World Heritage Sites in South America

Situated in the Peruvian Andes, Cuzco (Cusco) developed into a complex Incan urban center with distinct religious and administrative functions. When the Spaniards conquered it in the 16th century, they preserved the basic structure but built Baroque churches and palaces over the ruins of the Inca city.

The Discovery Coast Atlantic Forest Reserves consist of eight separate protected areas containing remnants of the Atlantic Forest, one of the richest tropical forest regions in the world. These reserves illustrate the evolution of the few remaining areas of Atlantic Forest in northeastern Brazil.

Rapa Nui National Park is a protected Chilean wildlife area located in Easter Island, which concentrates the legacy of the Rapa Nui culture. This culture displayed extraordinary characteristics that are expressed in singular architecture and sculpture within the Polynesian context.

The Fortifications on the Caribbean side of Panamá: Portobelo-San Lorenzo are located along the coast of the Province of Colón. These Panamanian forts on the Caribbean coast form part of the defense system built by the Spanish Crown to protect transatlantic trade.

Fray Bentos is the capital of the Río Negro Department. Its port on the Uruguay River is one of the nation's most important harbors. The Fray Bentos industrial complex was built in the mid-nineteenth century to process meat produced on the vast prairies nearby.

The Fuerte de Samaipata archaeological site consists of two parts: the hill believed to have been the ceremonial center of the old town and the administrative and residential district. The huge sculptured rock, dominating the town below, has no parallel anywhere in the Americas.

The Historic Center of Lima bears witness to the architecture and urban development of a Spanish colonial town of great political, economic and cultural importance in Latin America. The city played a leading role in the history of the New World from 1542 to the 18th century.

The Historic Center of Santa Ana de los Ríos de Cuenca is a remarkable example of a planned inland Spanish town that bears witness to the principles of Renaissance urban planning in the Americas. Founded in 1577, it has preserved its original orthogonal plan over four centuries.

Founded in 1540 on the banks of Colombia's River Magdalena, Mompox played a key role in the Spanish colonization of northern South America. The historic center has preserved the harmony and unity of the urban landscape, providing an exceptional picture of what a Spanish colonial city was like.

The 17th-century core of this historic town, founded by the French and occupied by the Dutch before coming under Portuguese rule, has preserved the original rectangular street plan. A number of fine historic buildings have survived, making this an outstanding example of an Iberian colonial town.