Know which are the World Heritage Sites in Colombia

Colombia has the fortune of having five spectacular Biosphere Reserves , 17 beautiful Heritage Villages and nine amazing places named by UNESCO as World Heritage Sites ; out of which six of them are cultural, two natural and one mixed.

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The truth is that after visiting and traveling through Colombia , one agrees that the list should be much longer. However, there are currently two sites on the waiting list to be named as World Heritage Sites. We talked about the Marine Protected Area of SeaFlower and The Lost City in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta . For now, here we tell you what these nine World Heritage Sites of Colombia are for you to get to know these treasures of the world.

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And the truth is that these places are places with charm and magic. As well,are some of the oldest cities in Colombia . Cities that have been epicenters of great historical events that mark the course of the country.

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World Heritage Sites in Colombia that you have to know

1. Port, fortresses and monumental complex of Cartagena

The walls of Cartagena ; which is also the second oldest city in Colombia , were the first in the country to appear on the prestigious list of UNESCO as a World Heritage Site . Just to say something, these walls are the best preserved group of fortifications in South America, but the truth is that walking through them does not compare with any data.

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2. The Katíos National Natural Park

This natural corridor is made up by nothing less than, 75,000 hectares of land that built an important corridor in the exchange of fauna and flora between South and Central America. Its great diversity make it a privileged place on the planet.

3. Santa Cruz de Mompox

Getting to Santa Cruz de Mompox is not easy, maybe because of that and its location far from the Caribbean Sea, pirates and enemies stayed away and did not dare to attack this place, which was one of the biggest forts in the Spanish crown. Its architecture has been maintained; so much that it was granted the honor of being a World Heritage Site in Colombia . Walking between its streets and squares is to make a journey through history with much charm and romance.

4. San Agustín Archaeological Park

According to UNESCO, the San Agustin Archaeological Park has the largest collection of megalithic sculptures in South America, which made it part of the select exclusive group of monuments listed as World Heritage . In total there are about 130 stone statues representing deities and mythological beasts, some of them brought from other parts of Colombia and even other parts of the world.

5. Archaeological Park of Tierradentro

One of the main attractions of this Park are its pre-Hispanic statues dating from the sixth to the tenth centuries, which shows the social complexity and cultural richness of the society that inhabited the northern Andean region. Another attraction of the fifth of the World Heritage Sites in Colombia is the number of underground hypogea or collective tombs that can be up to nine meters deep.

6. Flora and Fauna Sanctuary of Malpelo

This small island located in the Colombian Pacific has been awarded the title of World Heritage Site since 2006, as it is one of the sites that most hosts marine life, which makes it one of the best places in the world for practice diving. In 2017, Malpelo Island received the Glorés award, which accredits it as a Global Oceanic Refuge. The marine diversity found in this place will leave you breathless.

7. Colombian Coffee Cultural Landscape

The beauty and tradition of this area of the country is so great that UNESCO gave it the title of World Heritage Site . In addition, it is an example of the culture and practices that is base around the cultivation of coffee, and demonstrates the strong identity that expands through the departments of Valle del Cauca, Quindío, Caldas and Risaralda. This area is home to the largest wax palms in the world with more than 60 meters high in the Cocora Valley

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8. Qhapac Ñan - Andean road system

This World Heritage Site is common for Colombia, Ecuador, Chile, Peru and Bolivia, and is about 30,000 kilometers long and was created by the pre-Inca and Inca communities to strengthen their trade and communications routes. With this, we want to highlight the social and political importance of these communities. In Colombia , this road starts from the department of Nariño and crosses the municipalities of Gualmatán, Yacuanquer, El Contadero, Tangua, Funes and Potosí.

9. Serrania de Chiribiquete National Natural Park

Chiribiquete is the recently to be included park by UNESCO in its labeled as a World Heritage Site . This archaeological wonder of the world possesses a mixed label due to its natural and  amazing cultural values, and this park has the largest rock art collection in the world, with 50 panels with an average height of about seven meters.

If you want to discover more of this beautiful country, we invite you not to get any of our Colombian travel guides entering here .