UNESCO World Heritage Sites

At Jacada, we aim to take our clients to some of the world’s most incredible places. These UNESCO World Heritage Sites have been protected due to their special nature, whether that be natural beauty or historic interest. If ever there was a list to inspire travel, this is it:

26 - LIMA - Peru, Lima

Set on the Pacific coast of Peru, Lima is not just popular for its food; the beautiful Spanish elements of the city have afforded its old town a protected status.

25 - IGUASSU FALLS - Brazil, Iguassu Falls

Iguassu National Park, an expanse of thick, tropical rainforest, straddles the border between Brazil and Argentina and the 80-metre-high falls is one of the most famous in the world.

24 - HANOI - Vietnam, Hanoi

Hanoi is a blend of French colonial influences and Vietnamese roots. The citadel is UNESCO protected; it dates back to the 11th century and was the seat of political power for hundreds of years.

23 - QUITO - Ecuador, Quito

The first old town in the world to be declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Quito is a historic city nestled amongst the towering Andean peaks. You can wander the old cobbled streets, stroll around plazas and market squares, and admire some of the beautiful, colonial-era churches.

22 - HUE - Vietnam, Hue

This complex of ancient monuments including temples and palaces sits on the banks of the Perfume River in Hue, the cultural capital of Vietnam.

21 - STONE TOWN - Zanzibar, Stone Town

On the Swahili coast of Zanzibar, Stone Town is a melting pot of cultures that have arrived at its harbour over the past centuries. African, Arab, Indian and European heritage are all melded together here, and the town is also historically important due to it being regarded as a base for the anti-slavery movement, helmed by David Livingstone.

20 - MEXICO CITY - Mexico, Mexico City

A combination of old and new, Mexico City was once the Aztec capital; nowadays its UNESCO-protected Historic Quarter is a fusion of European and traditional elements. An enormous city, one of the biggest in the world, Mexico City is a multi-layered capital with hundreds of things to do and see, from visiting the Freida Kahlo Museum to admiring the city’s grand baroque architecture.

19 - CUSCO - Peru, Cusco

Once the capital of the Incan Empire, Cusco still has a grand feel to it, with its Incan ruins bearing testiment to its long history and Spanish colonial elements woven in, like the cobbled streets and markets. In the surrounding area, native Incans still live off the land.

18 - THE PANTANAL - Brazil, The Pantanal

In west-central Brazil, the Pantanal is one of the world’s biggest freshwater wetland ecosystems, with more than 80 mammal species, 650 types of bird, 400 fish types and 50 reptiles.

17 - SELOUS GAME RESERVE - Tanzania, Selous Game Reserve

Herd of elephants moving through the waters of a clearing in a dense green Nyerere National Park, Tanzania

One of the largest areas of protected land in Africa, the Selous Game Reserve spans more than 50,000 square kilometres, and is home to elephants, black rhino, hippos, crocodiles, cheetahs and giraffes.

16 - TIKAL - Guatemala, Tikal

Mayan ruins of Tikal in Guatemala peeking through the forest canopy at sunset

The Mayan ruins of Tikal date back to the 6th century BC. The Tikal National Park, in which the ruins are located, is home to the largest area of tropical rainforest in Central America, flooded savannah, lakes and swamps, with an abundant bird population.

15 - VICTORIA FALLS - Zimbabwe, Victoria Falls

An incredible waterfall across the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe, the Zambezi River is 2 kilometres wide at this point, creating a fantastic spectacle of rainbows and mist.

14 - HOI AN- Vietnam, Hoi An

The old town of Hoi An is a gorgeous area of French and Vietnamese influences, with narrow cobbled streets and 19th century buildings.

13 - NGORONGORO CRATER - Tanzania, Ngorongoro Crater

Rhino, African elephants, zebra and game in the grassy plains of the Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania

A huge area of Savannah, forests and highland plains, the Ngorongoro Crater is 14 miles wide and has the world’s highest density of lions, living alongside the Maasai pastoralists, who practice their livestock grazing here. Early hominid footprints have been found in the crater, dating back 3.6 million years.

12 - LUANG PRABANG - Laos, Luang Prabang

The beautiful town of Luang Prabang is one of the most popular locations in South East Asia. Golden temples meet French 19th-century architecture on the banks of the Mekong River.

11 - HALONG BAY - Vietnam, Halong Bay

A stunning scene of huge, rugged limestone karsts jutting out of the sea, the 1600 islands and islets of Halong Bay are mostly uninhabited and the environment is untouched, something that is maintained by its protected status.

10 - KILIMANJARO CLIMB - Tanzania, Kilimanjaro Climb

Amboseli National Park, Tanzania, at sunset with Mount Kilimanjaro peaking through the clouds

Mount Kilimanjaro is the highest peak of Africa, and one of the largest volcanoes in the world. The 75,575 hectares of National Park that surrounds it are home to various endangered animals.

9 - SIEM REAP & ANGKOR WAT - Cambodia, Siem Reap & Angkor Wat

The temples of Angkor are located just outside the pretty town of Siem Reap and form one of the most famous temple complexes in the world, including the iconic Angkor Wat, the faces of Angkor Thom and the incredible Ta Prohm.

8 - MACHU PICCHU - Peru, Machu Picchu

Barely needing an introduction, Machu Picchu is one of the world’s biggest historic attractions. The ruins of the Inca Empire sit up in the mountains of Peru, surrounded by tropical forest. You can trek up there or take the train – either way, it’s an unforgettable sight.

7 - NORTH SERENGETI - Tanzania, North Serengeti

Zebra and wildebeest in the Serengeti National Park, Tanzania, at sunset

The Serengeti is famed for its annual migration that sees huge herds of wildebeest, gazalles and zebras moving through the 1.5 million hectares of savannah. This is known as one of the world’s greatest natural events.

6 - FERNANDO DE NORONHA - Brazil, Fernando de Noronha

A couple of hundred miles off the coast of mainland Brazil, Fernando de Noronha is a protected paradise, with only 500 visitors allowed on the archipelago at any one time. The beaches are some of the best in the country and marine life is abundant.

5 - BWINDI IMPENETRABLE FOREST - Uganda, Bwindi Impenetrable Forest

In the southwest of Uganda, Bwindi is known for its huge amount of flora and fauna, most notably the rare and endangered mountain gorilla.

4 - JAVA - Indonesia, Java

In central Java, the ancient Buddhist Borobudur temples are simply incredible and form some of the most startlingly beautiful scenery in the world, surrounded by the looming volcanoes and Indonesian rainforest. The temples date back to the 8th and 9th centuries.

3 - EASTER ISLAND - Chile, Easter Island

Easter Island, or Rapa Nui National Park, is one of the most interesting locations in the world, with its landscape of moai built by the island’s inhabitants between the 10th and 16th centuries.

2 - KOMODO ISLANDS - Indonesia, Komodo Islands

The Komodo National Park is a collection of rugged volcanic islands surrounded by brilliant blue water, famed for their endemic inhabitants – the enormous Komodo Dragons, which number over 5000, and have long been an important point of study for scientists.

1 - GALAPAGOS - CRUISES - Galapagos, Galapagos - Cruises

Sealion and cruise ship, Galapagos Islands, Odyssey Cruises,

One of the most incredible, unique places in the world, the Galapagos Islands are extremely well-protected and, as a result, afford visitors the chance to get closer to wildlife than they could anywhere else. The volcanic islands are home to endemic species, like the marine iguana and the most northerly and second-smallest penguins on the planet, the Galapagos penguins.

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