UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Belize
Belize has 1 site on the UNESCO World Heritage List (1 natural), the first inscribed in 1996 (Belize Barrier Reef). The map below plots it alongside the rest of the List, and each site is written up in full further down the page.
- World Heritage Sites
- 1
- Cultural
- 0
- Natural and Mixed
- 1
- First Inscribed
- 1996
Map of World Heritage Sites in Belize
CulturalNaturalMixedIn DangerLarge dots are in Belize. Click a dot to read about the site.
Belize Barrier Reef
Belize · 17.2625° N, 88.0528° W · 963 km² · 30 km from Belize City
The Belize Barrier Reef is a series of coral reefs straddling the coast of Belize, roughly 300 metres (980 ft) offshore in the north and 40 kilometres (25 mi) in the south within the country limits. The Belize Barrier Reef is a 300-kilometre (190 mi) long section of the 900-kilometre (560 mi) Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System, which is continuous from Cancún on the north-eastern tip of the Yucatán Peninsula through the Riviera Maya and down to Honduras, making it the second largest coral reef system in the world after the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. It is Belize's top tourist destination, popular for scuba diving and snorkeling and attracting almost half of its 260,000 visitors. It is also vital to the country's fishing industry.
Charles Darwin described it as "the most remarkable reef in the West Indies" in 1842.
In addition to its barrier reef, it also boasts three distinct Caribbean atolls: Turneffe Atoll, Glover's Reef and Lighthouse Reef.
Adapted from Wikipedia: Belize Barrier Reef (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Why Belize Barrier Reef Is Listed
- (vii)
- Superlative natural phenomena or exceptional natural beauty.
- (ix)
- An outstanding example of ongoing ecological and biological processes.
- (x)
- The most important natural habitats for conserving biodiversity.
More about Belize Barrier Reef
UNESCO's Description
The coastal area of Belize is an outstanding natural system consisting of the largest barrier reef in the northern hemisphere, offshore atolls, several hundred sand cays, mangrove forests, coastal lagoons and estuaries. The system’s seven sites illustrate the evolutionary history of reef development and are a significant habitat for threatened species, including marine turtles, manatees and the American marine crocodile.
From the UNESCO World Heritage Centre (CC BY-SA IGO 3.0).
World Heritage in Belize: Quick Answers
- How many UNESCO World Heritage Sites are in Belize?
- Belize has 1 World Heritage Site: 1 natural.
- What was the first World Heritage Site in Belize?
- Belize Barrier Reef, inscribed in 1996.
- What are the natural World Heritage Sites in Belize?
- Belize Barrier Reef.
- Are any World Heritage Sites in Belize in danger?
- None of the World Heritage Sites in Belize is on UNESCO's List of World Heritage in Danger.