Getting behind the wheel of a automotive in Brazil opens the door to a world of road journey adventures. Distances could also be lengthy and routes could also be tough in locations, however the sense of accomplishment that comes from driving the nation’s snaking coastal byways, inland highways and excessive mountain roads will stick with you for a lifetime.
With the opt-in method to road visitors legal guidelines and the truth that 87% of Brazil’s rodovías (highways) are unsurfaced, undivided roads, driving in this large nation is not at all times straightforward, however don’t let that put you off. If you happen to follow daytime driving and keep away from larger cities, road journey in Brazil will get loads much less nerve-racking.
With some cautious planning and a philosophical dedication to taking it gradual, a road journey via Brazil might be an uplifting journey via a world of pure wonders. Here is our information to the best road trips in Brazil.
Rio-Santos Road
Best road journey for lovely seashores
Santos–Rio de Janeiro; 550km (341 miles)
The coastal road linking Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo is unquestionably not the quickest approach to get between the 2 cities, but it surely’s actually probably the most attention-grabbing.
Wedged between the forest-covered slopes of the Serra do Mar and the Atlantic Ocean, this winding route takes in all of the curves of the shoreline, passing hundreds of seashores and tons of of islands, a few of that are properly price an in a single day cease (Ilha Grande and Ilha Bela are standout locations to interrupt the journey).
Whereas the journey might be accomplished in two or three days, it’s price taking your time. The road was constructed in the 1970s and it has views of the ocean for a lot of the way in which, crossing glowing rivers and passing peaceable fishing villages in addition to extra bustling trip spots.
The Portuguese-founded city of Paraty is an important in a single day cease, as are the pristine seashores north of Ubatuba, similar to Praia do Félix and Itamambuca.
Depart time for actions, too. Alongside the way in which, you possibly can discover waterfalls, hike in the dense Atlantic Forest and luxuriate in tastings at distilleries making cachaça (a distilled spirit made out of fermented sugarcane juice). Make common pit stops at seaside shacks or upscale eating places to attempt caiçara delicacies, the seafood-rich cooking custom of the coastal communities in Brazil’s southeast.
The Royal Road
Best road journey for historic websites
Ouro Preto–Paraty; 710km (441 miles)
The Estrada Actual (Royal Road) charts a significant slice of Brazil’s colonial historical past alongside its 932-mile route. Truly a community of roads slightly than a single route, the Estrada Actual was constructed on the labor of hundreds of enslaved individuals from the 17th century onward to attach the mining cities in Brazil’s inside with the ports in Paraty and later Rio de Janeiro, from the place gold and diamonds have been shipped to Portugal. So, sure, the same old colonial story…
Nowadays, the route stands out for its surroundings, tradition and structure, linking lots of Brazil’s most placing Portuguese-era townships. To assist with route-finding, the Instituto Estrada Actual can present maps and a Royal Road “passport” that may be stamped at checkpoints alongside the way in which.
The most attention-grabbing stretch is the Caminho Velho (Outdated Route), which hyperlinks the colonial cities of Ouro Preto, Tiradentes, Mariana and Congonhas, famed for his or her baroque church buildings and steep cobbled streets.
The Caminho Velho takes about eight days to drive and primarily follows grime roads, so a 4×4 is a should. The route begins in Ouro Preto and ends on the coast in Paraty – each are Unesco World Heritage websites, hailed for his or her historical past and biodiversity, respectively.
Cease alongside the way in which to go to waterfalls, conventional cheesemakers and eating places serving comida mineira (the area’s hearty consolation meals – filled with corn, cassava, beans, and pork and slow-cooked on a wood-fired vary). Trips might be deliberate across the route’s many festivals, masking every thing from movie to images to meals.
The Northern Bahian coast
Best road journey for sea views
Aracajú–Boipeba; 560km (347 miles)
Bahia is the Brazilian state with the longest shoreline – a powerful 930km (579 miles) of stylish seaside resorts, small fishing villages and every thing in between. Coconut Coast, Cacau Coast and the Discovery Coast are among the evocative monikers utilized to particular stretches of this shoreline.
In Bahia, nobody is in a rush, and that’s the best method to tackle this road journey, stopping as typically as doable for recent seafood lunches and dips in the ocean.
Beginning in the Sergipe state capital of Aracajú, it’s a simple drive south to Mangue Seco, a phenomenal peninsula on the northern tip of Bahia state and the beginning of the palm-fringed Coconut Coast. The trip city of Praia do Forte and the Tamar turtle preservation undertaking are properly price a go to, too, earlier than reaching Salvador, the historic state capital and the center of Brazil’s Afro-Brazilian tradition.
An everyday automotive ferry crosses the Bay of All Saints to Bom Despacho, from the place the Dendê Coast heads south, providing extra interesting seaside stops. To complete, park up in Valença or Graciosa and take a small speedboat over to Boipeba Island, famed for its pristine white sand and turquoise waters.
Rota das Emoções
Best road journey for escapism
São Luís do Maranhão–Jericoacoara; 642km (399 miles)
A trip on the wild facet is likely to be a extra poetic translation of Rota das Emoções – the “Route of Feelings” (blissful ones, we hope). The lengthy stretch of road that connects São Luís, the capital of Maranhão, with the seaside trip city of Jericoacoara takes in the pure wonders of this wind-swept nook of Brazil’s northeastern coast.
The first cease is Lençóis Maranhenses, the place crystal clear freshwater lagoons type through the wet season throughout a 1550 sq km (598 sq mile) expanse of sand dunes. To take in the majesty of Lençóis Maranhenses Nationwide Park, a chartered flight provides the best vantage level, although mountaineering, quad bikes and jeep excursions permit guests the bonus of a dip in the lagoons.
Subsequent, cease on the Parnaíba River Delta, the place dozens of islands are dwelling to mangrove forests and a set of wildlife best explored by boat. Flocks of vibrant pink guarás (scarlet ibises) fill the skies as they arrive in to roost at sundown.
The remaining stretch is alongside the Ceará coast – one of many world’s high locations for kitesurfing – ending in Jericoacoara (or “Jeri”) for just a few days absorbing the fantastic thing about the neighboring nationwide park, kitesurfing or simply stress-free on the seaside. The city is surrounded by sand dunes and sea, however it’s doable to drive all the way in which to Jeri by choosing up a neighborhood information in Jijoca or Prea and deflating your tires for sand driving to navigate the ultimate stretch.
In any other case, you possibly can park exterior the dunes and take a switch by 4×4. The small city of Camocim additionally has parking choices and seaside buggy rides to Jeri.
Estrada Transpantaneira
Best road journey for wildlife
Poconé–Porto Jofre; 150km (93 miles)
The Pantanal is the world’s largest wetland, masking some 209,790 sq km (81,000 sq miles), largely in Brazil but in addition spilling into neighboring Bolivia and Paraguay.
This pure wonderland is a must-visit for wildlife lovers – the forests teem with large creatures similar to caimans, capybaras and jaguars and a menagerie of birds. The best approach to attain extra distant components of the Panatal is by airplane or boat, however you may get right here on 4 wheels following the road often called the Transpantaneira – route MT-060.
This grime road cuts into the Pantanal from the north and might be pushed in a daily automotive through the dry season (April to September) when wildlife can also be simpler to identify. Nonetheless, a 4×4 is crucial through the wet season when rivers can flip into lakes. Motels of various requirements line the Transpantaneira, and most can prepare boat rides and nocturnal excursions to hunt out wildlife.
When fires ravaged the Pantanal in 2020, a marketing campaign was launched to encourage vacationers to go to, selling accountable tourism as a viable financial various to cattle ranching to assist defend the area’s distinctive biodiversity. The Instituto Homem Pantaneiro is a neighborhood NGO that, amongst different issues, promotes ecotourism experiences, investing its revenue in native conservation initiatives.
Espírito Santo Mountains
Best road journey for consuming and consuming
Begin – Vitória; End – Alto do Caparaó; Distance – 151 miles/243km
The coastal state of Espírito Santo is sandwiched between Rio de Janeiro and Bahia, and its inexperienced mountains provide a few of Brazil’s best hikes. Lower than an hour’s drive from the state capital, Vitoria, the BR-262 freeway climbs slowly up into the Serra Capixaba the place an agritourism scene has flourished in current years.
Natural farms, delis, eating places, cafes and guesthouses are all mapped out on a delicate route that connects Domingos Martins and Venda Nova do Imigrante.
Within the mid-19th century, immigrants started to reach in this space from Germany, Italy and Pomerania (a historic area on the Baltic Sea), and so they lived in relative isolation till the BR-262 was constructed in the 1960s.
A lot of their traditions are nonetheless alive, notably in their kitchens. In Venda Nova do Imigrante, highlights embrace socol (a pork sausage of Italian origin) and polenta – the city even hosts an annual polenta pageant serving up an enormous pot of polenta weighing in at multiple ton.
The Rota do Lagarto, a bucolic 8km (5-mile) detour off the BR-262, goes previous the doorway to the Pedra Azul state park the place hikers can climb to the highest of the “blue” granite rock that gave the park its title. For equally gorgeous vistas and a more difficult hike, it’s an additional 62 miles to 2892m (9488ft) Pico da Bandeira, the third highest mountain in Brazil.
Rio do Rastro
Best road journey for panoramic views
Lauro Muller–Bom Jardim da Serra; 34km (21 miles)
Excessive up in the Serra Catarinense, the place the tops of the peaks are sprinkled with snow in winter, the Rio do Rastro road winds its method alongside a sheer ridge in a collection of sharp chicanes. This brief stretch of road, which precariously hugs a steep mountainside, is probably probably the most breathtaking drive in Brazil.
Spectacular views of the valleys beneath open up beside the route, and panoramic lookout factors alongside the way in which permit drivers to cease and snap away. Begin or finish in both Lauro Muller or Bom Jardim da Serra – the 2 small cities that bookend the Rio do Rastro road, formally often called the SC-390 – ending about 100km (62 miles) east on the coast.
The road’s highest level, the 1460m (4790ft) Mirante Serra do Rio do Rastro, is an efficient spot to park and have lunch. On a transparent day, guests can see so far as the Atlantic Ocean; keep away from the morning fog by visiting between 11am and 3pm.
From right here, it’s a brief 2.9km (1.8-mile) detour to go to the Cânion da Ronda – a canyon with a 360-degree view, a wind farm and a rewarding brief mountaineering path. Whereas in the realm, the Barrinha waterfall is price a cease.