Geological Trails for the Fernando de Noronha Archipelago, Brazil: a Geodiversity Approach

Since the beginning of the sixteenth century, the Fernando de Noronha Archipelago has been the target of visits and studies. These visits and occupations took place not only because of its strategic position, but also because of its rich heritage, which, among others, attracted the attention of Charles Darwin in 1832. Currently, its rich natural and cultural heritage, involving rocks, flora, fauna and buildings, still remains partly unknown, both to the general public and scientists, and the archipelago is visited more because of its natural beauties, such as the beaches and scenery, which are widely publicized. There are numerous trails for this type of tourism, with information boards that cover the entire length of the main island and that can be used for other forms of tourism, such as geotourism, which requires some additional information. With its recent history of volcanism, which is almost unique in Brazil, Noronha has great potential for scientific tourism; however, this is still almost completely absent, largely due to the lack of information and incentives in this area. Seeking to fill this gap, we are presenting in this work information about geodiversity and heritage of Fernando de Noronha. To facilitate access to this information, we are suggesting the use of existing trails, with descriptions of their sites of interest that will allow this public to access this information, especially geological and geomorphological ones. These trails were studied and described over the last 10 years by field activities for geology students in the areas of petrography and petrology and, more recently, involving geomorphology. During the surveys of the trails, other sites, not only with scientific importance but also with other values, such as educational, cultural, and touristic were considered. With this principle and aiming at an integration between the archipelago’s geological and cultural heritage, buildings of historical and cultural importance for the formation of the territory were identified. In general, these assets, which constitute the testimonies of a heritage built over 500 years of occupation, are only partially preserved.