Savvy travellers plan their journeys to include visits to UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
There are currently 1,007 UNESCO World Heritage Sites around the world in 161 countries. Here are some of the most memorable from the Caribbean, Central and South America.
1. Copan, Honduras
This is a favourite among the many Mayan sites in Central America. The place is magnificent! Pyramids, sweeping courtyards, imposing vistas and ceremonial ball courts emerge from the jungle. Copan was the capital city of a major Classic Period kingdom between the fifth to ninth centuries AD. Vibrant images from the past leap out from the stones in the intricate carvings and hieroglyphics.
2. Pantanal, Brazil
In the centre of the South American continent, south of the Amazon basin and east of the Andes, lies an immense landlocked river delta called the Pantanal. Annual floodwaters regularly rise and fall, and have nurtured the greatest concentration of fauna in the Americas - greater even than the Amazon. Stay here on a remote fazenda (a ranch) beside the endless waters and watch the wildlife in awe.
3. Trinidad, Cuba
Step back centuries in time when you tread the cobbled streets of the colonial city of Trinidad. Founded in 1514, its greatest years were during the sugar boom of the 18th and 19th centuries when many fine palacios and homes were built. Then life and time itself moved on elsewhere, leaving this gorgeous city to dream of yesteryear, and leaving a treasure trove of history where you can wander today - accessible even from many of the Cuban beach resorts.
4. Monte Alban and Oaxaca, Mexico
Spanish Colonial meets Ancient Civilisation: this UNESCO World Heritage city is a real treasure. Oaxaca lies 5,000 feet up in the foothills of the Sierre Madre mountains and is graced by many impressive colonial buildings, parks and markets. The piece de resistance is Monte Alban, the inspiring Zapotec capital dating from 500 BC to 800 AD. Day trips are available from resorts in Huatulco on Mexico's Pacific coast.
5. Sian Ka'an, Mexico
Explore the watery wilderness of Sian Ka'an on a guided eco-tour via small boats across the lagoons and through the mangrove channels. Discover an island with an ancient Mayan customs house. Drift with the current along a one-kilometre channel through the magroves in one of the most peaceful journeys imaginable. Return via a long, sinewy boardwalk, observing the rich birdlife in this natural wonderland that is just one hour away from the Riviera Maya resorts.
6. Galapagos Islands, Ecuador
Nineteen islands, 1,000 kilometres out into the Pacific Ocean: the Galapagos islands are where it all began. It was here in 1835 that Charles Darwin was more than simply enchanted by the richness of the flora and fauna, as visitors continue to be today. He was inspired by a vision that became the great Theory of Evolution, which underpins so much of our modern understanding of the world. Take a guided cruise here with a naturalist to bring this magical archipelago to life.
7. Machu Picchu, Peru
Nothing can prepare you for the first sight of this mysterious citadel: the Lost City of the Incas. The Citadel of Mach Picchu straddles a mountain ridge nearly 8,000 feet above sea level. And it's simply breath-taking. Clothes in jungle until its rediscovery in 1911, the walls, ramps and terraces are now clothed in mysteries. What was the purpose of such a city in the clouds? Wander the site and let the stones whisper their secrets.
8. Tiwanaku, Bolivia
There is something other-worldly about these ancient ruins of an unknown civilization close to the shores of Lake Titicaca. Tiwanaku is the source of creation myths, but still largely an enigma. Standing beside the Gateway of the Sun as the Andean winds whistle and whine off nearby Lake Titicac, you feel the presence of ancient peoples over the ruins.
