Ubajara National Park
Encyclopedia
The smallest of the 35 national parks of Brazil
, covering an area of 5.63 km², the greatest treasure of the Ubajara National Park, in the state of Ceará
, is the Ubajara grotto
. Set in a hillside in the Ibiapaba Mountains
, 320 kilometres from Fortaleza
, the grotto has impressive stalactite
and stalagmite
formations, the result of nature's patient work with limestone
and water over many thousands of years - each centimetre of crystallised growth takes three years to form.
Access to the grotto is by a chairlift. The park has waterfalls and paths through the forest. Visits are supervised by Ibama
, the national body for environmental conservation, and must be arranged in advance. Other attractions in the Ibiapaba mountains include Morro do Céu, 820 metres high, and Pedra de Itagurussu, the source of the Pirangi waterfall.
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, covering an area of 5.63 km², the greatest treasure of the Ubajara National Park, in the state of Ceará
Ceará
Ceará is one of the 27 states of Brazil, located in the northeastern part of the country, on the Atlantic coast. It is currently the 8th largest Brazilian State by population and the 17th by area. It is also one of the main touristic destinations in Brazil. The state capital is the city of...
, is the Ubajara grotto
Grotto
A grotto is any type of natural or artificial cave that is associated with modern, historic or prehistoric use by humans. When it is not an artificial garden feature, a grotto is often a small cave near water and often flooded or liable to flood at high tide...
. Set in a hillside in the Ibiapaba Mountains
Serra de Ibiapaba
The Serra de Ibiapaba is an upland in northeastern Brazil, which lies on the boundary of Piauí and Ceará states. The range runs north and south, extending from near the Atlantic coast in the north to connect with the Serra do Araripe, which forms the southern boundary of Ceará...
, 320 kilometres from Fortaleza
Fortaleza
Fortaleza is the state capital of Ceará, located in Northeastern Brazil. With a population close to 2.5 million , Fortaleza is the 5th largest city in Brazil. It has an area of and one of the highest demographic densities in the country...
, the grotto has impressive stalactite
Stalactite
A stalactite , "to drip", and meaning "that which drips") is a type of speleothem that hangs from the ceiling of limestone caves. It is a type of dripstone...
and stalagmite
Stalagmite
A stalagmite is a type of speleothem that rises from the floor of a limestone cave due to the dripping of mineralized solutions and the deposition of calcium carbonate. This stalagmite formation occurs only under certain pH conditions within the underground cavern. The corresponding formation on...
formations, the result of nature's patient work with limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
and water over many thousands of years - each centimetre of crystallised growth takes three years to form.
Access to the grotto is by a chairlift. The park has waterfalls and paths through the forest. Visits are supervised by Ibama
Ibama
Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources is the Brazilian Ministry of the Environment's enforcement agency...
, the national body for environmental conservation, and must be arranged in advance. Other attractions in the Ibiapaba mountains include Morro do Céu, 820 metres high, and Pedra de Itagurussu, the source of the Pirangi waterfall.