Geomorphosites as geotouristic resources: assessment of geomorphological heritage for local development in the Río Lobos Natural Park

Abstract

Natural protected areas (NPAs) are territorial resources that have received an increasing number of visitors in societies with a high demand for landscapes of high aesthetic and scenic value. Tourism is one of the main activities in NPAs, and within this, geotourism plays an important role, becoming an effective resource in the promotion of natural heritage with repercussions on local and regional economic development. The aim of this work is to analyse geomorphosites’ tourist potential in natural protected areas, focusing on the case of the Río Lobos Natural Park (Castilla-León, Spain) and its geotourism cartography, as well as the proposal of different geotourism routes. To this end, a methodology is applied to the 14 geomorphosites inventoried in the Cañón del Río Lobos, based on a combination of different methods. Its application results in a classification with three thresholds (high, medium and low) for each geomorphosite analysed. In addition, a series of management proposals are included. The validity of this methodology applied for the evaluation of the tourist potential of geomorphosites endorses its application for other natural protected areas.