Historical & Cultural Landmarks in South America

The Ciudad Universitaria de Caracas (University City of Caracas) is the main campus of the Central University of Venezuela, located in central Caracas, the capital of Venezuela. It is considered a masterpiece of architecture and urban planning.

The coffee tradition is a symbol of national culture for which Colombia has gained worldwide recognition. The Coffee Cultural Landscape of Colombia is a continuing productive landscape consisting of six farming landscapes, which integrate eighteen urban settlements.

The Coffee Triangle, in the Paisa region of Colombia, is famous for growing and producing Colombian coffee, its steep-sloped valleys, and its historic architecture. Paisa is a cultural region noted for growing and producing most Colombian coffee, as well as for its landmark architecture.

Coro is a colonial port city in Venezuela, founded in 1527 by the Spanish and the first capital of the Province of Venezuela. Its Port of La Vela was the first South American town to achieve independence from Spain, and its well-preserved colonial architecture is one of its main attractions.

The Curutchet House of La Plata, Argentina, was chosen by UNESCO from the work of Le Corbusier as an outstanding contribution to the Modern Movement: a testimonial to the invention of a new architectural language that made a break with the past.

Situated in the Peruvian Andes, 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.

Easter Island lies at the southeasternmost point of the Polynesian Triangle in Oceania. It is famous for its monumental statues, called moai, created by the early Rapa Nui. Rapa Nui National Park is a protected Chilean wildlife area and UNESCO World Heritage Site on Easter Island.

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 Historic Center of Lima is located in the Rimac Valley and was founded by Spanish conqueror Francisco Pizarro. Lima was the political, administrative, religious and economic capital of the Viceroyalty of Peru and the most important city of the Spanish dominions in South America.