In 2018, the city of São Carlos will host the traditional University Games of Communication and Arts (JUCA). With a little more than 245 thousand inhabitants, the municipality of the state of São Paulo is 230 km from the big city. With the intention of no student getting lost, we decided to make a list with points, curiosities and information about the city.
Image Source: Wikipedia
1. City of innovation and technology
You probably have already seen several products and brands out there with the words “São Carlos” on their plates or labels. This is because the city is considered a pole of scientific and technological development. More than 200 companies are considered high technology in sectors such as optics, new materials, and instrumentation.
In industrial activity, the city has commercial units of large companies such as Volkswagen, Faber-Castell and Electrolux. In addition, it also stands out in agriculture, with the production of milk, cane, orange, chicken, beef and corn.
2. Transportation
Currently in the city, there are 65 regular bus lines and more 198 special lines that operate at specific times in the morning and at night. Almost all lines have one-hour intervals between one bus and another. The fixed price of the municipal bus fare is R$ 3,50, and integration is possible by obtaining a pre-registered card. For everyone to get well to their destinations, the most recommended is to download some app, such as Moovit or Trafi.
Image Source: Socicam
3. Culture
São Carlos is home to important projects, such as the Contribuinte da Cultura, the Festival Contato and the Festival Chorando Sem Parar. It has spaces such as libraries, Teatro Municipal Dr. Alderico Vieira Perdigão, Centro Municipal de Cultura Afro-Brasileira Odette dos Santos and Museu de Energia.
Despite this, in the last years the city saw some of its main cultural points being interrupted, among them the closure of the TAM’s Museum, Espaço Cultural Acervo Antônio Ibaixe, Oficina Cultural Sérgio Buarque de Holanda, Pinacoteca Municipal, and the discontinuity of the Casa da Cultura Prof. Vicente Camargo.
4. Open leisure spaces
In addition to museums, cinemas and theaters, São Carlos also has some parks for those who prefer to enjoy the outdoors. The Horto Florestal Municipal Navarro de Andrade, Parque Ecológico de São Carlos Dr. Antônio Teixeira Viana, Pista da Saúde da UFSCar and Bosque Santa Marta form this circuit. It also offers visits to historic sites and farms, such as the São João site, with ecological trails, workshops, games, dynamics, and courses.
Image Source: Wikipedia
5. Universities
The city is also a university center, since it houses two of the most important universities in the country: two campuses of the University of São Paulo (USP), the Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar), the Federal Institute of São Paulo (IFSP) and FATEC, as well as a private higher education institution, the Centro Universitário Central Paulista (UNICEP).
That way, the university activities are very intense, with several academic events and parties promoted by the universities. With much of the students coming from other cities and states, the numbers approach more than thirty thousand undergraduate and graduate students.
Image Source: CCS/UFSCar