The UNESCO World Heritage Sites around the Caribbean are of particular cultural and historical importance to us all. Shelly-Ann Inniss guides us through five more sites for your views, in the third part of our series
Discover five more Caribbean World Heritage Sites
This is the third in our series of travel features showcasing these special places. Click here to read our first five pages and here for our second five pages.
Suriname Central Nature Reserve, Suriname
Year of inscription: 2000
The nature reserves Raleighvallen, Eilerts de Haan and Tafelberg were combined to create this wonderful place. It protects the upper Coppename River watershed and encompasses a wide range of topography, ecosystems and habitats. Near several rivers and streams, hidden beneath the mountain and lowland forests, you will find pre-Columbian cultural artifacts and petroglyphs. According to UNESCO, the 1,592,000 hectare area is of “significant conservation value due to its sheer scale and pristine condition as an uninhabited and unhunted region”. Other notable features include tepuis and brown granite inselbergs (such as the Voltzberg) and the Wilhelmina mountain range in the south, ending at Juliana Top – Suriname’s highest elevation at 4,035 feet.
La Fortaleza and San Juan National Historic Site, Puerto Rico
Year of inscription: 1983
Built between the 16th and 20th centuries, you’ll find Italian Renaissance, Baroque and French architecture in these fortifications. La Fortaleza—translated as “The Castle” and built to protect the port of San Juan—may be the oldest residence of its kind in the Americas and now serves as the official residence of the Governor of Puerto Rico. The city wall and three forts—San Felipe del Morro (“El Morro”), San Cristóbal, and San Juan de la Cruz (“El Cañuelo”)—make up the San Juan National Historic Site. El Morro (pictured) remains a popular landmark, with its museum and barracks, lookouts, cannons, dungeons, watchtowers, vaults and ramps. Underground tunnels connect it to the nearby Fort San Cristóbal.
Pitons Management Area, Saint Lucia
Year of inscription: 2004
Rising dramatically from the sea on the southwest coast—and towering over an accessible caldera known as the Qualibou Depression—the forest-clad Pitons (Gros Piton and Petit Piton) are visible from anywhere in St. Lucia. Coral reefs cover about 60% of the seabed in the sea. The Pitons Management Area is within the Soufriere Volcanic Centre, known for volcanic features such as hot springs, eruption craters, pumice and ash deposits, lava flows and sulphurous fumaroles. Additionally, the area’s First Peoples heritage remains through various petroglyphs and artifacts.
University City of Caracas, Venezuela
Year of inscription: 2000
The University City of Caracas, which includes the Botanical Garden, was designed by architect Carlos Raúl Villanueva and a prominent group of avant-garde artists between the 1940s and 1960s. Located in the center of the city, it is the main campus of the Central University of Venezuela and has an arrangement open and dynamic that cohesively integrates buildings, art and nature, demonstrating the technological development and masterpieces of its time – including the Aula Magna auditorium with Alexander Calder’s ‘Clouds’, the Olympic Stadium and the Covered Plaza.
Belize Barrier Reef Reserve system, Belize
Year of inscription: 1996
According to Charles Darwin, this is “the most remarkable rock in the West Indies”. Not only is it the largest complex of reefs in the Northern Hemisphere, but the second largest reef system in the world and home to endemic and endangered species. This interconnected system includes seven marine protected areas along the length of the barrier reef, shelf lagoon and offshore atolls. The highly diverse and resilient ecosystem (which includes key reef and coastal habitats) is able to regenerate alongside conservation efforts, helping to protect it from climate change impacts such as coral bleaching, catastrophic and frequent hurricanes and sea level rise.
