Geotourism in the territory of the COREDE Campanha (‘southern-half’ of Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil), part I: geosites of touristic interest

Abstract

This paper presents a qualitative inventory of ‘complex areas’-type geosites within the territory of the COREDE Campanha, in the so-called ‘southern-half’ at the State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. The assessment has taken into account published scientific papers and geological maps, known use of geosites by residents, as well as a digital terrain model (DTM), which has pointed out to some high altitude or steepness areas. We identified eight sites and provided a detailed description in terms of geodiversity, several potential points of tourism, on-going activities, and existing infrastructure. This assessment could be an incentive for the municipalities and especially the COREDE executive board as they could consider geotourism as an interesting opportunity for the social and economic sustainable development in the region.

Keywords

• geoheritage
• tourism
• inventory
• oudoor sports
• geodiversity