ATLAS · WORLD HERITAGE · BRAZIL

World Heritage Sites in Brazil

Brazil has 24 sites on UNESCO’s World Heritage List — 14 cultural, 9 natural, and 1 mixed. 1 is currently listed as World Heritage in Danger. Below: how they split by type, and the headline sites. From UNESCO’s official list, snapshot 2026-06-22.

SITES24
CULTURAL · NATURAL14 · 9
IN DANGER1

By heritage type

Cultural14 · 58%
Natural9 · 38%
Mixed1 · 4%

Notable sites in Brazil

A spread of the country’s heritage — the rarer mixed and natural sites first, then its earliest inscriptions.

mixedParaty and Ilha Grande – Culture and Biodiversity2019

This natural-cultural landscape encompasses the historic centre of Paraty, one of Brazil's best-preserved coastal towns, four Brazilian Atlantic Forest protected natural areas, one of the world’s five key biodiversity hotspots, as well as part of the Serra da Bocaina mountain range and the Atlant…

naturalIguaçu National Park⚠ IN DANGER1986

The park shares with Iguazú National Park in Argentina one of the world’s largest and most impressive waterfalls, extending over some 2,700 m. It is home to many rare and endangered species of flora and fauna, among them the giant otter and the giant anteater. The clouds of spray produced by…

naturalDiscovery Coast Atlantic Forest Reserves1999

The Discovery Coast Atlantic Forest Reserves, in the states of Bahia and Espírito Santo, consist of eight separate protected areas containing 112,000 ha of Atlantic forest and associated shrub ( restingas ). The rainforests of Brazil’s Atlantic coast are the world’s richest in terms of biodi…

naturalAtlantic Forest South-East Reserves1999

The Atlantic Forest South-East Reserves, in the states of Paraná and São Paulo, contain some of the best and most extensive examples of Atlantic forest in Brazil. The 25 protected areas that make up the site (some 470,000 ha in total) display the biological wealth and evolutionary histo…

naturalCentral Amazon Conservation Complex2000

The Central Amazon Conservation Complex makes up the largest protected area in the Amazon Basin and is one of the planet’s richest regions in terms of biodiversity. It also includes an important sample of varzea ecosystems, igapó forests, lakes and channels which take the form of a constantl…

naturalPantanal Conservation Area2000

The Pantanal Conservation Area consists of a cluster of four protected areas with a total area of 187,818 ha. Located in western central Brazil at the south-west corner of the State of Mato Grosso, the site represents 1.3% of Brazil's Pantanal region, one of the world's largest freshwater wetland…

naturalBrazilian Atlantic Islands: Fernando de Noronha and Atol das Rocas Reserves2001

Peaks of the Southern Atlantic submarine ridge form the Fernando de Noronha Archipelago and Rocas Atoll off the coast of Brazil. They represent a large proportion of the island surface of the South Atlantic and their rich waters are extremely important for the breeding and feeding of tuna, shark,…

naturalCerrado Protected Areas: Chapada dos Veadeiros and Emas National Parks2001

The two sites included in the designation contain flora and fauna and key habitats that characterize the Cerrado – one of the world’s oldest and most diverse tropical ecosystems. For millennia, these sites have served as refuge for several species during periods of climate change and will be vita…

naturalLençóis Maranhenses National Park2024

The property is located in northeastern Brazil, on the east coast of Maranhão, in a transition zone between three Brazilian biomes: Cerrado, Caatinga and Amazon. More than half of its area consists of a white coastal dune field with temporary and permanent lagoons. Beyond its important role…

naturalPeruaçu River Canyon2025

Located in northern Minas Gerais and featuring dramatic karst landscapes, vast caves, and rich biodiversity, the park’s horizontal cave systems, formed in carbonate rock, reveal striking speleothems, collapsed dolines, limestone arches, and underground rivers. Developed in the stable São Fra…

culturalHistoric Town of Ouro Preto1980

Founded at the end of the 17th century, Ouro Preto (Black Gold) was the focal point of the gold rush and Brazil’s golden age in the 18th century. With the exhaustion of the gold mines in the 19th century, the city’s influence declined but many churches, bridges and fountains remain as a testimony…

culturalHistoric Centre of the Town of Olinda1982

Founded in the 16th century by the Portuguese, the town’s history is linked to the sugar-cane industry. Rebuilt after being looted by the Dutch, its basic urban fabric dates from the 18th century. The harmonious balance between the buildings, gardens, 20 Baroque churches, convents and numerous sm…

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