Portuguese 
English 
Spanish 
6 min of reading 
1 comment 
Former Capital of Coal, the Santa Catarina city of Criciúma attracts those seeking quality of life with jobs in various sectors, established universities, urban parks, an open-pit mine for visitation, a viewpoint with a 360-degree view, a planetarium, and a structured healthcare network that serves the entire region and reinforces the city’s reputation.
Criciúma confirms the turning point. The former Capital of Coal has transformed into a desirable Santa Catarina city for families and professionals searching for quality of life, without giving up on jobs, education, and access to services typically associated with large centers.
With around 225,000 inhabitants and located just over 200 kilometers from Florianópolis, the city brings together industrial and commercial hubs, established universities, urban parks, a tourist mine, a viewpoint with a 360-degree view, a planetarium, and a healthcare network that serves residents and patients from other cities in southern Santa Catarina, reinforcing Criciúma’s role as a reference in the interior of the state.
From Capital of Coal to the New Image of the Santa Catarina City
For decades, the nickname Capital of Coal marked Criciúma’s identity. Mining helped shape neighborhoods, attracted workers from different parts of the country, and boosted the formation of an industrial hub. Today, however, the daily life of the Santa Catarina city goes far beyond mining.
-
The Argentine government celebrates the lowest poverty rate in 7 years, but experts warn that the methodology has changed, real wages have fallen, unemployment has risen, and the number of people on the streets of Buenos Aires has increased by 57% since Milei took office.
-
7.8 magnitude earthquake in Indonesia frightens the population, triggers tsunami alert, and hits an island with over 200,000 inhabitants this Thursday.
-
Google will finally let you change that embarrassing Gmail address you created in your teenage years without losing any accounts, logins, or old emails: the feature is already available in the United States.
-
Heading to Brazil in a Bonanza F33 single-engine aircraft: a couple departs from Florida on a visual flight, makes technical stops in the Caribbean to refuel and organize paperwork, and begins the staged crossing until they reach the country.
The past remains present in memory and tourism, but the local economy has diversified. The municipality now combines industry, commerce, services, education, and health, creating an environment that catches the attention of those researching new cities to live, work, or study.
For many families, the equation is simple: medium-sized city structure, but with typical options of a regional center.
Jobs in Criciúma in Different Sectors
The jobs that support this change are spread across several well-defined pillars of the local economy.
In ceramics, Criciúma is a national reference in production, with large factories and supply chains that generate opportunities at technical, operational, and administrative levels. The strength of ceramics helps keep the Santa Catarina city on the route of large projects and the real estate market.
Clothing and plastics also emerge as relevant engines, with fashion and plastic transformation companies absorbing labor in different profiles, from factory floor to product design.
Alongside them, metallurgy and agribusiness expand the job spectrum, especially for those with technical training aimed at industry.
In commerce and services, malls, street shops, and specialized service providers hold a good portion of urban job openings.
This combination of a strong industry with active commerce makes the Santa Catarina city behave like a regional hub, serving consumers from neighboring municipalities and opening space for small and medium-sized entrepreneurs.
Santa Catarina City with Strong Universities and Technical Education
For those thinking about studying, Criciúma offers more than just basic schools. The city houses higher education and technical institutions that create a direct bridge to the local job market.
Unesc stands out as a major higher education hub in the Santa Catarina city, with strong programs in health, law, engineering, and administration.
At the Unesc campus, iPark brings together an incubator and laboratories that connect research, technology, and companies. The idea is simple and strategic: to allow students to test projects and solutions that resonate with the reality of the region’s industries and services.
Senac fits into this scenario with courses in management, design, and service and commerce-related areas, training professionals for supervisory, customer service, creative, and operational roles.
Meanwhile, IFSC offers technical courses such as construction and electrical engineering, designed for those seeking quick entry into the job market, often already connected to the construction, energy, and industrial sectors.
With these options, families moving to Criciúma find a Santa Catarina city where youth can study close to home, in established institutions, and also intern or work in businesses that drive the local economy.
Leisure with Tourist Mine, Parks, and 360-Degree Viewpoint
In their free time, Criciúma mixes the routine of a medium-sized city with quite specific attractions. One of the symbols is the Otávio Fontana Mine, presented as the only coal mine open for visitation in Latin America.
There, visitors explore a museum and take an internal tour, getting a close look at the environment that marked the region’s history.
Outdoors, the Parque das Nações Cincinato Naspolini offers a large green area within the urban area, with bike paths, playgrounds, and a mini railway.
It is the kind of space where families walk, children play, and those working during business hours can fit in walks or bike rides in the early morning or late afternoon.
Another highlight is the Real dos Santos Viewpoint, which provides a 360-degree view of the city and features a glass platform for those who enjoy feeling the height beneath their feet.
On clear days, the landscape helps visualize the extent of the Santa Catarina city and its relationship with neighboring neighborhoods.
Completing the itinerary is the Albert Einstein Astronomical Park, with a planetarium and telescopes.
The combination of sky observation, guided tours, and educational activities allows residents and visitors to discover that it is not necessary to leave the Santa Catarina city to have direct contact with science, astronomy, and universe curiosities.
Health and Services that Serve the Entire Region
The healthcare network is another point that reinforces Criciúma’s role as a regional reference. The city provides a robust hospital network, with São José Hospital, specialized in cardiology, oncology, and neurosurgery, attracting patients from neighboring municipalities seeking more complex care.
This hospital structure is complemented by clinics, laboratories, and support services that circulate around the medical area, expanding job opportunities for healthcare and management professionals.
The presence of higher education programs in health further reinforces this cycle, as many graduates find space to work in the city itself.
In daily life, the presence of supermarkets like Angeloni, Dici, and Bistek helps consolidate a varied consumption routine.
For those coming from other regions, it is common to notice that the Santa Catarina city offers shopping and service options similar to those found in capitals, but with shorter traffic and distances.
Santa Catarina City in the Interior with Urban Routine
When someone hears about “interior Santa Catarina,” they do not always imagine a city with this level of diversity.
In Criciúma, the past linked to coal coexists with jobs in various sectors, strong universities, parks, a tourist mine, a 360-degree viewpoint, a planetarium, and a healthcare structure that serves the entire region.
Therefore, the Santa Catarina city has ceased to be just a point on the industrial map and has started to appear on the list of destinations for those seeking quality of life with a real chance for work and study.
And you, can you imagine living in this Santa Catarina city to balance work, study, and leisure in one place?
Realmente Criciúma é uma cidade apaixonante, faltou falar que no verão tem várias opções de praia como balneário rincão e içara, morei alguns anos lá, me formei na UNESC fui bolsista integral, precisei voltar ao RS mas sonho retornar a Criciúma, a vida lá não anda, ela corre, você vê retorno do seu trabalho e tem oportunidades de verdade para mudar de vida.