While UNESCO is committed to classifying and protecting Brazil’s most outstanding human achievements, it also plays a fundamental role in protecting the country’s exceptional natural sites, which are under considerable pressure from the development of the world’s ninth-largest economy. With its vast territory, Brazil boasts a wide variety of unique natural areas, both in terms of landscapes and ecosystems. Since the 1980s, the significant development of agriculture, and the associated deforestation, has prompted UNESCO to classify 10 “hot spots” of Brazilian biodiversity as World Heritage to preserve them. After presenting Brazil’s cultural World Heritage sites, here is the list of natural areas in Brazil recognized by UNESCO. Unsurprisingly, most of these remarkable places are also among the most popular destinations for a trip to Brazil.
UNESCO-Listed Natural Sites: Sanctuaries Protecting Brazil’s Biodiversity
Brazil’s natural sites, selected by UNESCO, all boast landscapes of rare beauty. They bear witness to the geological and biological processes that have shaped this country over the past millennia. They also represent a striking example of the extraordinary richness of Brazil’s biodiversity, both plant and animal. Many of the ecosystems presented here are unique and already seriously endangered.
One example is the Atlantic rainforest. This is one of the oldest forests in the world and home to numerous endemic species. Once stretching the length of the Brazilian coastline, only a few enclaves remain today, and four UNESCO sites have been set up to preserve its last remaining patches (Southeast Atlantic Forest Reserve, Discovery Coast, Paraty & Ilha Grande, Rio de Janeiro).
These remarkable natural sites in Brazil, selected by UNESCO, offer a faithful description of the major ecosystems of this vast country with its vastly differing landscapes. An ideal list to form a custom travel itinerary that will delight wilderness lovers in search of a change of scenery.
Brazil’s Natural World Heritage: A Demonstration of Its Splendour and Diversity
Brazil is one of the largest countries on the planet, so it’s hardly surprising that it boasts a wide variety of natural landscapes. The sites chosen by UNESCO reflect this diversity and highlight the three main geographical areas that make up the country: South & Central, Amazonia, and Nordeste. Spread over the entire country, most of Brazil’s UNESCO-listed natural sites are of an immensity totally unknown in Europe, with very low human settlement densities, adding to their appeal.
In the south of Brazil, these heritage sites include the subtropical forest of the Iguazu Cataracts National Park and the vast swamps of the Pantanal, with their abundant wildlife and forests. There are also the vast savannah plains of the Cerrado, from which rise mountain ranges, the famous chapadas, and the steep, jungle-covered mountains jutting out into the ocean through a thousand small bays in the regions of Rio de Janeiro, Paraty, and Ilha Grande.
Northern Brazil is home to the world’s largest rainforest, the Amazon, which covers a vast portion of Brazilian territory. Within this immense jungle protection area, there are numerous ecological sub-systems such as the varzea, igapo, or terrestrial primary forest.
Finally, to the east, in the region known as the Nordeste, we find the semi-desert plains and plateaus characteristic of the Sertão ecosystem, home to one of the most beautiful sanctuaries of prehistoric life, the Serra da Capivara. On the coast, the paradisiacal island of Fernando de Noronha and the Atoll das Rocas, refuges of exceptional marine biodiversity, have attracted the attention of UNESCO. And let’s not forget the remnants of the Atlantic Forest on Bahia’s southernmost coast, where Cabral landed. Let’s explore the UNESCO listed sites in Brazil.
Iguazu National Park
Like Niagara Falls between the USA and Canada, the Iguazu Falls link Brazil and Argentina with an impressive wall of water almost three kilometers wide and eighty meters high! 270 waterfalls, separated in places by lush tropical vegetation, are spread across the two territories. Each country offers a different experience of this extraordinary natural phenomenon. On the Argentinian side, you can get as close as possible to the falls, while the Brazilian side offers a panoramic overview of the cascades, as well as the opportunity to get up close and personal by boat! Once you’re there, we recommend you combine both itineraries into one or two days, Brazil Selection can arrange this for you. Iguazu is one of the most visited natural sites in the world. Threatened by damming projects, the falls were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1986 to protect them internationally.
Serra da Capivara National Park
In addition to its breathtaking natural beauty, Capivara Park takes you into the mystery of the country’s prehistory: the 100-meter-high cliffs display a wealth of paintings, engravings, and inscriptions dating back 5,000 to 25,000 years. This is the largest reserve of rock paintings in the Americas. A treasure trove discovered by an extraordinary Franco-Brazilian archaeologist, Niède Guidon, who has devoted her life to the creation and study of this protected area. Objects, bones, and traces of hearths dating back tens of thousands of years have also recently been unearthed, calling into question the classic hypothesis that the Americas were populated less than 30,000 years ago.
The park also allows nature lovers to discover these paintings by hiking with local guides along little-traveled paths: it is the least-visited UNESCO Natural Site in the world, mainly due to its difficult access. The park was classified by UNESCO in 1991.
Atlantic Forest – Southeast Reserves
Mata Atlântica in Portuguese, the Atlantic Forest once covered virtually all of Brazil’s extreme south, as well as the coastline. This protected area, concentrated in the southern part of the country, comprises 25 sites totaling 470,000 hectares and stretches from the state of Paraná to the south of São Paulo. It offers a rich variety of vegetation, alternating between humid subtropical and dry highland types, nearly 70% of which are endemic. One of Brazil’s highest points is located here, the Pico da Bandeira (2891 m), which is fairly easy to climb. There’s also the Casa de Pedra cave, with the world’s highest entrance (215 m).
Despite rampant deforestation, a cancer to natural sites like these, the Atlantic Forest is home to an impressive number of plant and animal species. But thanks to conservation initiatives, such as that of photographer Sebastião Salgado further north, reforestation has begun, and some species that once virtually disappeared are now making a comeback.
Discovery Coast – Atlantic Forest Reserves
Situated on the coastlines of the states of Bahia and Espirito Santo, this coast includes eight protected areas, remnants of the local Atlantic Forest, and an endemic vegetation of shrubs and cacti known as Restinga. Three national parks and two nature reserves share the 112,000 hectares of this unique region. Since it is situated where Pedro Cabral landed when he discovered Brazil, then unknown to Europeans, this region is called the Discovery Coast. It’s one of the richest areas on the planet in terms of biodiversity: almost 450 species of trees, over 1000 breeds of amphibians, reptiles, birds, and monkeys, most of them endemic and some in danger of extinction. These pieces of the immense original Atlantic Forest are the ultimate testimony to a highly threatened forest ecosystem. For this reason, the reserve was declared a World Heritage Site in 1999.
Central Amazon Conservation Complex
The Amazon is the world’s largest forest, second only to the Russian Taiga. Unlike the latter, it possesses an organic richness like no other. Its tropical climate makes it incredibly dense and lush. Its two king rivers, the Rio Negro and above all the Amazon, are the purveyors of millennia of life. The Amazon Conservation Complex is an immense area of 6 million hectares in the middle of the forest. It is crisscrossed by lakes and rivers, boasting an incredible diversity of fish, reptiles, and lizards. A global biodiversity hotspot if ever there was one, it has been classified by UNESCO since 2000 as a sanctuary in a region devastated by deforestation.
Pantanal Conservation Area
Located in the heart of the immense Pantanal Park (14 million hectares) in west-central Brazil, the Pantanal Conservation Area comprises four protected areas: the Pantanal Matogrossense National Park and three private reserves, Da Penha, Dorochê, and Acurizal.
This protected area of over 110,000 hectares plays a fundamental role in the conservation of plant species, thanks to the dispersal of nutrients by the various floods. Endangered species such as the giant armadillo, the hyacinth macaw, and the giant otter are protected here.This area is also home to most of the jaguars in the entire Pantanal Park. The Pantanal Conservation Area is the breeding ground for fish in much of the vast basin between the Cuiabá and Paraguay rivers. It joined UNESCO’s list of classified natural sites in 2000.
Cerrado Protected Areas: Chapada dos Veadeiros and Emas National Parks
Both Chapada dos Veadeiros and Emas National Parks are located in the state of Goiás, itself part of the vast Cerrado savannah of central Brazil. Their creation was decided in the early 1960s by President Juscelino Kubitschek, with the aim of creating refuges for animal diversity. With their very dry climate lasting 5 months a year, they are very different from the Pantanal or the Amazon. Nevertheless, they remain a rich example of neo-tropical savannah, home to rare species such as the giant anteater, the yellow armadillo, and South America’s largest bird, the rhea. Jaguars also thrive here. However, the region is suffering the full force of the galloping expansion of large landowners, who are razing native vegetation to produce soya for export and cattle breeding. For this reason, these sanctuaries of this fragile Brazilian ecosystem, among the oldest in the world, were included in UNESCO’s World Natural Heritage list in 2001.
Brazilian Atlantic Islands: Fernando de Noronha Reserves and Rocas Atoll
A jewel in the crown! These two sites, over 300 kilometers from the Atlantic coast, are veritable jewels of marine biodiversity. Their clear, fertile waters ensure the reproduction of protected species such as turtles, tuna, sharks, and large marine mammals. The exceptional beauty of these islands is extolled in every guidebook, but to preserve the integrity of these fragile little terrestrial paradises, strict rules have been drawn up. In Fernando de Noronha, tourists are subject to quotas and taxes, and the area is strictly supervised. Atoll das Rocas, meanwhile, is off-limits to visitors other than scientists, and they are restricted to groups of five at a time. We can only applaud when we discover the immaculate appearance of these two wonders. Two unique enclaves of marine biodiversity, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2001.
Rio de Janeiro and the Carioca Landscape
Rio is not just a city of beautiful buildings and large favelas. Above all, it’s an architectural ensemble set in a surprisingly natural environment. The famous granite sugarloaf mountains plunging into the ocean and bordered by jungle have always fascinated lovers of Brazil’s wildest city. Corcovado and its Christ the Redeemer, the Urca, Cara de Cão, Pico da Tijuca, Leme, Gloria, and other mountains offer unique views of the famous Guanabara Bay and an even more famous Rio de Janeiro city. They have been the subject of some of the world’s greatest songs, and are arguably the very essence of Rio de Janeiro. Rio became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2017.
Paraty and Ilha Grande: Ecological Sanctuary & Treasure Trove of Colonial Architecture
South of beautiful Rio de Janeiro, the Costa Verde, literally “green coast,” is a tropical paradise, a hot spot for the biodiversity of the South Atlantic Rainforest. The rugged coastline offers a lacework of small bays and deserted beaches, dominated by steep mountains and covered by tropical forests. These are home to a wealth of endemic flora and fauna in the various conservation units listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites: Serra da Bocaina National Park, Cairuçu Environmental Protected Area, Ilha Grande State Park, and Praia do Sul Biological Reserve.
The vast gulf formed by the region nestles around a hundred islands, the largest of which, Ilha Grande, remained virtually deserted until the 1990s. The result is an ecological sanctuary, with one of the few totally preserved patches of Atlantic forest. It’s a hiker’s paradise, with jungle-covered mountains rising 982 meters above sea level to the summit of Pico do Papagaio. Ilha Grande will also delight snorkelers with its transparent bays on the mainland side, as well as surfers with its beaches facing out to sea, such as the famous Lopes Mendes with its hollow, turquoise, peeling waves!
Paraty, meanwhile, is a small colonial town that served as a secret port for loading gold onto the galleons of the Portuguese crown. Abandoned after the rise of Rio in the 19th century, the historic center remained intact and was rediscovered in the 1970s when the coastal road was built. Fully restored, its unique character as a historical heritage site, combined with the exceptional conservation of Ilha Grande’s flora and fauna, led UNESCO to make it the last of the sites to be protected by the international organization, in 2019.
These UNESCO-listed natural sites in Brazil are a testament to the country’s incredible natural diversity and ecological importance. Each site offers a unique glimpse into Brazil’s vast and varied landscapes, from the dense Amazon rainforest to the breathtaking Iguazu Falls, and from the serene Pantanal wetlands to the vibrant marine life around Fernando de Noronha. Visiting these sites provides not only an opportunity to witness some of the world’s most stunning natural wonders but also a chance to understand the critical importance of preserving these environments for future generations.
In recent years, Brazil has faced increasing environmental challenges, including deforestation, climate change, and habitat destruction. The protection of these UNESCO-listed sites has become more crucial than ever. Efforts to combat illegal logging, mining, and agriculture have been intensified, with both governmental and non-governmental organizations working tirelessly to enforce conservation laws and promote sustainable practices.
Technological advancements have also played a role in monitoring and protecting these natural sites. Satellite imagery and drone surveillance are now commonly used to track changes in land use and detect illegal activities in real-time. These tools have proven invaluable in preserving the integrity of these precious ecosystems.
Moreover, ecotourism has been promoted as a sustainable way to support local economies while raising awareness about conservation. Tourists visiting these UNESCO sites are encouraged to engage in responsible travel practices, such as minimizing waste, respecting wildlife, and supporting local conservation efforts. Educational programs and guided tours have been developed to inform visitors about the ecological and cultural significance of these areas.
To conclude, Brazil’s UNESCO-listed natural sites are not just tourist attractions; they are vital components of the global ecosystem. They offer invaluable insights into the planet’s biodiversity and the complex interplay of natural processes that sustain life. Protecting these areas is not only a national responsibility but a global imperative. As we move forward into 2024, the continued conservation of these sites will require collective action from governments, organizations, communities, and individuals. By supporting and promoting sustainable practices, we can ensure that these natural wonders remain intact for future generations to enjoy and learn from.
Whether you’re an avid traveler, a nature enthusiast, or a concerned global citizen, exploring and supporting Brazil’s UNESCO-listed natural sites is a meaningful way to contribute to the preservation of our planet’s natural heritage. These sites are living proof of the beauty and complexity of our world, and they deserve our utmost respect and protection.
