Driving the paved BR-163 across the Amazonia

Driving the paved BR-163 across the Amazonia

Brazil, south-america

Length

1,732 km

Elevation

N/A

Difficulty

hard

Best Season

Year-round

BR-163 is a wild ride through the Brazilian Amazon that you won't forget!

Okay, so it used to be *infamous*. We're talking trucks swallowed by mud for days on end. Picture this: a desolate, dusty track that turned into an absolute nightmare during the rainy season (December to June). Vehicles could be stuck for over a week!

But guess what? In 2021, they finally paved the whole thing! That crazy 10-day round trip? Sliced down to 4! But heads up, heavy trucks during super wet weather could still mess things up a bit.

This epic highway stretches 1,732 km (1,076 miles) from Cuiabá (Mato Grosso's capital) all the way to Santarém (the second-biggest Amazon River city after Manaus, in Pará state). Get ready for an adventure!

Where is it?

Driving the paved BR-163 across the Amazonia is located in Brazil (south-america). Coordinates: -11.8996, -53.7556

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Road Details

Country
Brazil
Continent
south-america
Length
1,732 km
Difficulty
hard
Coordinates
-11.8996, -53.7556

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