Costa Rica

Costa Rica became a State Party to the World Heritage Convention in 1977. With four inscribed properties, the country maintains a well-established presence on the World Heritage List. Costa Rica ranks 28th worldwide and 10th in Americas by number of World Heritage Sites. A significant share of its sites are natural properties, highlighting the country's landscapes and biodiversity. One of these properties is shared with neighboring countries, demonstrating cooperation across borders in heritage conservation.

Costa Rica as a State Party to the World Heritage Convention

State Party since: August 23, 1977

Status: Ratification

Mandates to the World Heritage Committee: None

Total of Mandate Years: 0

Total of Mandates: 0

WHC Electoral Group: III (Latin America/Caribbean)

World Heritage Sites in Costa Rica (4)

Cultural: 1 | Natural: 3 | Mixed: 0

Area de Conservación Guanacaste · Natural
Cocos Island National Park · Natural
Precolumbian Chiefdom Settlements with Stone Spheres of the Diquís · Cultural
Talamanca Range-La Amistad Reserves / La Amistad National Park · Natural (Transboundary)

Map of World Heritage Sites

This interactive map shows the location of all UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Costa Rica.

World Heritage Inscription Timeline

1983

Talamanca Range-La Amistad Reserves / La Amistad National Park

1997

Cocos Island National Park

1999

Area de Conservación Guanacaste

2014

Precolumbian Chiefdom Settlements with Stone Spheres of the Diquís

Tentative World Heritage Sites (1)

Corcovado National Park and Isla del Caño Biological Reserve · submitted: January 30, 2003

Source: UNESCO Tentative Lists

Country Profile Costa Rica

Official Name: Republic of Costa Rica

Continent: Americas

Subregion: Central America

UNESCO Region: Latin America and the Caribbean

Capital: San José

Population (2024): 5,129,910

Land Area: 51,060 km²

Currency: Costa Rican colón (CRC)

Country Data Sources

Links

UNESCO World Heritage Convention: State Party Costa Rica

About States Parties

States Parties are countries that have joined the World Heritage Convention. They commit to identifying, nominating, and protecting properties of outstanding cultural or natural value on their territory. States Parties are also expected to monitor and report on the condition of inscribed sites.

World Heritage Insights

How Politics and Institutions Shape the UNESCO World Heritage List

The UNESCO World Heritage List is usually seen as a catalogue of the world’s most important cultural and natural places. Yet behind every inscription there is a structured decision process: countries must first join the Convention, run for a seat on the World Heritage Committee, prepare nominations through a fixed procedure, and finally obtain enough votes for inscription.

World Heritage Info

Background

Learn about UNESCO, the World Heritage Convention, Tentative Lists, and how World Heritage Sites are selected and preserved. Explore the history, structures, and processes that protect humanity’s cultural and natural treasures.

Last updated: September 4, 2026

Portions of this page are based on data from UNESCO — World Heritage List Dataset. Changes made. Original content by World Heritage Explorer (WHE) is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. WHE is not affiliated with UNESCO or the World Heritage Committee. Legal Notice. Privacy Policy.