World Heritage Sites in South America

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.

Situated in the Pacific Ocean some 600+ miles from the South American continent, these islands, islets and surrounding waters have been called a unique 'living museum and showcase of evolution'. Located at the confluence of three ocean currents, the Galápagos are a melting pot of marine species.

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.

Embedded within a dramatic landscape at the meeting point between the Andes and the Amazon Basin, the Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu is among the greatest artistic, architectural and land use achievements anywhere as well as the most significant tangible legacy of the Inca civilization.

Situated in the Cordillera Blanca, Huascarán National Park and Biosphere Reserve protects the heart of the world's highest tropical mountain range in the central Peruvian Andes. The deep ravines, glacial lakes and variety of vegetation make it a site of spectacular beauty.

Humberstone and Santa Laura contain over 200 former saltpeter works where workers from Chile, Peru and Bolivia lived in company towns and forged a distinctive communal pampinos culture. That culture is manifest in their rich language, creativity, solidarity, and their pioneering struggle for social justice.

The Iguaçu National Park in Paraná State, Brazil shares with Iguazú National Park in Argentina, one of the world’s largest and most impressive waterfalls. Clouds of spray soak the surrounding area and islands in the river are consequently covered by luxuriant vegetation.

These two contiguous parks, in the desert region on the western border of the Sierra Pampeanas of central Argentina, contain the most complete continental fossil record known from the Triassic Period. Six geological formations contain fossils of a wide range of ancestors of mammals, dinosaurs and plants.

The Jesuit Block and Estancias of Córdoba is an exceptional example of a vast religious, political, economic, legal, and cultural system. It also illustrates the fusion of European and Native American cultures, along with contributions from African slave laborers, during a seminal period in South America.