Sobral, Chapada de Ibiapaba and Parque Nacional Ubajara in Brazil

Sobral

Sobral, 238 km west of Fortaleza, is the principal town in western Ceará and the access point to beaches in the west of the state. The city has a handful of well-preserved colonial buildings including the

Catedral da Sé

Teatro São João

and a mansion on the Praça da Sé. There is a

Museu Diocesano

a Cristo Redentor statue and a monument to the 1919 solar eclipse. Near town is the

Parque Ecológico Lagoa da Fazenda

Chapada de Ibiapaba

In the Chapada de Ibiapaba, an area of tablelands, caves, rock formations, rivers and waterfalls, is

Tianguá

. The town is surrounded by waterfalls; 3 km to the north is Cachoeira de São Gonçalo, a good place for bathing; 5 km from town are natural pools at the meeting place of seven waterfalls. About 16 km from town on the edge of the BR-222 is Cana Verde, a 30-m-high waterfall surrounded by monoliths and thick vegetation.

Some 30 km north of Tianguá is

Viçosa do Ceará

, a colonial town also within the

chapada

, known for its ceramics, hang-gliding, food and drink. The Igreja de Nossa Senhora das Vitórias, a stone church on top of the 820-m-high

Morro do Céu

, is reached by walking up 360 steps. There is an excellent view of the town, the surrounding highlands and the

sertão

beyond. Near the town are interesting rock formations such as the 100-m-wide

Pedra de Itagurussu

with a natural spring. There is good walking in the area. Basic walking maps are available at the

Secretaria de Turismo

, near the old theatre to the right of the

praça

on which the church stands. Ask about visiting the community that makes sun-baked earthenware pots. To get there take an

Expresso Serrana

bus from Fortaleza, six hours, US$8.40, five a day via Sobral.

Parque Nacional Ubajara

Eighteen kilometres south of Tianguá, at an altitude of 840 m, is the town of

Ubajara

, with an interesting Sunday morning market selling produce of the

sertão.

Some 3 km from the town is the

Parque Nacional Ubajara

, with 563 ha of native highland and

caatinga

brush. It is the smallest of Brazil's national parks

and its main attraction is the

Ubajara cave

on the side of an escarpment. Fifteen chambers

extending for a total of 1120 m have been mapped, of which 360 m are open to visitors. Access is along a 6-km footpath and steps (two to three hours, take water) or by a

cable car

which descends the cliff to the cave entrance. Lighting has been installed in nine caverns of the complex.

Ins and outs

An Ibama guide leads visitors through the cave, which is completely dry and home to 14 types of bat. Several rock formations look like animals, including a horse's head, jacaré and snake. At the park entrance is an Ibama office,www.ibama.gov.br, and a bar by the entrance serving juices, snacks and drinks. In the park there is a new easy walkway through the woods with stunning views at the end. Start either to the left of the park entrance or opposite the snack bar near the cable car platform. There is a good 8-km trail to the park from Araticum (7 km by bus from Ubajara). This route is used by locals and passes through caatinga forest. For more information, including accommodation, see http://portalubajara.com.br and www.ubajara.ce.gov.br.

South from Ubajara

The Chapada de Ibiapaba continues south from Ubajara for some 70 km. Other towns in the highlands are:

Ibiapina

, with the nearby Cachoeira da Ladeira, reached by a steep trail, a good place for bathing;

São Benedito

, known for its straw and ceramic crafts and a working

engenho

sugar mill; and

Carnaubal

, with waterfalls and a bathing resort.

Ipu

, 80 km south of Ubajara, is a town at the foot of the Serra de Ibiapaba, on the edge of the

sertão

. It's an interesting transition as you descend from the green serra, with its sugar cane, tall

babaçu

palms and cattle, down the escarpment to the

sertão

. Ipu's main claim to fame is the

Bica do Ipu

, a 180-m waterfall plunging off the sheer edge of the

serra

into a pool; it is said to be the site of the legendary love affair between Iracema, a local

indígena

, and the founder of Fortaleza. You can cool off under the falls and there are basic facilities and a few places to stay around town.

If driving, you can cross the

sertão

on good roads via

Varjota

on the large lake of the

Açude de Araras

(33 km),

Santa Quitéria

(a further 41 km) to

Canindé

(111 km on the CE-257).

Monsenhor Tabosa

, in the centre of the state, has the highest peak in Ceará. The area around the mountain, called

Cabeço Branco

, has been made into an environmental protection area, with

caatinga

and patches of

Mata Atlântica

. This remote town is very friendly, with four hotels . It can get very wet in the rainy season (around March). The easiest way to get there is by car or

Horizonte

bus on the CE032 from Canindé, but there are roads from Nova Russas, south of Ipu, and the BR-020 from Boa Viagem (which is very rough).

Continuing south, the greenery of the Chapada de Ibiapaba eventually gives way to the dry

Sertão dos Inhamuns

. One of the main towns in this area is

Crateús

, about 210 km south of Sobral, a remote settlement with rich folkloric traditions seen during the festivals of

Mergulho Folclórico

in August, and the

Festival de Repentistas

, in September. Nearby are archaeological sites with rock inscriptions. There is a regular bus service on the paved road to Fortaleza (347 km). The bus service from Crateús runs along the very bad road to Teresina, every other day.

This is edited copy from Footprint Handbooks. For comprehensive details (incl address, tel no, directions, opening times and prices) please refer to book or individual chapter PDF

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