I took this pick of a UNESCO sign at Colonia de Sacramento in Uruguay because I knew I loved the place as soon as I got there!

As I am getting ready to fly to Colombia, I began reflecting (again!) about how lucky I am to be living the life I had always dreamed about. How cool is it that I can teach my way around the world?!

As I thought about all of the places I’ve been and how I fully intend to meet my 31X31 Travel Goal this year I began thinking of a new goal, but more long term!

I didn’t really know about UNESCO until I was teaching in Mexico in 2010 so I can’t say that I’ve exactly sought them out before. UNESCO sites are world treasures and it is my goal to see as many of them as I can in my lifetime! There are currently 1007 UNESCO sites and it is my goal to see at least half of them by the time I retire.

This is a work in progress. I will probably make it into a page when I have more time. I plan on listing the sites I’ve been to (also double checking the dates for the places I’ve already been too) and linking to posts about them as I get around to it as well as the upcoming sites I plan on visiting. As you can see, I have a LONG way to go to meet my goal, but the best goals are the ones you actually look forward to meeting- and this is one of them!

UNESCO Sites I’ve Visited:

1. Genoa:Le Strade Nuove and the system of the Palazzi dei Rolli, Italy- June 2003
2. Works of Antoni Gaudí, Spain- June 2003
3. Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming/Montana/Idaho, USA- June 2004
4. Shrines and Temples of Nikko, Japan- June 2005
5. Fujisan, sacred place and source of artistic inspiration, Japan- July 2005
6. Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto, Japan– July 2005
7. Historic Centre of Florence, Italy – July 2006
8. Historic Centre of Naples, Italy- July 2006
9. Archaeological Areas of Pompei, Herculaneum and Torre Annunziata, August 2006
10. Historic Centre of Rome, the Properties of the Holy See in that City Enjoying Extraterritorial Rights and San Paolo Fuori le Mura, Italy/Holy See – June 2006
11. Vatican City, Holy See- June 2006 (TBT Vatican City)
12. Piazza del Duomo, Pisa, Italy– July 2006
13. Walled City of Baku with the Shirvanshah’s Palace and Maiden Tower, Azerbaijan – July 2007 (see related: Food in Azerbaijan: My Favorite Things)
14. Pre-Hispanic City and National Park of Palenque, Mexico- November 2010
15. Pre-Hispanic City of Chichen-Itza, Mexico- April 2011
16. Imperial Palaces of the Ming and Qing Dynasties in Beijing, China- December 2011
17. Summer Palace, an Imperial Garden in Beijing, China- December 2011
18. Temple of Heaven: an Imperial Sacrificial Altar in Beijing– December 2011
19. Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor, China- January 2012
20. The Great Wall, China- December 2012
21. Classical Gardens of Suzhou, December 2012
22. Old Town of Lijiang, China- December 2012
23. Angkor, Cambodia- April 2012
24. Iguazu National Park, Argentina- December 2012 (see: Iguazu Falls)
25. Quebrada de Humahuaca, Argentina- December 2012
26. Historic Quarter of the City of Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguay- December 2012
27. Historic Area of Willemstad, Inner City and Harbour, Curaçao– April 2013 (see: Beach Adventure in Curacao)
28. Canaima National Park, Venezuela- December 2013
29. Coro and its Port, Venezuela- December 2013
30. Colonial City of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic- April 2014 (see: Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic)
31. Historic Centre of Lima, Peru- December 2014 (see: Lovely Lima)
32. City of Cuzco, Peru- December 2014 (see: Cusco)
33. Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu, Peru- December 2014 (see: Machu Picchu)
34. City of Potosí, Bolivia – December 2014 (see: Potosi)
35. Historic City of Sucre, Bolivia- December 2014 (see: Sucre)

Upcoming UNESCO sites I plan to visit:

1. Port, Fortresses and Group of Monuments, Cartagena– April 2015
2. Paris, Banks of the Seine, France– June 2015
3. Palace and Park of Versailles, France- June 2015
4. Historic Centre of Brugge, Belgium- June 2015
5. Seventeenth-Century Canal Ring of Amsterdam, Netherlands– June 2015
6. Museumsinsel (Museum Island), Berlin, Germany- June 2015
7. Palaces and Parks of Potsdam and Berlin, Germany- June 2015
8. Historic Centre of Prague, Czeck Republic- June 2015
9. Budapest, including the Banks of the Danube, the Buda Castle Quarter and Andrássy Avenue, Hungary– June 2015
10. Historic Areas of Istanbul, Turkey- July 2015
11. Acropolis, Athens, Greece- July 2015
12. City of Quito, Ecuador- December 2015
13. Galápagos Islands, Ecuador- December 2015
14. Historic Centre of Santa Ana de los Ríos de Cuenca, Ecuador- December 2015
15. Archaeological Site of Panamá Viejo and Historic District of Panamá– June 2016
16. Antigua Guatemala– July 2016
17. Tikal National Park, Guatemala- July 2016
18. Maya Site of Copan, Honduras- July 2016
19. León Cathedral, Nicaragua- July 2016
20. Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System– July 2016