The World Heritage List was born in 1972 at the XVII meeting held in Paris of the Unesco General Conference, where the “Convention on the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage” was adopted . Since then, this text has protected those natural, urban and cultural sites of exceptional importance for the common heritage of humanity.
Currently the list contains a total of 1092 sites distributed in 167 countries around the world. In this sense, Spain is the third country with the most World Heritage Sites with a total of 47, behind Italy with 54 sites, and China with 53. It should be noted that in terms of regions Castilla y Leon is the region in the world with the most cultural assets included in this list, with 8. Behind are the regions of Tuscany and Lombardy, both in Italy and both with 6 sites.
Spanish sites are very varied and range from cave paintings to unique landscapes such as the Palmeral de Elche, through the medieval architecture or the modernist architecture of Antoni Gaudi. Surely you have seen many of them, some without knowing that it was a World Heritage Site. With this list, you won’t miss any.
Alhambra, Generalife and Albaicin of Granada
The magnificent Alhambra palace and the Generalife gardens were declared a World Heritage Site in 1984. It was ten years later, in 1994, when the picturesque Albaicin neighborhood was included in the list.
Works by Antoni Gaudi
Seven Antoni Gaudi buildings have been included on the Unesco World Heritage List between 1984 and 2005: Park Guell, Palau Guell, Casa Mila, Casa Vicens, Gaudi’s work on the Nativity facade and the Sagrada Familia crypt, Casa Batllo and the Colonia Guell crypt. And the list of modernist buildings in Barcelona recognized by Unesco does not end there, there is also the Palau de la Musica, the work of Lluis Domenech i Montaner.
Burgos cathedral
The Cathedral of Santa Maria de Burgos is one of the jewels of Spanish Gothic. Included in the World Heritage List, the temple took almost three centuries to finish (XIII-XVI) and inside it houses jewels in the form of paintings, choir stalls, altarpieces, tombs and stained glass windows.
Historic center of Cordoba
The magnificent conservation of the historic center of Cordoba, where you can find remains from the 8th century, when some 300 mosques and innumerable palaces and public buildings were built, earned it its inclusion on the Unesco list in 1994. Until then only the mosque-cathedral was part of this list, in which it was included in 1984.
Monastery and site of El Escorial in Madrid
It was in 1984, when Unesco included this famous Herrerian style on the World Heritage List. El Escorial was built in the 16th century as a retirement place for Felipe II, although it ended up becoming the center of political power during his reign.
Old city of Avila and churches outside the walls
Founded in the 11th century, Avila has the most complete medieval walls in Spain with 82 semicircular towers and nine gates. And it was this, together with the history that can be seen in its streets, that led it to be inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1985.
Old city of Santiago de Compostela
Full of Romanesque, Gothic and Baroque monuments, Santiago de Compostela is visited by thousands of pilgrims every year. They are the ones who can enjoy a monumental city whose streets have been a World Heritage Site since 1985.
Old city and aqueduct of Segovia
It was in 1986 when Unesco included the old city of Segovia on the list. Among all the monuments, the Alcazar stands out and, of course, its aqueduct, built in 50 AD and whose conservation is spectacular.
Altamira cave and paleolithic rock art from northern Spain
It was in 1985 when the Altamira Caves were declared a World Heritage Site, a declaration that was extended in 2008 with the rest of the 17 caves in northern Spain that go from Aya (Guipuzcoa) to Candamo (Asturias) and that, together represent the heyday of Paleolithic rock art that developed throughout Europe, from the Ural Mountains to the Iberian Peninsula, between 35,000 and 11,000 BC
Monuments of Oviedo and the kingdom of Asturias
Cradle of the pre-Romanesque, Oviedo and its surroundings have a series of churches that are considered representative of this style. These churches, included in the World Heritage list in 1985 and 1998, are: Santa Maria del Naranco, San Miguel de Lillo, Santa Cristina de Lena, San Julian de los Prados and the Holy Chamber of the Cathedral of San Salvador. . This heading also includes the Foncalada, a notable work of hydraulic engineering.
Mudejar architecture of Aragon
Teruel, Zaragoza, Calatayud, Cervera de la Canada and Tobed are the places where we find the 10 representations of Mudejar art from Aragon declared a World Heritage Site between 1986 and 2001. This art is characterized by its ornaments and dates from between the twelfth and seventeenth centuries.
Historic city of Toledo
It was in 1986 when Toledo was declared a World Heritage Site. The so-called “city of the three cultures” (Judaism, Christianity and Islam) narrates through its streets and buildings the history of Spain since time immemorial.
Old city of caceres
Romanesque, Islamic, Northern Gothic and Italian Renaissance. The architecture of Caceres is beautiful and surprising and that is why it was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1986.
Garajonay National Park
In the center of the island of La Gomera (Canary Islands), this national park is one of the few examples that remain on the planet of a tertiary forest in which the laurisilva flooded almost everything. They have been part of the World Heritage Site since 1986.
Cathedral, Alcazar and Archive of the Indies of Seville
Exceptional testimonies of the Almohad civilization and Christian Seville, the Cathedral and the Alcazar of Seville are masterpieces of architecture where the Giralda minaret is the protagonist. In the Archive of the Indies, invaluable documentary collections of the Spanish colonies in America are preserved. These three buildings were declared a World Heritage Site in 1987.
Old city of salamanca
The historic center of the old city contains important examples of Salamanca architecture. Declared a World Heritage Site in 1988, highlights include the Cathedral, the Casa de las Conchas, the University or the La Clerecia towers, as well as its magnificent Plaza Mayor.
Poblet Monastery
In 1991, the Monastery of Santa Maria del Poblet was included in this list for being one of the largest and most complete Cistercian abbeys in the world. Dating from the 13th century, it houses the pantheon of the kings of the Crown of Aragon.
Caminos de Santiago de Compostela: French Camino and Caminos del Norte de Spain
In 1993, the serial cultural asset called “Camino de Santiago de Compostela” was registered and in 2015 it was expanded with the French Way and the Northern Spanish Ways. In total there are more than 1,500 kilometers that cross the north of the Iberian Peninsula.
Archaeological complex of Merida
Born as Emerita Augusta in 25 BC, Merida keeps in its streets remains of medieval architecture that one day formed part of the first city. Its Roman theatre, the Temple of Diana or the Aqueduct of Miracles are just one example of this and part of the list declared a World Heritage Site in 1993.
Royal Monastery of Santa Maria de Guadalupe
In the province of Caceres and declared a World Heritage Site in 1993, the importance of this monastery lies, in addition to the mixture of styles -Gothic, Mudejar, Renaissance, Baroque and Neoclassical-, in its history. It was here that the Catholic Monarchs received Christopher Columbus in 1486 and 1489 and where they went to rest after the reconquest of Granada in 1492.
Donana National Park (1994, 2005)
Its lagoons, marshes, scrub, Mediterranean scrubland and mobile and fixed dunes is what led the Donana National Park to be declared a World Heritage Site in 1994 and expanded in 2005.
Historic fortified city of Cuenca
Built as part of the Caliphate of Cordoba at the top of the Huecar river gorge, Cuenca was declared a World Heritage Site by Unesco in 1996. Its most famous monument is its hanging houses, although its Cathedral is a marvel of the architecture.
Valencia silk market
The Lonja de la Seda is actually a set of buildings erected between 1482 and 1533 for the silk trade. Of all it is called the Contracting Room, a spectacular room in the flamboyant Gothic style that represents all the power that was displayed here during the 15th and 16th centuries. Lonja de la seda de Valencia was declared a World Heritage Site in 1996.
The marrows
It was in 1997 when this place was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Las Medulas is an old open pit gold mine exploited by the Roman Empire for about three centuries. This exploitation changed the face of the land and created what can be seen today.
Monasteries of San Millan de Yuso and Suso (1997)
Cradle of the Spanish language, these monasteries were declared a World Heritage Site in 1997. Inside, the Glosas Emilianenses are the earliest written testimony on record.
Palau de la Musica Catalana and Hospital de Sant Pau in Barcelona
By the architect Lluis Domenech i Montaner, the Palau de la Musica Catalana and the Hospital de Sant Pau in Barcelona were declared World Heritage Sites in 1997. Modernist in style, the architect is, along with Gaudi, one of the greatest exponents of Catalan modernism.
Pyrenees – Monte Perdido
In the Central Pyrenees, the Monte Perdido massif is the highest limestone massif in Europe at 3,355 meters high. It was declared a World Heritage Site in 1997 and expanded in 1999. This declaration includes two large, deep canyons on the Spanish side and three large circus walls on the French slopes.
Rock art of the Mediterranean arc of the Iberian Peninsula
In 1998, Unesco declared this group of sites located in the eastern half of Spain a World Heritage Site. here is a high number of sites with rock art. So much so, that it is the largest concentration in Europe.
Prehistoric rock art sites of the Coa Valley and Siega Verde
While the Coa Valley is located in the north of Portugal, Siega Verde is located in Castilla y Leon. These places were declared a World Heritage Site in 1998 and expanded in 2010, thanks to the large number of petroglyphs from the Upper Paleolithic (22,000-10,000 BC), unique in the world.
University and historic quarter of Alcala de Henares
The Complutense City was included in the World Heritage List in 1998. Founded by Cardinal Jimenez de Cisneros at the beginning of the 16th century, it was the first planned university city.
Ibiza, biodiversity and culture
In addition to its marine ecosystems, Ibiza was declared a World Heritage Site in 1999 for its history. The archaeological sites of the human settlement of Sa Caleta and the Puig des Molins necropolis are examples of this.
San Cristobal de La Laguna
Popularly known as La Laguna, this city on the island of Tenerife is divided into the Upper City, drawn according to philosophical principles, and the Lower City, with historic buildings from the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries. It was declared a World Heritage Site in 1999.
Archaeological site of Tarragona
The ancient Tarraco was one of the main cities of the Hispania of the Roman Empire. Its amphitheater, its aqueduct and other constructions are preserved from it. The complex was declared a World Heritage Site in 2000.
Catalan Romanesque churches of Vall del Boi
Located in a valley surrounded by steep mountains in Alta Ribagorza, these nine Romanesque churches were declared a World Heritage Site in 2000 thanks to their landscape and historical value.
Walls of Lugo
Built at the end of the 2nd century and declared a World Heritage Site in 2000, the wall of Lugo surrounds the old part of the city. It is more than two kilometers long and is crowned with 85 powerful towers.
Palm grove of Elche
Within the Alicante city of Elche, this immense palm grove is the largest in Europe with 200,000 specimens. Its origin is found in the first Muslim settlements, although it was the Umayyad prince Abderraman I who created a system of ditches to irrigate this palm grove. It was included in the World Heritage List in 2000.
Archaeological site of Atapuerca
In the province of Burgo and a World Heritage Site since the year 2000, the importance of the Atapuerca site lies in the fact that it contains fossil remains of the first human beings to settle in Europe, from almost a million years ago to our era.
Cultural landscape of Aranjuez
In addition to the historical value of Aranjuez, one of the residences of the Spanish royal family, the town was declared a World Heritage Site in 2001 thanks to its landscape where there are ponds, dams, canals and bridges, as well as orchards and gardens.
Renaissance monumental ensembles of Ubeda and Baeza
The small cities of Ubeda and Baeza, in Jaen, were declared a World Heritage Site in 2003 thanks to their architecture, where the religious one stands out, which was exported to the rest of Spain and Latin America during the Renaissance.
Biscay Bridge
Also known as the Portugalete Hanging Bridge, this transporter bridge was the first of its kind in the world, since it was inaugurated in 1893. Declared a World Heritage Site in 2006, it is characterized by the fact that it uses a gondola or ferry in which the vehicles or people from one shore to another suspended at not many heights from the water.
Primary beech forests of the Carpathians and other regions of Europe
Declared a World Heritage Site for the first time in 2007, this declaration was extended in 2011 and 2017. It was in the last extension that the Spanish beech forests Hayedo de Tejera Negra, Hayedo de Montejo, Lizardoia, Aztaparret, Hayedo de Cuesta Fria and Canal were included. of Asotin.
Teide National Park
This volcano on the island of Tenerife is the highest mountain in Spain at 3,718 meters high, but it is also the third highest volcano in the world since, from its bed, it rises 7,500 meters above the ocean floor. It was declared a World Heritage Site in 2007.
Tower of Hercules
Located in the city of A Coruna and declared a World Heritage Site in 2009, this impressive lighthouse has been lighting the way for sailors since the beginning of the 1st century. At 57 meters high, it is the only Roman lighthouse and the oldest in the world in operation.
The Cultural Landscape of the Serra de Tramuntana
On the island of Mallorca, this mountain range has changed its landscape due to ancient agriculture in an environment with scarce water resources where terraces were common. Here the hydraulic mills and the stone constructions without mortar decorate this landscape, declared a World Heritage Site in 2011.
Mercury heritage (Almaden and Idria) (2012)
The Almaden mercury mines, in Ciduad Real, were declared a World Heritage Site in 2012 along with the Idria mines, in Slovenia, where mercury was found for the first time in 1490. These two sites are proof of the importance of mercury trade, which generated important commercial exchanges between Europe and America for centuries.
Dolmens of Antequera
It was in 2016 when this natural area was declared a World Heritage Site. The list includes the three megalithic monuments (the “tholos” of Romeral and the dolmens of Menga and Viera) and the nearby natural areas of Pena de los Enamorados and El Torcal.
Caliphate city of Medina Azahara
This city near Cordiba was created in the mid-10th century by the Umayyad dynasty to be the seat of the Caliphate of Cordoba, but it would last less than a century, as a civil war that ended with the Umayyads would destroy it 80 years after its inception. creation. After centuries of oblivion, it was declared a World Heritage Site in 2018.
Risco Caido and the sacred mountains of Gran Canaria
Beyond its scenic value, the heart of the island of Gran Canaria has been recognized as a World Heritage Site for its relevance as a pre-Hispanic religious center. A set in which the almogarenes stand out, the temples where the main celebrations and rites in honor of Mother Earth took place.
Paseo del Prado and Buen Retiro, a landscape of Arts and Sciences (Madrid)
Located in the heart of downtown Madrid, this 200-hectare cultural landscape has evolved since the Paseo del Prado was created in the 16th century, a prototype of a Hispanic boulevard with longitudinal trees arranged in three rows. On the Paseo is an emblematic symbol of the city: the Plaza de Cibeles, surrounded by prestigious buildings. Two monumental fountains dedicated to two classical antiquity deities, Cybele and Neptune, also enhance this cultural landscape. The site is highly representative of the new conception of urban space and development introduced by the regime of enlightened despotism prevailing in the 18th century. On the perimeter of the site, in addition to the buildings dedicated to the cultivation of arts and sciences, others can be found for activities such as industry, research and health care. The elements of the site as a whole illustrate the aspiration to the advent of a utopian society at the time of the apogee of the Spanish Empire. The largest area of ​​the site is occupied by the 120 hectares of the Buen Retiro Gardens. Vestiges of an old royal palace from the 17th century that bore the same name, these gardens are representative of the different styles that have characterized landscape art from the 19th century to the present day. Adjacent to these gardens are the Royal Botanical Garden and the residential neighborhood of Los Jeronimos, which has a profuse variety of buildings from the 19th and 20th centuries, some of which are the headquarters of cultural institutions. research and health care. The elements of the site as a whole illustrate the aspiration to the advent of a utopian society at the time of the apogee of the Spanish Empire. The largest area of ​​the site is occupied by the 120 hectares of the Buen Retiro Gardens. Vestiges of an old royal palace from the 17th century that bore the same name, these gardens are representative of the different styles that have characterized landscape art from the 19th century to the present day. Adjacent to these gardens are the Royal Botanical Garden and the residential neighborhood of Los Jeronimos, which has a profuse variety of buildings from the 19th and 20th centuries, some of which are the headquarters of cultural institutions. research and health care. The elements of the site as a whole illustrate the aspiration to the advent of a utopian society at the time of the apogee of the Spanish Empire. The largest area of ​​the site is occupied by the 120 hectares of the Buen Retiro Gardens. Vestiges of an old royal palace from the 17th century that bore the same name, these gardens are representative of the different styles that have characterized landscape art from the 19th century to the present day. Adjacent to these gardens are the Royal Botanical Garden and the residential neighborhood of Los Jeronimos, which has a profuse variety of buildings from the 19th and 20th centuries, some of which are the headquarters of cultural institutions. The elements of the site as a whole illustrate the aspiration to the advent of a utopian society at the time of the apogee of the Spanish Empire. The largest area of ​​the site is occupied by the 120 hectares of the Buen Retiro Gardens. Vestiges of an old royal palace from the 17th century that bore the same name, these gardens are representative of the different styles that have characterized landscape art from the 19th century to the present day. Adjacent to these gardens are the Royal Botanical Garden and the residential neighborhood of Los Jeronimos, which has a profuse variety of buildings from the 19th and 20th centuries, some of which are the headquarters of cultural institutions. The elements of the site as a whole illustrate the aspiration to the advent of a utopian society at the time of the apogee of the Spanish Empire. The largest area of ​​the site is occupied by the 120 hectares of the Buen Retiro Gardens. Vestiges of an old royal palace from the 17th century that bore the same name, these gardens are representative of the different styles that have characterized landscape art from the 19th century to the present day. Adjacent to these gardens are the Royal Botanical Garden and the residential neighborhood of Los Jeronimos, which has a profuse variety of buildings from the 19th and 20th centuries, some of which are the headquarters of cultural institutions. The largest area of ​​the site is occupied by the 120 hectares of the Buen Retiro Gardens. Vestiges of an old royal palace from the 17th century that bore the same name, these gardens are representative of the different styles that have characterized landscape art from the 19th century to the present day. Adjacent to these gardens are the Royal Botanical Garden and the residential neighborhood of Los Jeronimos, which has a profuse variety of buildings from the 19th and 20th centuries, some of which are the headquarters of cultural institutions. The largest area of ​​the site is occupied by the 120 hectares of the Buen Retiro Gardens. Vestiges of an old royal palace from the 17th century that bore the same name, these gardens are representative of the different styles that have characterized landscape art from the 19th century to the present day. Adjacent to these gardens are the Royal Botanical Garden and the residential neighborhood of Los Jeronimos, which has a profuse variety of buildings from the 19th and 20th centuries, some of which are the headquarters of cultural institutions.
