Geological Park or what we often call Geopark is an area that has prominent geological elements in which the local community also plays a role in protecting the natural heritage. In Indonesia, there are five geoparks recognized by UNESCO, one of which is the Ciletuh Geopark in Sukabumi Regency. This Earth Park was inaugurated by UNESCO as a Global Geopark Network on April 12 2018, because it has good points from each assessment criteria.
"The potential is huge. The natural beauty is complete. There are landscapes, mountains, waterfalls, rice fields, fields and ends at the mouth of the river to the sea complete with extraordinary geological heritage. Therefore, it must be developed quickly so that it can revive the community's economy," said the General Manager Ciletuh Geopark Management Division - Pelabuhan Ratu, Dana Budiman, Monday (16/4/2018).
In addition, what makes Ciletuh Geopark a UNESCO Global Geopark is a complete guide. "From everywhere the instructions are clear. We have assessed assessors, the assessment must be clear," said Ida Hernida, head of the West Java Tourism Office, Wednesday (7/2/2018).
Ciletuh Geopark also has a unique natural phenomenon that can be used as a tourist destination. "There is something extraordinary, there is hot water that never stops gushing, namely the Geyser. That is the uniqueness of the Ciletuh Geopark," he concluded.
Geysers are a kind of hot springs that periodically erupt into the air, releasing hot water and water vapor into the air. This phenomenon occurs due to high pressure from within the bowels of the earth and causes water to shoot up to the earth's surface. This geyser can also be found in Sukabumi. More precisely in the Cisolok Geyser, Sukabumi.
The location is only about 15 kilometers from Citepus Beach Pelabuhan Ratu. This Nature Tourism is managed directly and is included in the Ciletuh Geopark area. What is unique about this geyser is the water that gushes from the bowels of the earth continuously for 24 hours without stopping. This makes Cisolok Geyser the only rare natural phenomenon that is still active today.
The jets of water that come out of this geyser do not contain sulfur and are very different from hot springs in other areas. And people believe that the hot water has properties. Because the water contains high minerals and can be used for healing skin disease therapy.
So, Geopark Ciletuh is a potential area to be a tourist destination because there are quite a lot of natural tourist destinations, with natural beauty, access and complete directions, making Geopark Ciletuh a favorite tourist destination for local and foreign tourists.
By: Kirana Aulya Nursyiffa
Communication
IPB University Vocational School.
