Avaliação para o uso turístico do geossítio Morro do Pendurado, no Parna Ubajara-CE

Abstract

The use of caves by human groups dates back to prehistoric periods. Currently, these environments are established as one of the most important and visited geotourism resources globally, as they offer exceptional educational and touristic value due to their unique attributes. In Ubajara National Park (PNU), located 337 km west of the capital Fortaleza, in the state of Ceará, caves constitute the main tourist attraction. In this context, this work aims to evaluate the touristic potential of the Morro do Pendurado Geosite, situated within the PNU, in order to diversify the park's tourist itineraries, aligning with the objectives of its management plan. The geosite assessment was based on the methodology by Brilha (2016), complemented by the methods of Vujičić et al. (2011) and Ziemann and Figueró (2017). This integrated approach aimed to consider the specificities of speleological heritage for tourism. In addition to the qualitative assessment, a comparative quantitative analysis was conducted. For this purpose, Brilha's (2016) proposal was applied in isolation and, in parallel, an adapted version incorporating elements from the other two methods. The results demonstrated that the complementary methodologies were relevant, as they added greater detail to the qualitative assessment regarding the criteria of Scenic Beauty/Landscape, Interpretative Potential, and Accessibility. The quantitative comparison revealed significant changes compared to the isolated application of Brilha (2016). These additions positively impacted the scores in specific criteria: in Scenic Beauty, by formally highlighting the landscape attributes; and in Accessibility, by accounting for the existing tourist infrastructure. Furthermore, the method pointed out important improvements for interpretative services, such as the creation of promotional material and installation of interpretative panels, which are in the implementation phase in the park for this geosite. The adapted assessment in this work allowed for the identification of attractive attributes for visitors, such as: the more primitive and exploratory experience, with individual helmets and lights in small groups; the contact with the geomorphology and karst landscape, which includes attractions in the external portion of the hill, in the lapiaz field, and inside the caves, with their various chambers and speleothems; and, finally, the appreciation of the paleontological collection found in the caves, whose information is available at the visitor center. The visit to the geosite offers the tourist a geochronological window, considering the entire context, from the Precambrian to the present day. Additionally, the research results support the proposal to open new caves for visitation, as provided for in the Public Use Plan of Ubajara National Park.