List of World Heritage Sites in Central America

This is a list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Central America.

Legend
Site; as per officially inscribed name[1]
Location; at city, regional, or provincial level and geocoordinates
Criteria; as defined by the World Heritage Committee[2]
Area; in hectares and acres. If available, the size of the buffer zone has been noted as well. A value of zero implies that no data has been published by UNESCO
Year; during which the site was inscribed to the World Heritage List
Description; brief information about the site, including reasons for qualifying as an endangered site, if applicable

World Heritage Sites
  † In danger
  * Trans-border site
Site Image Location Criteria Area
ha (acre)		 Year Description Refs
Antigua Guatemala GuatemalaSacatepéquez Department,
 Guatemala
14°34′N 90°40′W		 Cultural:
(ii), (iii), (iv)		 49 (120) 1979 Founded in the early 16th century, Antigua was the capital of the Kingdom of Guatemala and its cultural, economic, religious, political and educational centre until a devastating earthquake in 1773. Its principal monuments have been preserved largely as ruins and are an excellent example of Spanish colonial architecture. [3]
Archaeological Park and Ruins of Quirigua GuatemalaIzabal Department,
 Guatemala
15°16′14″N 89°2′25″W		 Cultural:
(i), (ii), (iv)		 — 1981 Quiriguá is an ancient Maya archaeological site that flourished during the Late Classic. The ruins of the site contain outstanding carved stelae and sculpted calendars. [4]
Archaeological Site of Panamá Viejo and Historic District of Panamá PanamaPanamá District, Panamá Province,
 Panama
9°00′24″N 79°29′06″W		 Cultural:
(ii), (iv), (vi)		 57 (140) 1997
[nb 1]		 Founded in 1519, Panamá Viejo was the first European settlement on the Pacific coast of the Americas. The Historic District is a 17th-century replacement of the original town and preserves its street plan, architecture and blend of Spanish, French and early American styles. [5]
[6]
Area de Conservación Guanacaste Costa RicaGuanacaste and Alajuela Provinces,
 Costa Rica
10°51′N 85°37′W		 Natural:
(ix), (x)		 147,000 (360,000) 1999
[nb 2]		 Stretching from the Pacific across the Cordillera de Guanacaste to the Atlantic, the site contains a range of habitats, including some of the most pristine wetland forests worldwide and the best dry forest habitats in Central America; that provide space for several threatened plant and animal species such as the saltwater crocodile, leatherback sea turtle, jaguar, jabiru, mahogany or guayacán. [7]
Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System BelizeBelize, Stann Creek and Toledo Districts,
 Belize
17°19′N 87°32′W		 Natural:
(vii), (ix), (x)		 96,300 (238,000) 1996 The Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System is the largest reef system on the Northern Hemisphere and harbors several threatened species including sea turtles, manatees and the American crocodile. The site has been listed as endangered since 2009 due to mangrove cutting and overdevelopment. [8]
[9]
Cocos Island National Park Costa RicaPuntarenas Province,
 Costa Rica
5°32′N 87°4′W		 Natural:
(ix), (x)		 199,790 (493,700) 1997
[nb 3]		 As the only island in the tropical eastern Pacific, Cocos Island provides unique marine habitats for large pelagic fish such as sharks, tuna, dolphins or rays. [10]
[11]
Coiba National Park and its Special Zone of Marine Protection PanamaVeraguas and Chiriquí Provinces,
 Panama
7°26′N 81°46′W		 Natural:
(ix), (x)		 270,125 (667,490) 2005 The park protects islands and marine areas in the Gulf of Chiriquí and is home to an exceptionally large number of endemic mammals, birds and plants as well as to several threatened species. The marine ecosystem is characterized by a very large biodiversity with 760 species of marine fishes, 33 species of sharks and 20 species of cetaceans. [12]
Darien National Park PanamaDarién Province,
 Panama
7°44′N 77°33′W		 Natural:
(vii), (ix), (x)		 597,000 (1,480,000) 1981 Situated on the border between South and Central America, the park consists of a wide range of habitats including sandy and rocky coastlines, mangroves, swamps, upland and lowland tropical forests. Two Indian tribes, the Chocó and the Kuna live in the property. [13]
Fortifications on the Caribbean Side of Panama: Portobelo-San Lorenzo † PanamaColón Province,
 Panama
9°33′14″N 79°39′21″W		 Cultural:
(i), (iv)		 — 1980 As outstanding examples of Spanish military architecture, the forts were constructed in the 17th and 18th centuries to protect the Isthmus of Panama which had been of great importance to European colonial trade. [14]
Joya de Cerén Archaeological Site El SalvadorOpico, La Libertad Department,
 El Salvador
13°49′39″N 89°22′9″W		 Cultural:
(iii), (iv)		 — 1993 Joya de Cerén are the remains of a pre-Hispanic farming community that has been preserved largely intact buried under a volcanic eruption around 590 AD. It provides valuable archaeological for everyday life in the 6th century. [15]
León Cathedral NicaraguaLeón
 Nicaragua
12°26′06″N 86°52′41″W		 Cultural:
(ii), (iv)		 0.77 (1.9); buffer zone 13 (32) 2011 Built over more than 150 years starting in the mid-18th century, the cathedral's architecture is a fusion of different styles from Baroque to Neoclassicism and an expression of a new Latin American society that developed around the 18th century. [16]
Maya Site of Copan HondurasCopán Department,
 Honduras
14°51′0″N 89°8′0″W		 Cultural:
(iv), (vi)		 — 1980 Image is of Maya stelae H from Copán in Honduras [17]
Precolumbian Chiefdom Settlements with Stone Spheres of the Diquís Palmar Sur,  Costa Rica
8.911389°N 83.477500°W / 8.911389; -83.477500 (Precolumbian chiefdom settlements with stone spheres of the Diquís)		 Cultural:
(iii)		 6,172 (15,250); buffer zone 6,080 (15,000) 2014 [18]
Río Plátano Biosphere Reserve† HondurasLa Mosquitia,
 Honduras
15°44′40″N 84°40′30″W		 Natural:
(vii), (viii), (ix), (x)		 500,000 (1,200,000) 1982 Endangered since 2011 [19]
Ruins of León Viejo NicaraguaPuerto Momotombo, Municipality La Paz Centro, Department of León,
 Nicaragua
12°23′50″N 86°36′37″W		 Cultural:
(iii), (iv)		 — 2000 [20]
Talamanca Range-La Amistad Reserves / La Amistad National Park Costa RicaSan José, Cartago, Limón and Puntarenas Provinces,  Costa Rica*; Bocas del Toro and Chiriquí Provinces,  Panama*
9°24′26″N 82°56′20″W		 Natural:
(vii), (viii), (ix), (x)		 567,845 (1,403,180) 1983
[nb 4]		 [21]
[22]
Tikal National Park GuatemalaPetén Department,
 Guatemala
17°13′N 89°37′W		 Mixed:
(i), (iii), (iv), (ix), (x)		 57,600 (142,000) 1979 [23]

Location of sites
Location of World Heritage Sites in Central America

See also

Notes
  1. Extended in 2003 to include the archaeological site of Panamá Viejo and name change from Historic District of Panamá, with the Salón Bolivar, Panama to the present name.
  2. Extended in 2004 to include the sector Santa Elena.
  3. Extension of the park's marine zone in 2002.
  4. Modification of boundaries in 1990 to exclude areas that are not of outstanding universal value and to include the extended Chirripó and Talamanca National Parks.

References
General
  • "World Heritage Committee: Twenty-ninth session" (PDF). UNESCO. Retrieved 26 June 2011.
  • "World Heritage Committee: Thirtieth session" (PDF). UNESCO. Retrieved 26 June 2011.
  • "World Heritage Committee: Thirty-first session" (PDF). UNESCO. Retrieved 26 June 2011.
  • "World Heritage Committee: Thirty-third session" (PDF). UNESCO. Retrieved 26 June 2011.
  • "World Heritage Committee: Thirty-fourth session" (PDF). UNESCO. Retrieved 26 June 2011.
Notes
  1. "World Heritage List". UNESCO. Retrieved 28 May 2010.
  2. "The Criteria for Selection". UNESCO. Retrieved 10 September 2011.
  3. "Antigua Guatemala". UNESCO. Retrieved 28 May 2010.
  4. "Archaeological Park and Ruins of Quirigua". UNESCO. Retrieved 12 November 2017.
  5. "Archaeological Site of Panamá Viejo and Historic District of Panamá". UNESCO. Retrieved 28 May 2010.
  6. "Decision - 27COM 8C.40 – Archaeological Site of Panamá Viejo and Historic District of Panamá (Panama)". UNESCO. Retrieved 13 September 2011.
  7. "Area de Conservación Guanacaste". UNESCO. Retrieved 28 May 2010.
  8. "Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System". UNESCO. Retrieved 28 May 2010.
  9. 33rd session 2009, pp. 81–82
  10. "Cocos Island National Park". UNESCO. Retrieved 28 May 2010.
  11. "Decision - 26COM 23.4 - Cocos Island National Park (Costa Rica)". UNESCO. Retrieved 28 May 2010.
  12. "Coiba National Park and its Special Zone of Marine Protection". UNESCO. Retrieved 28 May 2010.
  13. "Darien National Park". UNESCO. Retrieved 28 May 2010.
  14. "Fortifications on the Caribbean Side of Panama: Portobelo-San Lorenzo". UNESCO. Retrieved 28 May 2010.
  15. "Joya de Cerén Archaeological Site". UNESCO. Retrieved 28 May 2010.
  16. "León Cathedral". UNESCO. Retrieved 28 May 2010.
  17. "Maya Site of Copan". UNESCO. Retrieved 28 May 2010.
  18. "Precolumbian Chiefdom Settlements with Stone Spheres of the Diquís". UNESCO. Retrieved 12 November 2017.
  19. "Río Plátano Biosphere Reserve". UNESCO. Retrieved 28 May 2010.
  20. "Ruins of León Viejo". UNESCO. Retrieved 28 May 2010.
  21. "Talamanca Range-La Amistad Reserves / La Amistad National Park". UNESCO. Retrieved 28 May 2010.
  22. "Decision - 14COM IX - SOC: La Amistad/Talamanca Range (Costa Rica)". UNESCO. Retrieved 28 May 2010.
  23. "Tikal National Park". UNESCO. Retrieved 28 May 2010.
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