Río Plátano Biosphere Reserve


World Heritage Identification Number: 196

World Heritage since: 1982

Category: Natural Heritage

Transboundary Heritage: No

Endangered Heritage: Yes

Country: 🇭🇳 Honduras

Continent: Americas

UNESCO World Region: Latin America and the Caribbean

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The Río Plátano Biosphere Reserve: A Tropical Treasure in Central America

The Río Plátano Biosphere Reserve, located in the Gracias a Dios department region on the Caribbean coast of Honduras, stands as a testament to the rich biodiversity and cultural heritage of Central America. Established in 1982, this vast protected area spans over 5,250 square kilometers (2,030 sq mi) and is primarily defined by the winding course of the Río Plátano.

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UNESCO Description of the World Heritage Site

Located on the watershed of the Río Plátano, the reserve is one of the few remains of a tropical rainforest in Central America and has an abundant and varied plant and wildlife. In its mountainous landscape sloping down to the Caribbean coast, over 2,000 indigenous people have preserved their traditional way of life.

Encyclopedia Record: Río Plátano Biosphere Reserve

The Río Plátano Biosphere Reserve is a protected area in the Gracias a Dios department region on the Caribbean coast of Honduras. With a total area of 5,250 square kilometers (2,030 sq mi), most of the reserve runs along the Río Plátano. The reserve has a number of endangered species and some of the largest remnants of tropical forest in Central America. It has been a World Heritage Site and biosphere reserve since 1982. In 2011, UNESCO placed the reserve on the List of World Heritage in Danger.

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Additional Site Details

Area: 350,000 hectares

UNESCO Criteria: (vii) — Contains superlative natural phenomena or beauty
(viii) — Outstanding example representing major earth stages
(ix) — Outstanding example representing ecological and biological processes
(x) — Contains most important habitats for biodiversity

Coordinates: 15.74444444 , -84.675

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Image of Río Plátano Biosphere Reserve

© Hjvannes at Dutch Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 Resized from original. (This derivative is under the same CC BY-SA license.)

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Nearby World Heritage Sites

Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System
374 km — Belize
Ruins of León Viejo
427 km — Nicaragua
León Cathedral
438 km — Nicaragua
Archaeological Park and Ruins of Quirigua
471 km — Guatemala
Maya Site of Copan
488 km — Honduras

Country Information: Honduras

Flag of Honduras

Official Name: Republic of Honduras

Capital: Tegucigalpa

Continent: Americas

Population (2024): 10,825,703

Population (2023): 10,644,851

Population (2022): 10,463,872

Land Area: 111,890 sq km

Currency: Honduran lempira (HNL)

Country Data Sources

Last updated: January 18, 2026

Portions of the page Río Plátano Biosphere Reserve are based on data from UNESCO — World Heritage List Dataset and on text from the Wikipedia article Río Plátano Biosphere Reserve, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes made. Additional original content by World Heritage Explorer (WHE), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. WHE is not affiliated with UNESCO or the World Heritage Committee. Legal Notice. Privacy Policy.

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