# List of World Heritage Sites in Colombia

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Sites are places of importance to cultural or natural heritage as described in the UNESCO World Heritage Convention, established in 1972. Cultural heritage consists of monuments (such as architectural works, monumental sculptures, or inscriptions), groups of buildings, and sites (including archaeological sites). Natural features (consisting of physical and biological formations), geological and physiographical formations (including habitats of threatened species of animals and plants), and natural sites which are important from the point of view of science, conservation or natural beauty, are defined as natural heritage. Colombia accepted the convention on 24 May 1983, making its historical sites eligible for inclusion on the list.
There are nine World Heritage Sites in Colombia, including six cultural sites, two natural sites and one mixed site. The first site in Colombia, Port, Fortresses and Group of Monuments, Cartagena, was inscribed on the list at the 8th Session of the World Heritage Committee, held in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 1984. Los Katíos National Park was inscribed as the first natural site in 1994. In 2009, the site was listed as endangered upon a request by the Colombian government because of illegal deforestation and overfishing. The situation has improved by 2015 so the site was removed from the list. Chiribiquete National Park – "The Maloca of the Jaguar" was added to the list in 2018 as Colombia's most recent inscription. Qhapaq Ñan, Andean Road System, is a transnational site and is shared with five other countries. Colombia has a further 13 sites on its tentative list. The country has served on the World Heritage Committee three times.

## World Heritage Sites

UNESCO lists sites under ten criteria; each entry must meet at least one of the criteria. Criteria i through vi are cultural, and vii through x are natural.
World Heritage Sites :
| Site | Location (department) | Year listed | UNESCO data | Description |
| Port, Fortresses and Group of Monuments, Cartagena | Bolívar | 1984 | 285; iii (cultural) | Cartagena features the most extensive and one of the most complete fortification systems in South America and is a prominent example of the military architecture of the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries. Initial defences were built by the Spanish in 1586 and gradually expanded, protecting one of the most important ports of the Caribbean Sea. There are numerous fortresses around the city. Within the walls, there are churches, palaces, and residences for the wealthy citizens. |
| Los Katíos National Park | Antioquia, Chocó | 1994 | 711; ix, x (natural) | The national park is located in the Darién Gap and is contiguous with the Darién National Park in Panama. The Great American Interchange of animals took place through this area in late Cenozoic. It was also likely a Pleistocene refugium, which is indicated by a high number of endemic species. The habitats include the Chocó–Darién moist forests and wetlands. The floodplains of the Atrato River are pictured. The park is home to the American crocodile, giant anteater, and Baird's tapir. In 2009, the site was listed as endangered upon a request by the Colombian government because of illegal deforestation and overfishing. The situation has improved by 2015 so the site was removed from the list. |
| Historic Centre of Santa Cruz de Mompox | Bolívar | 1995 | 742; iv, v (cultural) | Santa Cruz de Mompox was founded by the Spanish in 1540 as a river port on the banks of the Magdalena River. It developed along the main street that runs parallel to the river and also acts as a dyke during floods. The city played a major role in the Spanish colonization of the region but declined in importance in the 19th century. The historical centre is well preserved, with numerous buildings featuring decorated portals, balcons, and galleries. The Santa Barbara Church is pictured. |
| National Archeological Park of Tierradentro | Cauca | 1995 | 743; iii (cultural) | The archaeological park, comprising four nearby areas, contains numerous hypogea, underground chambers that were used as tombs. They were created roughly between 600 and 900 CE. The largest of them are up to 12 m (39 ft) wide. The tombs are often decorated with polychrome paintings with geometric designs or animal and human motifs, and with stone carvings. The architecture of the tombs intended to resemble human dwellings. There are also seveal monumental human statues, carved in volcanic stone, in the park. |
| San Agustín Archaeological Park | Huila | 1995 | 744; iii (cultural) | The archaeological park comprises three areas with remains of the San Agustín culture. The main monuments date to the Regional Classic period (1-900 AD) and include burial mounds, terraces, funerary structures, and monumental stone statues. The statues at Mesita B are pictured. |
| Malpelo Fauna and Flora Sanctuary | Valle del Cauca | 2006 | 1216; vii, ix (natural) | The site comprises the Malpelo Island, an isolated island around 500 km (310 mi) off the mainland, and the surrounding waters. The island and its rocky outcrops are home to populations of the Nazca booby, swallow-tailed gull, and Galápagos petrel. The nutrient-rich waters support a wide variety of marine life, including large aggregations of pelagic fish species and large predators, such as the hammerhead sharks and silky shark. The area is designated as a no-fishing zone. |
| Coffee Cultural Landscape of Colombia | Caldas, Quindío, Risaralda | 2011 | 1121; v, vi (cultural) | Colombia is known for its coffee production. The site comprises six areas with coffee plantations and several urban centres. Cultivation of coffee on steep mountain slopes on small plots in a high forest has resulted in a specific cultural landscape with settlements located on the flat tops and buildings made of cob and pleated cane. The architecture reflects the mixture of the Spanish influences with those of the people from the Antioquia Department who settled in the area in the 19th century. There are several expressions of intangible cultural heritage, including the traditional sombrero aguadeño hats and raw hide shoulder bags. |
| Qhapaq Ñan, Andean Road System* | several sites | 2014 | 1459; ii, iii, iv, vi (cultural) | Qhapaq Ñan is an extensive pre-Incan and Incan road system, spanning over 30,000 km (19,000 mi) across the Andes. The roads connect high mountain peaks with rainforests, coasts, valleys, and deserts. The road system formed the lifeline of the Inca Empire, allowing transport and exchange of goods, as well as movement of messengers, travelers, and even armies. The site comprises 273 components featuring structures such as roads, bridges, ditches, and supporting infrastructure, nine of which are in Colombia. The site is shared with Argentina (a section pictured), Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador, and Peru. |
| Chiribiquete National Park – "The Maloca of the Jaguar" | Caquetá, Guaviare | 2018 | 1174; iii, ix, x (mixed) | The national park is located at the meeting point of the Andes, Amazon, Guayana, and the Orinoco biomes, which results in high levels of biodiversity, numerous endemic species, and it also allows for species to transit between the regions. Large animals include the jaguar, giant otter, giant anteater, and South American tapir. There are numerous tepuis (table-top mountains, example pictured) in the park. Some of them have rock shelters where people were creating rock art through millennia. The paintings include scenes with dances, battles, and ceremonies, as well as depictions of plants and animals. The indigenous communities consider these sites as sacred. |

## Tentative list

In addition to sites inscribed on the World Heritage List, member states can maintain a list of tentative sites that they may consider for nomination. Nominations for the World Heritage List are only accepted if the site was previously listed on the tentative list. Colombia has 13 properties on its tentative list.