The best road trips in Brazil take you to mountains, jungles and stunning beaches

21.09.2023 - 16:19 / lonelyplanet.com

Getting behind the wheel of a car in Brazil opens the door to a world of road trip adventures. Distances may be long and routes may be rough in places, but the sense of achievement that comes from driving the country’s snaking coastal byways, inland highways and high mountain roads will stay with you for a lifetime.

With the opt-in approach to road traffic laws and the fact that 87% of Brazil's rodovías (highways) are unsurfaced, undivided roads, driving in this huge country isn't always easy, but don’t let that put you off. If you stick to daytime driving and avoid bigger cities, road travel in Brazil gets a lot less stressful.

With some careful planning and a philosophical commitment to taking it slow, a road trip through Brazil can be an uplifting adventure through a world of natural wonders. Here's our guide to the best road trips in Brazil.

Santos–Rio de Janeiro; 550km (341 miles)

The coastal road linking Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo is definitely not the quickest way to get between the two cities, but it’s certainly the most interesting.

Wedged between the forest-covered slopes of the Serra do Mar and the Atlantic Ocean, this winding route takes in all the curves of the coastline, passing thousands of beaches and hundreds of islands, some of which are well worth an overnight stop (Ilha Grande and Ilha Bela are standout places to break the trip). 

While the journey can be completed in two or three days, it’s worth taking your time. The road was built in the 1970s and it has views of the ocean for much of the way, crossing sparkling rivers and passing peaceful fishing villages as well as more bustling vacation spots.

The Portuguese-founded town of Paraty is an essential overnight stop, as are the pristine beaches north of Ubatuba, such as Praia do Félix and Itamambuca.

Leave time for activities, too. Along the way, you can explore waterfalls, hike in the dense Atlantic Forest and enjoy tastings at distilleries making cachaça (a distilled spirit made from fermented sugarcane juice). Make regular pit stops at beach shacks or upscale restaurants to try caiçara cuisine, the seafood-rich cooking tradition of the coastal communities in Brazil’s southeast.

Ouro Preto–Paraty; 710km (441 miles)

The Estrada Real (Royal Road) charts a major slice of Brazil’s colonial history along its 932-mile route. Actually a network of roads rather than a single route, the Estrada Real was built on the labor of thousands of enslaved people from the 17th century onward to connect the mining towns in Brazil’s interior with the ports in Paraty and later Rio de Janeiro, from where gold and diamonds were shipped to Portugal. So, yes, the usual colonial story...

These days, the route stands out for its scenery, culture and