UNESCO in Iberia

Founded in 1945, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) lists places of special cultural or scientific heritage, and grants them World Heritage Site status. There are currently 981† Heritage Sites in the world, of which 44 are in Spain and 15 in Portugal. While I'm not on a mission to see them all, there are a few more I'd like to visit.


The aqueduct in Segovia is one of the best-preserved ancient monuments on the Iberian peninsula

SPAIN

CULTURAL
* Alhambra, Generalife and Albayzín, Granada
* Aranjuez Cultural Landscape
* Archaeological Ensemble of Mérida
* Archaeological Ensemble of Tárraco (modern-day Tarragona)
* Archaeological Site of Atapuerca
* Burgos Cathedral
* Catalan Romanesque Churches of the Vall de Boí
* Cathedral, Alcázar and Archivo de Indias in Seville
* Cave of Altamira‡ and Paleolithic Cave Art of Northern Spain
* Cultural Landscape of the Serra de Tramuntana, Mallorca
* Heritage of Mercury – Almadén
* Historic Centre of Córdoba
* Historic City of Toledo
* Historic Walled Town of Cuenca
* La Lonja de la Seda de Valencia
* Las Médulas
* Monastery and Site of the Escurial, Madrid
* Monuments of Oviedo and the Kingdom of the Asturias
* Mudejar Architecture of Aragón
* Old City of Salamanca 
* Old Town of Ávila with its Extra-Muros Churches
* Old Town of Cáceres 
* Old Town of Segovia and its Aqueduct
* Palau de la Música Catalana and Hospital de Sant Pau, Barcelona
* Palmeral of Elche
* Poblet Monastery, Vimbodí i Poblet
* Prehistoric Rock Art Sites in the Côa Valley and Siega Verde
* Renaissance Monumental Ensembles of Úbeda and Baeza
* Rock Art of the Mediterranean Basin on the Iberian Peninsula
* Roman Walls of Lugo
* Route of Santiago de Compostela
* Royal Monastery of Santa María de Guadalupe
* San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Canary Islands
* San Millán Yuso and Suso Monasteries
* Santiago de Compostela (Old Town)
* Tower of Hercules, La Coruña
* University and Historic Precinct of Alcalá de Henares
* Vizcaya Bridge, west of Bilbao
* Works of Antoni Gaudí

NATURAL
* Doñana National Park
* Garajonay National Park
* Teide National Park

MIXED
* Ibiza – Biodiversity and Culture
* Pyrénées – Mont Perdu

View of the Ribeira in Porto from across the Douro

PORTUGAL

CULTURAL
* Alto Douro Wine Region
* Central Zone of the Town of Angra do Heroismo in the Azores
* Convent of Christ in Tomar
* Cultural Landscape of Sintra
* Garrison Border Town of Elvas and its Fortifications
* Historic Centre of Évora
* Historic Centre of Guimarães
* Historic Centre of Oporto
* Landscape of the Pico Island Vineyard Culture
* Monastery of Alcobaça
* Monastery of Batalha
* Monastery of the Hieronymites and Tower of Belém in Lisbon
* Prehistoric Rock Art Sites in the Côa Valley and Siega Verde
* University of Coimbra – Alta and Sofia

NATURAL
* Laurisilva of Madeira


†There are 962 if you remove the duplicates, i.e., sites which belong to more than one country
‡closed to the public since 2002 (and the neo-cave is so NOT worth visiting!)


Last updated: 16/01/2015