The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Sites are places of importance to cultural or natural heritage as described in the UNESCO World Heritage Convention, established in 1972. Cultural heritage consists of monuments (such as architectural works, monumental sculptures, or inscriptions), groups of buildings, and sites (including archaeological sites). Natural heritage consists of natural features (physical and biological formations), geological and physiographical formations (including habitats of threatened species of animals and plants), and natural sites which are important from the point of view of science, conservation, or natural beauty. Chile accepted the convention on 20 February 1980, making its sites eligible for inclusion on the list.
There are seven World Heritage Sites in Chile, and a further 18 sites on its tentative list. The first site added to the list was the Rapa Nui National Park, which was listed in 1995. The most recent site listed was the Settlement and Artificial Mummification of the Chinchorro Culture in the Arica and Parinacota Region in 2021. All sites in Chile are listed for their cultural significance. Qhapaq Ñan, Andean Road System is a transnational site and is shared with Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. Humberstone and Santa Laura Saltpeter Works was listed as endangered between 2005 (immediately upon the listing) and 2019 because of the vulnerable state of the buildings. Chile has served on the World Heritage Committee once.
World Heritage Sites UNESCO lists sites under ten criteria; each entry must meet at least one of the criteria. Criteria i through vi are cultural, and vii through x are natural.
+ Site Image Location (region) Year listed Description Rapa Nui National Park Valparaíso 1995 715; i, iii, v (cultural) Rapa Nui, or Easter Island, is located off the coast of Chile. The volcanic island was settled around 300 CE by a group from Polynesia who then developed a unique culture, free of external influences. Between the 10th and 16th centuries, they built monumental shrines and massive stone statues, moai (some statues pictured). The society collapsed due to a combination of ecological crisis with depletion of natural resources and the effects of colonization. The national park covers around 40% of the island and comprises numerous archaeological sites. Churches of Chiloé Los Lagos 2000 971bis; ii, iii (cultural) This site comprises 16 churches in the Chiloé Archipelago. The Jesuits came to the islands in the early 17th century as missionaries and were later replaced by the Franciscans in the 18th and 19th centuries. The churches represent a fusion of European and vernacular traditions, in a unique Chilotan style. They are entirely made of timber and their construction was strongly influenced by boatbuilding techniques. They still play an important role in the life and culture of the islands. A minor boundary modification took place in 2019. The Church of Nercón is pictured.Historic Quarter of the Seaport City of Valparaíso Valparaíso 2003 959rev; iii (cultural) The Pacific port city of Valparaíso flourished in the 19th century when it was an important stop on the route to the Atlantic Ocean through the Strait of Magellan. Following the opening of the Panama Canal in 1914, it declined in importance. This helped to preserve its late 19th and early 20th century architecture and technical heritage. The city layout is shaped by the geographical setting between the ocean and the hills in the background. There are numerous historical funiculars taking people up the slopes. The Cerro Concepción neighbourhood is pictured. Humberstone and Santa Laura Saltpeter Works Tarapaca 2005 1178ter; ii, iii, iv (cultural) Humberstone (pictured) and Santa Laura are two former saltpeter (sodium nitrate) refineries, representative of more than 200 similar sites in the desert region with world's largest deposit of the mineral that is used to produce fertilizers. The fertilizers contributed to the agricultural revolution worldwide and brought a great wealth to Chile. Between the 1870s and mid-20th century, thousands of workers from Chile, Bolivia, and Peru lived and worked in the plants. They developed a unique Pampinos culture with its own language, customs, and artistic expression. Their struggles for social justice had far-reaching effects on the labour laws in Chile and beyond. Immediately upon the inscription, the site was listed as endangered because of the vulnerable state of the buildings, which were further weakened by the 2014 earthquake. Upon the introduction of the protective measures, the site was removed from the endangered list in 2019. Minor boundary modifications were done in 2011 and 2019.Sewell Mining Town O'Higgins 2006 1214; ii (cultural) Sewell Mining Town is an example of a company mining town constructed at a remote locality by the fusion of local communities and international resources from industrialized nations. It was constructed in 1905 by the US mining Braden Copper Company to house the workers of El Teniente, the world's largest underground copper mine. The town is located on steep mountain slopes at an elevation above , in a harsh climate. In the late 1960s, at its peak, it housed 15,000 people. It was largely abandoned in the 1970s. Qhapaq Ñan, Andean Road System several sites 2014 1459; ii, iii, iv, vi (cultural) Qhapaq Ñan is an extensive pre-Incan and Incan road system, spanning over across the Andes. The roads connect high mountain peaks with rainforests, coasts, valleys, and deserts. The road system formed the lifeline of the Inca Empire, allowing transport and exchange of goods, as well as movement of messengers, travelers, and even armies. The site comprises 273 components featuring structures such as roads, bridges, ditches, and supporting infrastructure, 33 of which are in Chile. The site is shared with Argentina (a section pictured), Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru.Settlement and Artificial Mummification of the Chinchorro Culture in the Arica and Parinacota Region Atacama, Antofagasta, Arica y Parinacota 2021 1634; iii, v (cultural) This property comprises three archaeological sites with the remains of marine hunter-gatherer communities that lived in the area from to . The culture is best known for their mummies which present the oldest examples of artificial mummification in the world. Some bodies mummified naturally while others were disassembled and reassembled to create mummies of particular aesthetics, indicating the special role of the dead in the culture. Mummies are well preserved because of the extremely dry climate of the Atacama Desert. In addition, shell middens and tools made of shell and bone were found. A museum exhibit is pictured.
Tentative list In addition to sites inscribed on the World Heritage List, member states can maintain a list of tentative sites that they may consider for nomination. Nominations for the World Heritage List are only accepted if the site was previously listed on the tentative list. Chile has 19 sites on its tentative list.