitions and talks.
Quebrada de los Cuervos
Crossed by the Yerbal Chico creek, the Quebrada de los Cuervos is a ravine in Treinta y Tres department and a natural protected area in Uruguay.
Museo Agustín Araújo
Treinta y Tres's departmental fine arts museum, the Museo Agustín Araújo is a public museum in the city of Treinta y Tres, Uruguay.
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.
Arriving in 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 Uruguaiana
- Uruguaiana to Erechim
- Uruguaiana to Chuí
- Uruguaiana to Berisso, Argentina
- Uruguaiana to Villa Carlos Paz, Argentina
- Uruguaiana to Chascomús, Argentina
- Uruguaiana to Adrogué, Argentina
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Uruguaiana to Barra de Valizas, Uruguay?
About 12 h 21 min of driving without stops, over 504 miles.
How far is Barra de Valizas, Uruguay from Uruguaiana by car?
About 504 miles (811 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 Uruguaiana to Barra de Valizas drive cross the border?
At about mile 280, from Brazil into Uruguay.
What do U.S. citizens need to drive from Uruguaiana 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.)
What does the U.S. travel advisory say about the Uruguaiana to Barra de Valizas drive?
The U.S. State Department rates Brazil Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Uruguay Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution. Read the full advisory before you go.
Which highways go from Uruguaiana to Barra de Valizas?
In order: BR-290, RSC-377, BR-293, RSC-473 and BR-473. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
Where can you stop on the way from Uruguaiana to Barra de Valizas?
Closest to the road: Palacete Pedro Osório (historic palace, mile 238, 0.2 mi from the route); Dom Diogo de Souza Museum (museum, mile 239, 0.4 mi from the route); Museo Agustín Araújo (museum, mile 383, 0.8 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.