The city of Coro and its port, La Vela de Coro, were founded in 1527. They are located in the northwestern part of Falcón state, Venezuela, near the Caribbean Sea. In 1993, Coro and its port were added to the UNESCO World Heritage list. This was the first site in Venezuela to be recognized as a World Heritage site.

History

In 1993, Coro and its Port were added to UNESCO's World Heritage list because of several reasons. The city's historic buildings were made using traditional indigenous mud building methods, including bahareque, adobe, and tapia (criteria iv). Coro is one of Latin America’s oldest colonial towns, and much of its original layout and structures remain intact. Because of its connection to the Welsers, a powerful German banking and merchant family that controlled the area from 1528 to 1546, Coro’s street plan resembles those of medieval German cities.

Coro is the only surviving example in the Caribbean of a unique blend of local traditions with colonial Spanish Mudéjar and Dutch architectural styles (criteria v). This mix of styles is visible in more than 600 historic buildings.

In 2005, the site was added to UNESCO’s list of World Heritage in Danger. Climate change was a major reason for this, as heavy rains over two years caused significant damage. The earthen building materials used in Coro make the structures vulnerable to water damage because mud bricks do not resist moisture well. Efforts were also needed to prevent unsuitable development, which led to proposals to redefine the buffer zones around the site.

UNESCO suggested ways to protect the site from further rain damage, such as improving the city’s drainage system and managing the growing number of tourists. In response, the Institute of Cultural Heritage, along with the Government of the State of Falcón, the Mayors of Miranda and Colina (where Coro and its Port are located), and Petróleos de Venezuela S.A. (PDVSA), signed an agreement called the “Framework Agreement for Emergency Intervention in the area of Coro and its Port of La Vela.” This agreement provided 64,000,000 Bolivars (about US $30 million) for the site’s conservation and protection.

In 2018, UNESCO received a report from the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), which stated that Venezuela had made progress in implementing many corrective measures. However, more information and actions were needed to ensure that the key issues affecting the site had been fully addressed.