Evaluation of the geotourism potential of the northern region of São Sebastião island (São Paulo, Brazil)

Abstract

The present study aims to apply the geoconservation to tourist management in full-protection conservation units, focusing on geotourism. For this purposes, the study area is the northern region of São Sebastião Island, on the north coast of State of São Paulo, Brazil. Fourteen geodiversity sites were inventoried, which were quantitatively evaluated for the potential of conventional and adventure tourism and scientific value. The sites classified as most suitable for geotour-ism projects are those that simultaneously presented high tourist potential, whose relevance is conditioned by aspects such as logistics, accessibility, scenic appeal and uniqueness, and scientific value, whose information constitutes the raw material of the interpretive activities, adapted to a language accessible to the lay public. Among the results obtained, the following geodiversity sites are highlighted as priority to geotourism: Syenites from Garapocaia Beach (SG9), Geodi-versity in Baepi Peak (SG6) and North and East Coast Geological Paths (SG11 and SG12).