UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Brazil

UNESCO's Description

As the first capital of Brazil, from 1549 to 1763, Salvador de Bahia witnessed the blending of European, African and Amerindian cultures. It was also, from 1558, the first slave market in the New World, with slaves arriving to work on the sugar plantations. The city has managed to preserve many outstanding Renaissance buildings. A special feature of the old town are the brightly coloured houses, often decorated with fine stucco-work.

From the UNESCO World Heritage Centre (CC BY-SA IGO 3.0).

History

The Church of the Holy See (Igreja da Sé), an integral part of the architectural set of the Historic Center, was demolished in 1933 along with four other blocks of buildings from the colonial and imperial periods. The Archbishop's Palace, connected to the church, remains. Debates over the destruction of historic sites in Salvador and elsewhere in Brazil led to the first attempts at federal-level protection of historic assets and eventually to the establishment of the National Institute of Historic and Artistic Heritage.

The Terreiro de Jesus, just north of Praça Municipal, is home to structures from the 17th to 19th century constructions.

Key Facts

Facts from Wikidata Q5572706 (CC0).

UNESCO's Description

This sanctuary in Minais Gerais, south of Belo Horizonte was built in the second half of the 18th century. It consists of a church with a magnificent Rococo interior of Italian inspiration; an outdoor stairway decorated with statues of the prophets; and seven chapels illustrating the Stations of the Cross, in which the polychrome sculptures by Aleijadinho are masterpieces of a highly original, moving, expressive form of Baroque art.

From the UNESCO World Heritage Centre (CC BY-SA IGO 3.0).

History

The sanctuary was commissioned by Feliciano Mendes. Mendes made a promise to the Bom Jesus de Matosinhos after he recovered from a grave illness in 1757. When Mendes died in 1765, religious services started to be offered by the sanctuary. The sculpture of Bom Jesus at Congonhas do Campo is seen as a powerful vehicle of intercession. It was believed that prayers uttered in front of the sculpture have a good chance of being answered, and it became a famous pilgrimage site with to which people travelled to ask Jesus for help and assistance.

Key Facts

Facts from Wikidata Q1595417 (CC0).

UNESCO's Description

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 the waterfall are conducive to the growth of lush vegetation.

From the UNESCO World Heritage Centre (CC BY-SA IGO 3.0).

History

The Iguaçu National Park owes its name to the fact it includes an important area of the Iguazu River (Portuguese: Rio Iguaçu). Approximately 50 square kilometres (19 mi2) of the length of the river makes up the Iguaçu Falls.

It is the most important park of the Prata Basin and, since it is a haven to a significant genetic asset of animal and vegetal species, it was the first park in Brazil to receive a Management Plan. As foreseen by Rebouças, the park's basic goal is the preservation of the highly relevant ecologically and scenic natural ecosystems, thus enabling scientific research and the development of environmental education and interpretation activities, recreation in natural surroundings and the ecological tourism.

The Iguaçu National Park is spectacular as well as pioneering.

Location

In Brazil, the Park has boundaries with the following municipalities: Foz do Iguaçu, Medianeira, Matelândia, Céu Azul, São Miguel do Iguaçu, Santa Terezinha de Itaipu, Santa Tereza do Oeste, Capitão Leônidas Marque, Capanema and Serranópolis.

The Park is located in the westernmost region of the state of Paraná, in the Iguaçú river basin, 17 km (11 miles) from downtown Foz do Iguaçú. It borders Argentina, where the Iguazu National Park, which was implemented in 1934, is located. The border between the two countries and their national parks is made by the Iguaçú river, whose source is near the Serra (mountain range) do Mar near Curitiba and runs for 18 km (11 miles) throughout the state of Paraná.

Tourism

The area of the park open for visitation and where the concession areas of Cataratas do Iguaçú S/A are located, accounts for approximately 0.3% of the total area of the park.

The most spectacular sightseeing of the park is the Iguaçú Falls, which form a 2,700m wide semicircle, while the water falls from a height of 72 metres (236 ft). The number of waterfalls ranges from 150 and 300 depending on the Iguaçú river flow. Besides the exuberant waterfalls, there are other attractions such as rich fauna, the Poço Preto (the Black Well), the Macuco Waterfall, the Visitors Center, the Santos Dumont Statue, a homage paid by VASP (a defunct airline company) to the "Father of Aviation", who lent all his prestige and efforts in turning the falls area into a National Park.

Key Facts

Facts from Wikidata Q742315 (CC0).

UNESCO's Description

Brasilia, a capital created ex nihilo in the centre of the country in 1956, was a landmark in the history of town planning. Urban planner Lucio Costa and architect Oscar Niemeyer intended that every element – from the layout of the residential and administrative districts (often compared to the shape of a bird in flight) to the symmetry of the buildings themselves – should be in harmony with the city’s overall design. The official buildings, in particular, are innovative and imaginative.

From the UNESCO World Heritage Centre (CC BY-SA IGO 3.0).

Geography

The city sits at an elevation of 1,000 metres (3,300 ft), on the Brazilian Highlands in the country's central-western region. Paranoá Lake, a large artificial lake, was built to increase the amount of water available and to maintain the region's humidity. It has a marina, and hosts wakeboarders and windsurfers. Diving can also be practiced; one of the main attractions is Vila Amaury, an old village submerged in the lake where the first construction workers of Brasília lived.

Brasília has a tropical savanna climate (Aw, according to the Köppen climate classification), milder due to the elevation and with two distinct seasons: the rainy season, from October to April, and the dry season, from May to September. The average temperature is 21.4 °C (70.5 °F).

History

Brazil's first capital was Salvador; in 1763 Rio de Janeiro became Brazil's capital and remained so until 1960. During this period, resources tended to be centered in Brazil's southeastern region, and most of the country's population was concentrated near its Atlantic coast. Brasilia's geographically central location fostered a more regionally neutral federal capital.

The idea of relocating Brazil's capital city was conceived in 1827 by José Bonifácio, an advisor to Emperor Pedro I. He presented a plan to the General Assembly of Brazil for a new city called Brasília, with the idea of moving the capital westward from the heavily populated southeastern corridor.

Economy

The major roles of construction and of services (government, communications, banking and finance, food production, entertainment, and legal services) in Brasília's economy reflect the city's status as a governmental rather than an industrial center. Industries connected with construction, food processing, and furnishings are important, as are those associated with publishing, printing, and computer software. The gross domestic product (GDP) is divided in Public Administration 54.8%, Services 28.7%, Industry 10.2%, Commerce 6.1%, Agrobusiness 0.2%.

Besides being the political center, Brasília is also an important economic hub. In 2018, it has the third highest GDP of cities in Brazil, R$254 billion reais, representing 3.6% of the total Brazilian GDP.

Key Facts

Facts from Wikidata Q2844 (CC0).

Visiting Brasília

Brasilia (Portuguese: Brasília), the capital of Brazil and the seat of government of the Distrito Federal, is a planned city in the Central Highlands of Brazil. Inaugurated in 1960, it is a masterpiece of modernist architecture listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO and attracts architecture enthusiasts worldwide. Brasilia is also an important transportation hub for travel within Brazil.

Travel notes adapted from Wikivoyage: Brasilia (CC BY-SA 4.0).

UNESCO's Description

Many of the numerous rock shelters in the Serra da Capivara National Park are decorated with cave paintings, some more than 25,000 years old. They are an outstanding testimony to one of the oldest human communities of South America.

From the UNESCO World Heritage Centre (CC BY-SA IGO 3.0).

History

The park was created to protect the prehistoric artifacts and paintings found there. It became a World Heritage Site in 1991. Its head archaeologist was Niède Guidon. Its best known archaeological site is Pedra Furada.

Scientific studies confirm that the Capivara mountain range was densely populated in the pre-Columbian Era.

A newer site is Toca da Tira Peia, where the stone tools found may date to as early as 22,000 years ago. The site has been dated through optically stimulated luminescence.

Other important archaeological sites in the area are Toca da Pena, Baxao da Esperanca, and Sitio do Meio. Lapa do Boquete site is located directly south.

Location

It is located in northeast state of Piauí, between latitudes 8° 26' 50" and 8° 54' 23" south and longitudes 42° 19' 47" and 42° 45' 51" west. It falls within the municipal areas of São Raimundo Nonato, São João do Piauí, Coronel José Dias and Canto do Buriti. It has an area of 1291.4 square kilometres (319,000 acres).

The Capivara-Confusões Ecological Corridor, created in 2006, links the park to the Serra das Confusões National Park.

Key Facts

Facts from Wikidata Q267394 (CC0).

Visiting Serra da Capivara National Park

The Serra da Capivara National Park is a protected area in the Northeast region of Brazil. It is a World Heritage site and contains the oldest prehistoric rock paintings in the Americas.

Travel notes adapted from Wikivoyage: Serra da Capivara National Park (CC BY-SA 4.0).

UNESCO's Description

The late 17th-century core of this historic town, founded by the French and occupied by the Dutch before coming under Portuguese rule, has preserved the original rectangular street plan in its entirety. Thanks to a period of economic stagnation in the early 20th century, an exceptional number of fine historic buildings have survived, making this an outstanding example of an Iberian colonial town.

From the UNESCO World Heritage Centre (CC BY-SA IGO 3.0).

History

The region of São Luís was settled by Tupinambá people prior to the arrival of European explorers. The European powers were attracted to São Luís due to its protected bay, favorable climate, access to fresh water, and abundant resources. The earliest history of the Portuguese in São Luís is unclear, but began as a small Portuguese-Spanish settlement in 1531. It was abandoned and passed to French rule in 1612 as part of the short-lived plan for Equatorial France, a French colony in South America. No buildings from the French settlement remain. The Portuguese regained control of the city three years later.

Key Facts

Facts from Wikidata Q8343768 (CC0).

UNESCO's Description

The Pampulha Modern Ensemble was the centre of a visionary garden city project created in 1940 at Belo Horizonte, the capital of Minas Gerais State. Designed around an artificial lake, this cultural and leisure centre included a casino, a ballroom, the Golf Yacht Club and the São Francisco de Assis church. The buildings were designed by architect Oscar Niemeyer, in collaboration with innovative artists. The Ensemble comprises bold forms that exploit the plastic potential of concrete, while fusing architecture, landscape design, sculpture and painting into a harmonious whole. It reflects the influence of local traditions, the Brazilian climate and natural surroundings on the principles of modern architecture.

From the UNESCO World Heritage Centre (CC BY-SA IGO 3.0).

Key Facts

Facts from Wikidata Q3890034 (CC0).

UNESCO's Description

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 ecosystems. The headwaters of the region's two major river systems, the Cuiabá and the Paraguay rivers, are located here, and the abundance and diversity of its vegetation and animal life are spectacular.

From the UNESCO World Heritage Centre (CC BY-SA IGO 3.0).

Geography and geology

The Pantanal covers about 140,000–160,000 km2 (54,000–62,000 sq mi) of gently sloped basin that receives runoff from the upland areas (the Planalto highlands) and slowly releases the water through the Paraguay River and tributaries. The formation is a result of the large, concave, pre-Andean depression of the Earth's crust, related to the Andean orogeny of the Tertiary. It constitutes an enormous internal river delta, in which several rivers flowing from the surrounding plateau merge, depositing their sediments and erosion residues, which have been filling the large depression area of the Pantanal. This area is also one of the distinct physiographic provinces of the larger Parana-Paraguay Plain area, which encompasses a total of 1.5×10^6 km2 (580,000 sq mi).

Key Facts

Facts from Wikidata Q157603 (CC0).

UNESCO's Description

The site consists of an exceptional urban setting encompassing the key natural elements that have shaped and inspired the development of the city: from the highest points of the Tijuca National Park’s mountains down to the sea. They also include the Botanical Gardens, established in 1808, Corcovado Mountain with its celebrated statue of Christ, and the hills around Guanabara Bay, including the extensive designed landscapes along Copacabana Bay which have contributed to the outdoor living culture of this spectacular city. Rio de Janeiro is also recognized for the artistic inspiration it has provided to musicians, landscapers and urbanists.

From the UNESCO World Heritage Centre (CC BY-SA IGO 3.0).

Geography

Tijuca National Park is claimed to be the world's largest urban forest, covering some 39.58 square kilometres (15.28 mi2), although this title is disputed with Johannesburg, South Africa.

The park shares its name with the bairros (neighborhoods) of Tijuca and Barra da Tijuca nearby. The word Tijuca comes from the Tupi language and means marsh, a reference to the Tijuca Lagoon in the contemporary Barra da Tijuca.

It is located in a mountainous region which encompasses the Tijuca Massif. Among its impressive peaks are the Pedra da Gávea, Corcovado and Pico da Tijuca. The forest and mountains form a natural boundary that separates the West Zone of Rio from the rest of the city, as well as dividing the North and South Zones.

One favela exists in the Tijuca Forest, called Mata Machado.

History

The contemporary Tijuca National Park and its surrounding forests are largely the result of reforestation. In the 1700s, forests in the future park around Rio de Janeiro were cleared for fuel, coffee growing, and livestock. The small streams in the former forest were a significant source of the city's water supply, and, with variable rainfall, the city began to experience water shortages and flash floods.

Early conservation efforts began in 1817, when King Dom João VI issued a decree prohibiting the cutting of trees surrounding the springs of the Carioca River to protect the city's water supply.

Tourism

Given its proximity to the city, the park receives heavy use: in 2016, the park received 3,305,010 visitors. The park contains a number of attractions, most famously the colossal sculpture of Christ the Redeemer. Other attractions include the Cascatinha Waterfall; the Mayrink Chapel, with murals painted by Cândido Portinari; the pagoda-style gazebo at Vista Chinesa; and a giant granite table called the Mesa do Imperador ("Emperor's Table").

There are numerous hiking trails. Common destinations are: Diamantina's waterfall, Parrot's Beak (Bico do Papagaio), Tijuca's Peak (Pico da Tijuca), Cave Circuit (Circuito das Grutas), Archer's Hill (Morro do Archer), Anhanguera's Hill (Morro da Anhanguera), the Excelsior Lookout (Mirante do Excelsior) and the Bat's Cave (Caverna dos Morcegos).

Key Facts

Facts from Wikidata Q1974494 (CC0).

Visiting Tijuca Forest

Tijuca National Park (Parque Nacional da Tijuca in Portuguese) is a protected natural area in and surrounding Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is the world's largest urban forest, whose dense woodlands blanket many of Rio's scenic mountain peaks, including iconic landmarks like Corcovado, the mountain capped by Rio's famous Christ the Redeemer statue. The park comprises four distinct, non-contiguous sectors and park access points are in many districts of the city. The park has more than 200 km of wooded hiking trails, 30 waterfalls, dozens of scenic overlooks with views of the city and ocean, and several peaks used for mountain climbing, rapelling, and launching hang gliders and paragliders.

Travel notes adapted from Wikivoyage: Tijuca National Park (CC BY-SA 4.0).

UNESCO's Description

Valongo Wharf Archaeological Site is located in central Rio de Janeiro and encompasses the entirety of Jornal do Comércio Square. It is in the former harbour area of Rio de Janeiro in which the old stone wharf was built for the landing of enslaved Africans reaching the South American continent from 1811 onwards. An estimated 900,000 Africans arrived in South America via Valongo. The site is composed of several archaeological layers, the lowest of which consists of floor pavings in pé de moleque style, attributed to the original Valongo Wharf. It is the most important physical trace of the arrival of African slaves on the American continent.

From the UNESCO World Heritage Centre (CC BY-SA IGO 3.0).

History

Until the mid-1770s, slaves disembarked at Praia do Peixe, now called Praça 15, and were traded in Rua Direita (today Rua 1º de Março), in the center of Rio de Janeiro, in plain sight. In 1774, a new legislation established the transfer of this market to the region of Valongo, on the initiative of the second Marquis of Lavradio, Dom Luís de Almeida Portugal Soares de Alarcão d'Eça e Melo Silva Mascarenhas, viceroy of Brazil, alarmed at "The terrible custom of as soon as the blacks disembark in the port from the African coast, enter the city through the main public thoroughfares, not only loaded with innumerable diseases but naked".

Key Facts

Facts from Wikidata Q20048515 (CC0).

UNESCO's Description

Situated in the western region of Rio de Janeiro, the property embodies a successful project developed over more than 40 years by landscape architect and artist Roberto Burle Marx (1909-1994), a “landscape laboratory” to create “living works of art” using native plants and drawing on Modernist ideas. Began in 1949, the property encompasses extensive landscapes, gardens, buildings and collections, which feature the key characteristics that came to define Burle Marx’s landscape gardens and influenced the development of modern gardens internationally. The site is characterized by sinuous forms, exuberant mass planting, architectural plant arrangements, dramatic colour contrasts, use of tropical plants, and the incorporation of elements of traditional folk culture. By the end of the 1960s, the site housed the most representative collection of Brazilian plants, alongside other rare tropical species. In the site, 3,500 cultivated species of tropical and subtropical flora grow in harmony with the native vegetation of the region, notably the Atlantic Forest biome and associated ecosystems, mangrove swamp and restinga (coastal tropical sandy plain). Sítio Roberto Burle Marx exhibits an ecological conception of form as a process, including social collaboration which is the basis for environmental and cultural preservation. It comprises the first modern tropical garden to be inscribed on the World Heritage List.

From the UNESCO World Heritage Centre (CC BY-SA IGO 3.0).

UNESCO's Description

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 in biodiversity conservation, the park boasts globally significant aesthetic and geological/geomorphological values. Along an 80 km coastline, with beaches followed by plains, the prevailing winds shape the dunes into long chains of barchans, filled in the rainy season to create lagoons of various colours, shapes, sizes and depths. The property reveals its best scenery when the lagoons reach their maximum volume, creating rare beauty. The vast expanse of both stable and shifting dunes, the largest in South America, presents remarkable evidence of the evolutionary progression of coastal dunes throughout the Quaternary period.

From the UNESCO World Heritage Centre (CC BY-SA IGO 3.0).

Physical geography

The park is located on the northeastern coast of Brazil in the state of Maranhão along the eastern coast, bordered by 70 kilometres (43 mi) of beaches along the Atlantic Ocean. Inland, it is bordered by the Parnaíba River, the São José Basin, and the rivers of Itapecuru, Munim, and Periá. The park encompasses an area of 155,000 hectares (380,000 acres), composed mainly of expansive coastal dune fields (composed of barchanoid dunes), which formed during the late Quaternary period.

While much of the park has the appearance of a desert, the area receives about 1,200 millimetres (47 in) of rain per year, while deserts, by definition, receive less than 250 millimetres (10 in) annually. About 70% of this rainfall occurs between the months of January and May.

Ecology

The lagoons in the park are often interconnected with one another, as well as with the rivers that run through the area. They are home to a number of fish and insect species, including the wolf fish, which burrows down into wet layers of mud and remains dormant during the dry season. Besides the dunes that form the centerpiece of the park, the ecosystem also includes area of restinga and mangrove ecosystems.

The park is home to four species listed on the Brazilian List of Endangered Species: the scarlet ibis (Eudocimus ruber), the neotropical otter (Lontra longicaudis), the oncilla (Leopardus tigrinus) and the West Indian manatee (Trichechus manatus). The park also includes 133 species of plants, 112 species of birds, and at least 42 species of reptiles.

Key Facts

Facts from Wikidata Q647777 (CC0).

UNESCO's Description

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 Francisco craton, the landscape reflects major climatic and geological changes from the Plio-Pleistocene. The park lies at the intersection of the Cerrado, Caatinga, and Atlantic Forest biomes, supporting over 2,000 plant and animal species, including many threatened ones.

From the UNESCO World Heritage Centre (CC BY-SA IGO 3.0).

Location

The Cavernas do Peruaçu Environmental Protection Area, which covers 143,354 hectares (354,240 acres) of Cerrado biome, was established on 26 September 1989. The area is administered by the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation. It covers parts of the municipalities of Bonito de Minas, Cônego Marinho, Itacarambi and Januária in the state of Minas Gerais.

Key Facts

Facts from Wikidata Q5055056 (CC0).

UNESCO's Description

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 vital for maintaining the biodiversity of the Cerrado region during future climate fluctuations.

From the UNESCO World Heritage Centre (CC BY-SA IGO 3.0).

Location

The Cavernas do Peruaçu National Park, with an area of 56,448 hectares (139,490 acres), was created on 21 September 1999 and is administered by the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation.

The park covers parts of the municipalities of Januária, Itacarambi and São João das Missões in the north of the state of Minas Gerais.

Nearby are the Veredas do Peruaçu State Park, operated by the State Forestry Institute, and the Xakriabá Indian Reserve.

The Peruaçu River crosses the park from north west to south east, entering the São Francisco River, which runs along the south east boundary of the park.

The Cavernas do Peruaçu Environmental Protection Area (EPA), with an area of 143,866 hectares (355,500 acres), was created on 26 September 1989.

Key Facts

Facts from Wikidata Q1051873 (CC0).