Flag of Mexico Mexico


Mexico joined the World Heritage Convention in 1984. With 36 inscribed properties, the country is one of the more prominent contributors to the World Heritage List. Mexico ranks 7th worldwide and 1st in Americas by number of World Heritage Sites. The majority of its sites are cultural properties, reflecting a strong emphasis on historical and architectural heritage.

Mexico as a State Party to the World Heritage Convention

State Party since: February 23, 1984

Status: Acceptance

Mandates to the World Heritage Committee: 1985-1991, 1991-1997, 1997-2003, 2009-2013, 2021-2025

Total of Mandate Years: 26

Total of Mandates: 5

WHC Electoral Group: III (Latin America/Caribbean)

World Heritage Sites in Mexico (36)

Cultural: 28 | Natural: 6 | Mixed: 2

Map of World Heritage Sites

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

World Heritage Inscription Timeline

1987
Historic Centre of Mexico City and Xochimilco
1987
Historic Centre of Oaxaca and Archaeological Site of Monte Albán
1987
Historic Centre of Puebla
1987
Pre-Hispanic City and National Park of Palenque
1987
Pre-Hispanic City of Teotihuacan
1987
Sian Ka'an
1988
Historic Town of Guanajuato and Adjacent Mines
1988
Pre-Hispanic City of Chichen-Itza
1991
Historic Centre of Morelia
1992
El Tajin, Pre-Hispanic City
1993
Historic Centre of Zacatecas
1993
Rock Paintings of the Sierra de San Francisco
1993
Whale Sanctuary of El Vizcaino
1994
Earliest 16th-Century Monasteries on the Slopes of Popocatepetl
1996
Historic Monuments Zone of Querétaro
1996
Pre-Hispanic Town of Uxmal
1997
Hospicio Cabañas, Guadalajara
1998
Archaeological Zone of Paquimé, Casas Grandes
1998
Historic Monuments Zone of Tlacotalpan
1999
Archaeological Monuments Zone of Xochicalco
1999
Historic Fortified Town of Campeche
2002
Ancient Maya City and Protected Tropical Forests of Calakmul, Campeche
2003
Franciscan Missions in the Sierra Gorda of Querétaro
2004
Luis Barragán House and Studio
2005
Islands and Protected Areas of the Gulf of California
2006
Agave Landscape and Ancient Industrial Facilities of Tequila
2007
Central University City Campus of the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM)
2008
Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve
2008
Protective town of San Miguel and the Sanctuary of Jesús Nazareno de Atotonilco
2010
Camino Real de Tierra Adentro
2010
Prehistoric Caves of Yagul and Mitla in the Central Valley of Oaxaca
2013
El Pinacate and Gran Desierto de Altar Biosphere Reserve
2015
Aqueduct of Padre Tembleque Hydraulic System
2016
Archipiélago de Revillagigedo
2018
Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Valley: originary habitat of Mesoamerica
2025
Wixárika Route through Sacred Sites to Wirikuta (Tatehuarí Huajuyé)

Tentative World Heritage Sites (23)

  • Barrio Histórico Universitario (extension du Centre historique de Puebla) · submitted: May 15, 2024
  • Patzcuaro, Site of Humanistic Memory and Cultural Confluence · submitted: June 6, 2023
  • San Juan de Ulua, Site of Memory and Historical Resistances · submitted: May 19, 2022
  • Ring of cenotes of Chicxulub Crater, Yucatan · submitted: December 11, 2012
  • Las Labradas, Sinaloa archaeological site · submitted: December 7, 2012
  • El Arco del Tiempo del Río La Venta · submitted: October 6, 2010
  • Las Pozas, Xilitla · submitted: November 30, 2009
  • Historical city of Izamal (Izamal, Mayan continuity in an Historical City) · submitted: October 15, 2008
  • Los Petenes-Ría Celestún · submitted: October 15, 2008
  • Cuetzalan and its Historical, Cultural and Natural Surrounding · submitted: September 27, 2006
  • Vallée des Cierges · submitted: December 6, 2004
  • Aire de protection de la flore et de la faune Cuatrociénegas · submitted: December 6, 2004
  • Historical Town The Royal of the Eleven Thousand Virgins of Cosala in Sinaloa · submitted: December 6, 2004
  • Région Lacan-Tún – Usumacinta · submitted: December 6, 2004
  • Réserve de la Biosphère Banco Chinchorro · submitted: December 6, 2004
  • Tecoaque · submitted: December 6, 2004
  • Chapultepec Woods, Hill and Castle · submitted: November 20, 2001
  • Historic Town of Alamos · submitted: November 20, 2001
  • Church of Santa Prisca and its Surroundings · submitted: November 20, 2001
  • Pre-Hispanic City of Cantona · submitted: November 20, 2001
  • Great City of Chicomostoc-La Quemada · submitted: November 20, 2001
  • Historic Town of San Sebastián del Oeste · submitted: November 20, 2001
  • Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo's Home-Study Museum · submitted: November 20, 2001

Source: UNESCO Tentative Lists

Country Profile Mexico

Official Name: United Mexican States

Continent: Americas

Subregion: North America

UNESCO Region: Latin America and the Caribbean

Capital: Mexico City

Population (2024): 130,861,007

Land Area: 1,943,950 km²

Currency: Mexican peso (MXN)

Country Data Sources

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: August 9, 2026

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