Routes range from seaside mountains, rocky walls and historic scenery to park-roads with exuberant fauna and flora
Those who like to hit the road and travel thousands of kilometers certainly know famous routes in places like the United States, Europe and other locations abroad. But those who are really passionate about road-trips know that you don’t have to go that far to experience beautiful visuals, natural exuberance, culture and a wonderful trip. All this can be done by traveling along Brazilian roads.
Below, you can see a list of 5 road trips through Brazil that cross several states. From quiet and paradisiacal beaches to nature reserves, from historical trails to romantic routes, these routes can serve as inspiration for your next adventures in the country.
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The Serra do Rio do Rastro, located on the SC-390 highway in Santa Catarina, is one of the great road postcards of the country and guards canyons with impressive altitudes. As you travel along this road you will pass through a real vertical zigzag surrounded by the slope of the mountain.
In total there are 284 curves, which reach the highest point at 1,421 meters of altitude, exactly at the viewpoint positioned in Lauro Müller with a breathtaking view. The track winds through rocky walls covered by the Atlantic Forest and deep canyons, shaped over geological formations of sandstone and basalt.
To explore this scenario, it is necessary to be very attentive to the conditions of the route. The route consists of a one-way stretch, considerably cramped and devoid of shoulder. This configuration inevitably requires redoubled patience from the driver, who must travel unhurriedly after slower cars and trucks.
Two important safety points require good planning:
The stops along the way greatly enrich the experience of touring the Serra do Rio do Rastro. The municipality of Lauro Müller works as the starting point of the climb, while Bom Jardim da Serra crowns the top of the route. As ideal options for overnight stays, the cities of Urubici and São Joaquim stand out in the region, as they are recognized for their prestigious high-altitude wineries and the iconic Morro da Igreja.
Regarding the price of a stay for a couple, the budget in Urubici and Bom Jardim da Serra is diverse, with daily rates starting at R$ 450 in the simplest inns and can exceed the R$ 1,000 mark when the choice falls on the sophisticated local boutique hotels.
This is a classic road trip to the Brazilian coast drawn by the curves of the Atlantic Forest and the blue of the sea. The connection between the coast of Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo on the stretches of the BR-101 and SP-055 highways is worthy of cinema because it is located between the green walls of Serra do Mar and the blue waters of the Atlantic Ocean.
As you travel along the narrow Rio-Santos road, you find yourself surrounded by paradisiacal coves, rocky shores and dense and preserved stretches of Atlantic Forest. Enjoying all this beauty requires planning and evaluating the conditions of the route to ensure the tranquility of the tour. The road is fully paved and well signposted, but the driver must remain focused and extra careful due to frequent curves, steep relief and occasional fog spots that appear suddenly.
Traffic is usually quite heavy during high season and on long holidays, so the ideal is to make this journey quietly and without haste. This allows multiple stops to enjoy the beaches along the way, which are a spectacle in themselves, especially for nature and culture lovers.
The recommended itinerary includes historic Paraty, with its listed colonial center, the bucolic village of Trindade and also the vibrant Ubatuba, which is home to more than 100 beaches in its territory, in addition to several panoramic viewpoints along the asphalt. A great practical advantage is that Ubatuba is about 73 km away from Paraty, which yields a short, very dynamic itinerary with impressive visuals.
The price for the couple also emerges as an attractive and very democratic factor, since in Ubatuba, there are options for double rooms starting at R$ 120, while the inns endowed with greater charm in Paraty usually fluctuate in the range of R$ 300 to R$ 600 a day.
The Royal Road, through the Diamond Path, offers a historical itinerary through the mountainous interior of Minas Gerais that is a true dive into colonial times with the mountainous relief as a backdrop. The route crosses the relief of the Serra do Espinhaço and connects historic cities that keep the memory of the gold and diamond cycle.
Along the way, those who travel can observe a beautiful transition of vegetation, where the Atlantic Forest gradually gives way to the cerrado and the characteristic rupestrian fields. As far as the conditions of the route are concerned, the circuit features a mix of state highways in good condition with winding mountain stretches that require attention in driving.
Important historical locations such as Tiradentes, Ouro Preto, Mariana, São João del-Rei and Serro are among the mandatory stops that make up this circuit. A very relevant practical warning: many of these places, especially near the historic centers, have the traditional cobblestone streets. Therefore, be patient and pay extra attention, especially if you are driving a low car, to avoid damage to the vehicle.
These cities include architectural treasures that are mainly located in Ouro Preto, Mariana and Tiradentes, extending to Diamantina, situated at the northern tip of the circuit. When we analyze the price for the couple, it is possible to find a flexibility of values that meets different consumption patterns.
In Ouro Preto, there is a daily offer starting at around R$ 196, while in Tiradentes the charming inns start at approximately R$ 333. On the other hand, the premium category options, exemplified by the traditional Pousada do Mondego in Ouro Preto, reach R$ 1,300 per night. The general typical range of the region varies between R$ 200 and R$ 650.
The Transpantaneira highway (MT-060) has one of the routes with the greatest natural connection, especially in relation to Brazilian fauna, since it is a road-park surrounded by water and a lot of biodiversity. The road cuts through the heart of the North Pantanal, extending from Poconé to the town of Porto Jofre with just over 140 kilometers of dirt road, punctuated by the crossing of more than 120 wooden bridges.
In this stretch, the landscapes can transform at every turn, revealing the beauties of the Pantanal biome, with flooded fields, dense riverside forests and a very present fauna, full of alligators, capybaras and exuberant birds. The Transpantaneira highway is recognized as the route with the most wildlife in Brazil and one of the largest in the world, offering the best chance for jaguar viewing in the Porto Jofre region.
But all this comes at a price, since the severe conditions of the route, with an entirely dirt road, require careful and adequate preparation on the part of the traveler. It is recommended to use a vehicle with 4×4 traction if the journey occurs during the rainy season, which comprises the months of November to March. The best window to take the tour, however, is the dry season, which runs from June to October.
It is also important to note that to be done with peace of mind, the itinerary should not be planned for less than two days. The ideal scenario is three full days of immersion, providing for the overnight stay on the road itself to take advantage of the most active hours of the fauna, which occur at dawn and late afternoon. The logistical stops are distributed between Poconé, the gateway to the adventure, farm inns distributed in the middle of the road (especially between kilometers 41 and 66) and the final point in Porto Jofre.
As for the price for the couple, at Poconé there are very economical options starting at around R$ 130 but, on the other hand, the farm inns located in the heart of the Pantanal have values that start at around R$ 1,200 a day. However, this difference that can scare travelers is justified by the fact that these rural stays usually include full board with all meals, safaris and guided tours included.
The Serra Gaúcha and the Canyon Route close the selection of the most beautiful roadtrips in the national territory, with the largest rocky walls in the southern region of the country and the charm of southern gastronomy. The city of Cambará do Sul is the main base for those who want to explore the National Parks of Aparados da Serra and Serra Geral, where the cinematographic canyons of Itaimbezinho and Fortaleza are located.
The local landscape is adorned by high-altitude fields and the striking silhouettes of the araucarias, offering the traveler the opportunity to amend the itinerary with the rich gastronomic and wine tradition of Vale dos Vinhedos.
For the driver’s knowledge, the sections of the route are in conditions that can vary greatly. The initial accesses are properly paved from Gramado and São Francisco de Paula, but the final stretches of highway that lead directly to the entrance of the canyons are composed of dirt roads and boulders.
In addition, the climate throughout the region is historically very unstable, and it is common for dense fog and rainfall to completely close the visibility of the walls. Therefore, it is advisable to plan a gap of days in the roadtrip schedule to ensure that you do not miss any of the landscapes due to bad weather.
The essential stops include the municipality of Cambará do Sul for direct access to the large canyons, the locality of Praia Grande (located in Santa Catarina, near the lower base of the walls) and the consecrated tourist triad formed by Gramado, Canela and Bento Gonçalves. Finally, the price for the couple ranges from the most affordable to the highest budgets. Daily rates start at R$ 148 in the simplest accommodation options, while the general price range ranges from R$ 400 to R$ 2,000, varying according to the comfort category and the time of year.
