São Paulo – A project in Ceará is taking tourists to learn the beauties of the Caatinga, an exclusively Brazilian biome that is in the states of northeastern Brazil and includes a great number of fauna and flora species that are not found anywhere else in the world. Non-governmental organisation Caatinga Association, which works on conservation and biodiversity of the region, organizes five different trails in an area called Serra das Almas Natural Reserve, in the city of Crateús, in Ceará state.
“The Caatinga surprises for its beauty, the size of the trees and the landscape,” said the executive secretary at Caatinga Association, Rodrigo Castro, trying to undo the image that people have of this biome, associated to dry lands. The Caatinga dries out when rains are lacking, but it has green landscapes in the dry season. Crateús is 350 kilometres away from Ceará state capital Fortaleza, and is where the NGO has its offices. It is from the city that lorries leave taking visitors to learn the secrets of the Caatinga.
The trip may take from 30 minutes to 4 hours, at the tourist’s choice. Some of the hikes are through broader tracks, while others cross wilder areas. It is possible, for example, to walk through mountainous regions, with bromeliads and cactuses, and to see the fauna that interacts with them. There are also options to learn about the renovation of water in the Caatinga, how it is stored and what routes it takes. Another tour is the trail that leaves the high region, goes down the valley and reaches the driest area of the Caatinga, to view the plants and animals associated to each of the regions.
Castro explains that the fauna of the Caatinga includes from panthers to armadillos, wild boars, agoutis, Brazilian Guinea pigs, the rock cavies (rodents) as well as monkeys and felines. According to the executive secretary at Caatinga Association, it is possible to see the animals while walking along the trails. There are also large numbers of birds, like humming birds, troupials, caracaras and finches, among others. Some 148 species of mammals, 510 of birds, 154 of reptiles and amphibians and 240 of fish have already been recorded in this biome. Among the birds, 15 are endemic, only existing there.
According to figures disclosed by Caatinga Association, the trees, in general, are more like bushes, short, of up to five meters, surrounded by cactuses and land bromeliads. But there are also higher trees, up to 20 meters, which are more uncommon. Among the species in the biome are Caesalpinia pyramidalis, Mimosa caesalpiniaefolia, anadentheras and mimosa hostilis and verrucosa. There are also pink Ipês, dipteryxes, astroniums and carnauba palms.
But the trip to the Caatinga also offers more. Apart from visiting the natural reserve, tourists may also meet people who live in the region, listen to their stories and learn about how they deal with the lack of rain. The guides themselves are youths from the region and were trained to show their biome. And you may also visit the areas surrounding the preserve, like the site in which handicraft is developed, a house where typical food is produced, the flour house, where flour is produced as it was in the past, in an artistic way.
There are also two options for staying within the reserve, one is at the visitor centre of the Caatinga Association, former stables that were made into a rustic inn, but with all the necessary comfort. Further into the Caatinga there is an ecological centre. It also serves as an inn. “This is a place for people who like nature, enjoy walks and are curious about how man lives in the Caatinga, what his routine is like,” said Castro. The trips, including one night stay, a guide along the trail and visits to the surrounding region, cost up to R$ 80 (US$ 40) per person.
Caatinga Association has already trained 20 youths to work as guides in the Caatinga. This training was developed with the help of airline TAM, as the project won a company competition in October last year. Currently, these youths are establishing a cooperative to manage their work. They also show the routes and bring innovations to the tourist attractions.
According to Castro, most of those on the trails are people from the state itself, but tourists from other parts of Brazil also participate. They are normally groups of students, from universities, or researchers, as well as bird watchers. Some foreigners have also already been there. There is no service in foreign languages, but if the need presents itself, translation may be offered. Up to August this year, the project has already attracted 2,600 people. The target is to reach 5,000 by the end of the year.
Service
Trips in Serra das Almas Nature Reserve
Information and reservation: (+55 88) 3691-8671
E-mail: crateus@acaatinga.org.br
Site: www.acaatinga.org.br
*Translated by Mark Ament