Rio de Janeiro: Carioca Landscapes between the Mountain and the Sea


World Heritage Identification Number: 1100

World Heritage since: 2012

Category: Cultural Heritage

Transboundary Heritage: No

Endangered Heritage: No

Country: 🇧🇷 Brazil

Continent: Americas

UNESCO World Region: Latin America and the Caribbean

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Rio de Janeiro: Carioca Landscapes Between the Mountain and the Sea - A UNESCO World Heritage Site

The vibrant city of Rio de Janeiro, nestled between the verdant peaks of the Tijuca National Park and the azure waters of Guanabara Bay, boasts a unique blend of natural beauty and rich cultural heritage. Inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2012, the "Carioca Landscapes Between the Mountain and the Sea" encompasses a breathtaking urban landscape that has been shaped by the interplay of nature and human ingenuity over centuries.

More to come…

UNESCO Description of the World Heritage Site

The site consists of an exceptional urban setting encompassing the key natural elements that have shaped and inspired the development of the city: from the highest points of the Tijuca National Park’s mountains down to the sea. They also include the Botanical Gardens, established in 1808, Corcovado Mountain with its celebrated statue of Christ, and the hills around Guanabara Bay, including the extensive designed landscapes along Copacabana Bay which have contributed to the outdoor living culture of this spectacular city. Rio de Janeiro is also recognized for the artistic inspiration it has provided to musicians, landscapers and urbanists.

Encyclopedia Record: Tijuca National Park

The Tijuca National Park is an urban national park in the mountains of the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The park is part of the Atlantic Forest Biosphere Preserve, and is administered by the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation (ICMBio).

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Additional Site Details

Area: 7,248.78 hectares

UNESCO Criteria: (v) — Outstanding example of traditional human settlement
(vi) — Directly associated with events or living traditions

Coordinates: -22.9477777778 , -43.2913888889

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Image of Rio de Janeiro: Carioca Landscapes between the Mountain and the Sea

© Halley Pacheco de Oliveira, 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

Valongo Wharf Archaeological Site
12 km — Brazil
Sítio Roberto Burle Marx
27 km — Brazil
Paraty and Ilha Grande – Culture and Biodiversity
143 km — Brazil
Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Congonhas
278 km — Brazil
Historic Town of Ouro Preto
285 km — Brazil

Country Information: Brazil

Flag of Brazil

Official Name: Federative Republic of Brazil

Capital: Brasília

Continent: Americas

Population (2024): 211,998,573

Population (2023): 211,140,729

Population (2022): 210,306,415

Land Area: 8,358,140 sq km

Currency: Brazilian real (BRL)

Country Data Sources

Last updated: January 18, 2026

Portions of the page Rio de Janeiro: Carioca Landscapes between the Mountain and the Sea are based on data from UNESCO — World Heritage List Dataset and on text from the Wikipedia article Tijuca National Park, 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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