When looking for a hotel in Criciúma, it helps to start by considering the themes of your stay: mining history, railways, local history, wildlife, views, and activities are represented at various locations. The Mina de Visitação Octávio Fontana stands out in particular. Since 2011, it has been the only coal mine in Latin America open to visitors.
Mining and railway history
At the Mina de Visitação Octávio Fontana, visitors ride a miniature train, a replica of one from 1922. In the mine, they experience processes similar to those involved in coal mining. An exhibition of scale models adds to the experience. The ride, recreated work processes, and models thus explore the same subject in different ways.
The Parque das Nações Cincinato Naspolini offers a different connection to the railway. It is home to the locomotive “Teresinha 01,” a replica of a German model from the 1920s. A railway station there also recreates Criciúma’s first stop. While the mine offers a ride on a miniature train, the locomotive and station in the park point to models and the city’s early railway history.
Local history and collections
The Museu Municipal Histórico e Geográfico Augusto Casagrande tells the story of Criciúma’s colonization. Its collection comprises 1,300 objects, including documents, photographs, Indigenous artifacts, and personal and household items. Written and visual materials sit alongside objects from everyday personal and domestic life.
The Catedral São José also offers a specific historical reference: construction began in 1907, and the cathedral was inaugurated in 1917. The two dates mark different stages in its construction history.
The Museu de Zoologia Prof.ª Morgana Cirimbelli Gaidzinski adds wildlife and ecosystems to these themes. Its four permanent exhibitions cover animals of the Atlantic Forest, impacts, the marine ecosystem, and wildlife. The museum was founded in 2002 with the aim of becoming a reference center for scientific research, environmental education, and cultural tourism.
Views, activities, and traditional practices
The Mirante Realdo Santos Guglielmi offers 360-degree views of Criciúma, the Serra, and the sea. Visiting hours are listed as 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily; check the hours before your visit.
For physical activity, there are several options: Parque da Prefeitura has a skatepark and facilities that encourage physical activity. Sports facilities are also available to visitors at Parque das Nações Cincinato Naspolini.
Parque dos Imigrantes is home to an atafona, a traditional device that colonists in southern Santa Catarina used to make corn, cassava, and polvilho flour. The device therefore points to a historical work practice and the processing of different ingredients into flour.
Discover more destinations: Garuva, Ibicaré, Itapoá, Brusque, Timbó, Rio Negrinho, Gaspar, Lajeado Grande.
For the overview of the wider region: Santa Catarina.
