World Heritage Sites in South America

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.

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.

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.

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.

Diamantina, a colonial village set like a jewel in a necklace of inhospitable rocky mountains in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais, recalls the exploits of diamond prospectors in the 18th century and testifies to the triumph of human cultural and artistic endeavor over the environment.

Goiás testifies to the occupation and colonization of the lands of central Brazil in the 18th and 19th centuries. The urban layout is an example of the organic development of a mining town, adapted to the conditions of the site. Although modest, both public and private architecture form a harmonious whole.