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Heritage of red skins. Famous Unesco Sites in South America

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Islands lost in the Pacific Ocean, world-famous mysterious Moai statues, incredibly beautiful colonial cities and religious monuments with rich decoration are just some of the unique attractions that guests can see in South America. Some nature reserves and monuments of the continent have been enlisted as the World Heritage sites. Today these landmarks are familiar even to those who have never been to South America. There are unique objects for study for each and everyone. Nature lovers will like national parks, and fans of history will admire ancient cities and archeological areas.

Iguazu National Park, Argentina

The Iguazu National Park was founded in 1934. It has an area of ​​more than 55 000 square km. Each year, the park is visited by more than 1.5 million people. They come to admire the magnificent waterfalls, walk through the centuries-old forests and incredibly picturesque mountain areas. There are over 2 000 species of plants in the reserve. The site has become a habitat for 70 species of mammals, 40 species of reptiles and 400 species of birds. The main feature of the park are the beautiful Iguazu Falls. There are more than 270 waterfalls in the park.

Iguazu National Park, Argentina Today, the most beautiful waterfalls are equipped with convenient bridges and viewing platforms, so you can see natural attractions in all their glory. The park has a lot of fast-flowing rivers. Rafting is also very popular among tourists. However, many people prefer just to stroll through the most picturesque areas of the reserve on foot. Not so long ago a hotel was built in the Iguazu park, so everyone can stay in this picturesque area longer.

The main natural attraction of the reserve is the waterfall with a scary name Devil's Throat. A rainbow is formed over it every day. Jeep safari is carried along the territory of the reserve. During a tour you can see many rare native species. Hiking is popular among those who like to watch birds. Exotic forests are inhabited by cute colorful parrots, toucans, and more exotic species of birds that are found nowhere else in the world. Next - Cueva de las Manos Cave

Cueva de las Manos Cave, Argentina

Cueva de las Manos Cave, Argentina The Spanish name of Cueva de las Manos can be translated as Cave of Hands. This cave is one of the most interesting in the world from the paleontological point of view. Researchers have found there many ancient rock paintings, including numerous images of human hands. Scientists estimate that the age of some cave paintings is more than 10 000 years. This shows that the cave has been inhabited by people for thousands of years. Complete article

The Jesuit Block and Estancias of Cordoba, Argentina

The Jesuit Block and Estancias of Cordoba, Argentina Those who love to explore the historical sights will like walking around the Jesuit Block, which is located in the immediate vicinity of Cordoba. The quarter is a complex of survived buildings constructed by Jesuit missionaries. The building of the National University that is one of the oldest in South America has preserved there too. In addition, here you can see a building of an old school, a few surviving houses and an old church. Complete article

Ancient City of Sucre, Bolivia

Ancient City of Sucre, Bolivia Fans of walks along historical places certainly have to visit the ancient city of Sucre in Bolivia. Its main feature is a number of survived monuments dating back to the colonial era. Some of them were built in the early years after the city has been founded. The official date of foundation of the city is November 30, 1538. Originally it was called Chuquisaca. The place got its current name in 1825. A significant part of the historical buildings that can be seen today were built in the first half of the 17th century. Complete article

Noel Kempff Mercado National Park, Bolivia

Noel Kempff Mercado National Park, Bolivia Those who love natural attractions will get a lot of impressions from walk through the Noel Kempff Mercado National Park. It is located in the eastern part of Bolivia, at the border with Brazil. An area of ​​the park is a little less than 16 000 square km. The park features a variety of landscapes. There are rocky areas with deep canyons, large plains, and evergreen Amazonian forests. Complete article

Ouro Preto City, Brazil

Ouro Preto City, Brazil Brazil also has an amazing historic city, which attracts researchers and ordinary tourists from all over the world. The city of Ouro Preto is located in the state of Minas Gerais. Once it has been a prosperous capital of the state. Founded in 1711, Ouro Preto became the real center of the Brazilian Gold Rush. Gold seekers flocked here from all over the world. A number of luxurious palaces and mansions increased every year. There were unique monuments of Baroque among them. Complete article

Santuario de Bom Jesus de Matosinhos, Brazil

Santuario de Bom Jesus de Matosinhos, Brazil The church complex called Bom Jesus de Matosinhos is situated in the Brazilian city of Congonhas. The sight was built in the 18th century. That's the striking architectural monument in the Baroque style. The white church is characterized by marvelous interiors. Numerous pristine decorations, including beautiful sculptures inspired by biblical motifs, have survived within its walls. The beautiful church was built by the famous architect Francisco Lima Cerqueira. The construction was completed in 1773. Complete article

Serra da Capivara National Park, Brazil

Serra da Capivara National Park, Brazil The world famous Serra da Capivara National Park is in the northeastern part of Brazil. The place is famous not only for its natural attractions, but also for priceless monuments of rock art. The first archaeologist who explored these amazing places, was Nede Gideon. After his discovery, the amazing park was recognized as a World Heritage Site. The area of Serra da Capivara is more than 1 200 square km. Since the first archaeological expeditions, research doesn't stop here. Complete article

Santa Ana de Coro Town, Venezuela

Santa Ana de Coro Town, Venezuela One of the most interesting among the cities of Venezuela is Santa Ana de Coro. Today the population of the old town is about 174 000 people. The settlement is located on the edge of the peninsula Paraguana, on the Caribbean coast. The small port town was founded here in 1527. In a few years, its scale increased tenfold. Every year new constructions were appearing. Complete article

San Agustin Archaeological Park, Colombia

San Agustin Archaeological Park, Colombia Colombia can boast the world famous archeological park of San Agustin. It is visited not only by researchers from around the world, but by curious travelers too. Here, archaeologists have discovered the largest group of religious monuments in South America. Today everyone can see it. The sculptures found during excavations in the park are called chinas. As the researchers found out, items were made of volcanic rock. Numerous sculptures depict people dressed in various traditional clothing. Complete article

Malpelo Island, Colombia

Malpelo Island, Colombia The islet of Malpelo is lost among the vast waters of the Pacific Ocean. That's also a landmark of the world importance. The rocky island is uninhabited. Its length is about 1850 meters, and the width is 600 meters. In fact, the main object of interest is not the rocky island but surrounding waters, which are home to rare species of sharks, fish, and other inhabitants of the deep sea. This is where researchers were able to see several rare species of sharks, including silky shark, whale shark, frilled shark and hammerhead shark. A rare sand tiger shark was found in the vicinity of the island. Complete article

Cusco City, Peru

Cusco City, Peru The Peruvian city of Cusco is an important archeological area. The research of archaeologists has shown that people began to settle in that places more than 3 000 years ago. First tribes of the Incas have lived there. A major city has remained the capital of their empire for many years. During archaeological excavations, ruins of ancient temples and places of worship were discovered, as well as numerous places of ritual sacrifices. Complete article

Machu Picchu Citadel, Peru

Machu Picchu Citadel, Peru Of course, one of the most recognized and visited tourist attractions of the South American continent is Machu Picchu. The ancient city of the Incas is one of the seven modern wonders of the world. A lot of unsolved mysteries are associated with it. The main mystery lies in the mysterious disappearance of locals who, according to available evidence, left their hometown literally overnight. The town lost in the Peruvian mountains has being empty for three hundred years. Its ruins were discovered accidentally. Complete article

Rapa Nui National Park, Chile

Rapa Nui National Park, Chile Rapa Nui National Park located on Easter Island is a world-famous landmark. Numerous stone sculptures that are called moai were discovered there. The area of ​​the national park is about 7 000 square km. For thousands of years, these places have being the center of volcanic activity. All the statues that were discovered on the island have been made of hardened volcanic rock. Those are nothing more than huge chunks of compressed volcanic ash. Complete article

Galapagos Islands, Ecuador

Galapagos Islands, Ecuador The Galapagos Islands are real storehouses of amazing natural attractions. The archipelago located in the Pacific Ocean has 19 islands, some of which are inhabited by people. Currently, about 25 000 people permanently reside on the islands, while the number of tourists who visit this ocean area is much more than aforesaid figures. Charles Darwin conducted his study on these islands. Today the local flora and fauna are of great interest to researchers. Complete article
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Famous Unesco Sites in South America - interactive map

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