Juazeiro do Norte in Brazil

The south of the state is known as the

, the name of an indigenous group that lived in the interior and resisted Portuguese colonization for a long time. The main centre in this area is Juazeiro do Norte, the second largest city in Ceará. Along with its two satellites,

and

, 10 km to the west and south respectively, they form an oasis of green in the dry

.

Juazeiro was home to one of Brazil's most venerated Catholic figures: the miracle working priest, Padre Cícero Romão Batista, a controversial and very popular figure who championed the rights of Ceara's poor from the 1870s to the 1930s. Even before his death, Padre Cícero had become a legend after a consecrated communion wafer he passed to a woman at Mass reportedly bled in her mouth, and Juazeiro do Norte an important pilgrimage site, drawing the faithful from throughout the northeast and, increasingly, from the whole nation. Today it is the most important pilgrimage centre of the region and visiting during a pilgrimage is

an incredible experience. The town is dominated by the imposing Italiantate

basilica and a huge sombre

, gazing at a distant horizon from the top of the

hill, 8 km from the town centre. To get there, either take the pilgrim trail up the hill (one hour, start early because of the heat) or take the

city bus to the summit. There are also two museums devoted to the priest. The

is based in the house where he lived and preserves some of his personal belongings and myriad messages from pilgrims including lottery tickets and football coupons that provided winnings after Cicero answered pilgrims prayers. There are even more covering the walls of the

 which is completely packed with pilgrims during religious celebrations. Also worth seeing is the

with the adjacent pilgrimage grounds, roughly fashioned after St Peter's Square in Rome.

The town receives six main annual pilgrimages , but visitors arrive all year round and religious tourism is the principal source of income. Another cultural manifestation seen throughout the Cariri region is the

, musical groups that participate in all celebrations. As well as playing instruments, they dance, imitating animals, and perform games or fights

The

, a tableland about 850 m high, is south of Juazeiro do Norte and extends from east to west for 220 km. The area is believed to have been forced upwards and numerous fossilized plants and animals including giant sloths have been found. It has one of the most important native forest reserves in the state, the

, is the

, a pool fed with natural spring water; access is via Barbalha.

In the area of

, 34 km south of Barbalha, there are several natural springs, while by

, 22 km east of Barbalha, there are rapids on the Rio Salgado and an attractive waterfall. Another point pf access to the

is through

, 60 km west of Juazeiro do Norte. The main attraction here is the

, a natural spring good for bathing. There is also a palaeontology museum and one basic hotel. Transport is with

.

is an older city which lost its significance in the region, owing to the increased importance of Juazeiro do Norte. It has several pleasing

and a small