Balearic geotourism

The project

Today we assume that natural heritage should be protected, understanding it to mean flora and fauna, but few people know, and thus do not value, that there is a geological heritage that has been generated over tens or hundreds of millions of years, and its disappearance or deterioration is irreversible and prevents us from enjoying its aesthetic value and from knowing the natural history of a place.

Rock formations, structures, sediment accumulations, forms, landscapes, mineral or palaeontological deposits or collectors of geological objects of scientific, cultural or educational value and/or interest in terms of landscape or recreation are all geological heritage. The same also applies to elements of industrial archaeology with facilities for extracting resources from the geological environment.

This project seeks to showcase our geological heritage not just for the resident population, but also for our visitors. It involves helping people discover the inventory of places of geological interest currently available, by means of a website, designing geotourism routes (at sea and on land), publishing a range of material, signposting places of geological interest and certain viewpoints of landscapes related to large geological formations. It also involves the possibility of training tourist guides for excursions to certain places of geological interest.

In short, it is about designing a new geology-related tourism product that showcases (even more) the islands’ natural heritage, fostering their preservation and helping people to discover the landscape of these islands.