UNESCO Chile – Sites You Need to Visit

Valparaiso

The colonial city of Valparaíso is the oldest port in Chile and presents an excellent example of the urban and architectural development in Latin America. Today, while it is not the largest port it retains tremendous historical significance as well as being home to the Chilean House of Assembly and Senate.

The World Heritage Site is located between the sea and the first terrace, in the area where the city first developed. High above the city, there is a fantastic agglomeration of brightly painted homes. The upper and lower parts of the city are connected with 16 funicular railways (or elevators) constructed around the turn of the century when the city experienced tremendous growth.

Easter Island

Rapa Nui, as the locals called it, literally means the Navel of the World. Isolated in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, so far from everyone and everything, it holds a rich history, art, language, and culture. The entire island is today considered as an open-air museum with more than 600 MOAI in different stages of completion, the fascinating Orongo Village with many interesting petroglyphs, and many traditional people’s cave dwellings open to visitors.

Churches of Chiloe

Chiloé Island, situated in the South of Chile, in the Lakes District, is one of the largest islands in South America. This island holds a rich history with many legends and locals love to share stories of legendary shipwrecks, lost fishermen, and strange monsters. Declared UNESCO World Heritage sites, the churches on the island are made from local alerces wood.

They represent a unique example in Latin America of an outstanding form of ecclesiastical wooden architecture. It shows the combination of European and indigenous cultural traditions to building the unique form of wooden architecture that conveys the spiritual values of the communities.

Of course, these are only three of the five UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Chile. There are also the Humberstone and Santa Laura Saltpeter Works and the Sewell Mining Town. You can check out all of our Chile Tours.