Plan on about 13 h 12 min of driving for the 496-mile (799 km) trip from Varginha to Colatina, 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 | 496 mi (799 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 13 h 12 min |
| Main roads, in order | BR-381 → BR-040 → BR-262 → MG-108 → BR-474 → BR-259 |
| States on the route | Minas Gerais, Espírito Santo |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 19.9 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 6 |
Driving Varginha to Colatina: the shape of the trip
BR-381 (219 mi) and BR-262 (116 mi) carry about 68% of the 496 miles. It runs through 2 states: Minas Gerais, Espírito Santo. Of the 6 stops listed below, 1 are within a mile of the road.
Road-by-road breakdown: Varginha to Colatina
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–23 | 23 | Minas Gerais |
| BR-381 | 23–175 | 152 | Minas Gerais |
| connecting roads | 175–176 | 1 | Minas Gerais |
| BR-040 | 176–184 | 8 | Minas Gerais |
| connecting roads | 184–187 | 3 | Minas Gerais |
| BR-381 | 187–254 | 67 | Minas Gerais |
| BR-262 | 254–370 | 116 | Minas Gerais |
| MG-108 | 370–437 | 67 | Minas Gerais |
| BR-474 | 437–460 | 23 | Minas Gerais |
| BR-259 | 460–492 | 32 | Minas Gerais, Espírito Santo |
| local roads | 492–496 | 4 | Espírito Santo |
- Mile 464 of this route: Minas Gerais → Espírito Santo (state line)
Stops between Varginha and Colatina
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Natural Sciences Museum of the Pontifical Catholic University of Minas Gerais (mile 179)
- Nature and outdoors: Serra do Rola-Moça State Park (mile 174), Natural Sciences Museum of the Pontifical Catholic University of Minas Gerais (mile 179)
- Museums and history: Nair Mendes Moreira House of Culture (mile 170), Casa de Cacos (mile 171), Natural Sciences Museum of the Pontifical Catholic University of Minas Gerais (mile 179), Church of Saint Francis of Assisi, Pampulha (mile 182)
- With kids: Natural Sciences Museum of the Pontifical Catholic University of Minas Gerais (mile 179)
Nair Mendes Moreira House of Culture
Known locally as Casa do Registro, the Casa da Cultura Nair Mendes Moreira is an 18th-century house in Contagem. Local tradition links it to a Portuguese Crown post that counted goods and checked tax payments.
Casa de Cacos
Casa de Cacos in Contagem is a museum and an example of fantastic architecture, built and decorated entirely by geologist Carlos Luís de Almeida and considered the only one of its kind in Brazil.
Serra do Rola-Moça State Park
On the edge of metropolitan Belo Horizonte, Serra do Rola-Moça State Park protects rugged ridges of the Espinhaço range where cerrado savanna meets Atlantic Forest.
Natural Sciences Museum of the Pontifical Catholic University of Minas Gerais
On the PUC Minas campus in Belo Horizonte, this natural sciences museum shows Brazilian fauna, largely from the cerrado, alongside fossil South American mammals and an 'Age of Reptiles' hall with dinosaurs, pterosaurs and a large crocodile.
Church of Saint Francis of Assisi, Pampulha
Designed by Oscar Niemeyer in an organic modern style, the Church of Saint Francis of Assisi is a chapel in the Pampulha area of Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais.
Cine Theatro Brasil
Built in 1932 on Praça Sete de Setembro in Belo Horizonte as a cinema and theater, Cine Theatro Brasil is an 11-story building whose curved facade marks the corner of Avenida Amazonas and Rua Carijós.
More drives to Colatina
- Cariacica to Colatina
- Vitória to Colatina
- Guarapari to Colatina
- Cachoeiro de Itapemirim to Colatina
- Campos dos Goytacazes to Colatina
- Rio das Ostras to Colatina
From Varginha to other places in Brazil
- Varginha to Ubá
- Varginha to Paranapiacaba
- Varginha to Cubatão
- Varginha to Trindade
- Varginha to Jaú
- Varginha to Itanhaém
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to drive from Varginha to Colatina?
About 13 h 12 min of driving without stops, over 496 miles.
What is the driving distance from Varginha to Colatina?
About 496 miles (799 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 Varginha to Colatina drive?
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 Varginha to Colatina use?
In order: BR-381, BR-040, BR-262, MG-108, BR-474 and BR-259. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
Where can you stop on the way from Varginha to Colatina?
Closest to the road: Casa de Cacos (museum, mile 171, 2 mi from the route); Natural Sciences Museum of the Pontifical Catholic University of Minas Gerais (museum, mile 179, 0.6 mi from the route); Church of Saint Francis of Assisi, Pampulha (catholic parish church, mile 182, 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.