Honduras

Rio Platano Biosphere Reserve

WHS Score 3.14
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Votes for Rio Platano Biosphere Reserve

4.0

  • Hanming
  • Iain Jackson

The Río Plátano Biosphere Reserve encompasses both mountainous and lowland tropical rainforest, as well as savannahs and coastal plains, full of diverse wildlife and plants.

The river basin holds spectacular lagoons, namely Laguna Brus and Laguna Ibans, many rivers and waterfalls. Endangered mammals like the critically endangered Mexican Spider Monkey, the Giant Anteater, Ocelot and Jaguar can be found in this Reserve, as well as an impressive 411 documented species of birds.

Community Perspective: the few reviewers that have visited it praise the amazing wildlife and the indigenous culture. The truly adventurous have reported on a full descent of the river from the headwaters to the coast.

Site Info

Official Information
Full Name
Rio Platano Biosphere Reserve (ID: 196)
Country
Honduras
Status
Inscribed 1982 Site history
History of Rio Platano Biosphere Reserve
1982: Inscribed
Inscribed
1996: In Danger
agricultural intrusion and the implementation of land reform programmes
2007: Removed from Danger list
Significant progress
2011: In Danger
threatened by illegal activities
In Danger
threatened by illegal activities Since 2011
WHS Type
Natural
Criteria
  • vii
  • viii
  • ix
  • x
Links
UNESCO
whc.unesco.org
All Links
UNESCO.org
Related Resources
News Article
  • May 1, 2021 news.mongabay.com — Drugs and agriculture cause deforestation to skyrocket at Honduran UNESCO site
  • Aug. 14, 2019 news.mongabay.com — Rainforest destruction accelerates in Honduras UNESCO site
  • July 28, 2011 wilderutopia.com — Chinese dam project threatens Central America's largest tropical rainforest and Indigenous populations in the Moskitia

Community Information

  • Community Category
  • Natural landscape: Forest
Travel Information
One thousand visitors or fewer
One thousand visitors or fewer
DD : “Despite the obvious attractiveness of the area, in particular along the Caribbean …
Recent Connections
View all (34) .
Connections of Rio Platano Biosphere Reserve
Geography
  • Caribbean Sea
  • Estuary
    "Starting from the Caribbean Sea, there are estuarine and marine systems, sandy beaches, coastal lagoons of varying salinity, mangrove swamps, and pine savannah." (Official description)
Trivia
Ecology
  • Jaguar habitat
  • Over 300 bird species
    the impressive 411 documented species of birds (Crit X OUV)
  • Rainforests
  • Eagles
    Guiana Crested Eagle and harpy eagle (Official description)
  • Oxbow lakes
    "This reserve protects nearly the entire watershed of the 100km long Platano River, as well as major portions of the Paulaya, Guampu and Sicre Rivers. The rugged mountainous headwaters region, encompassing 75% of the reserve, is flanked by the Platano River and rises to Punta Piedra (1,326m). The river basin drains an area of some 130,000ha and meanders considerably in the lowland region, marooning several ox-bow lakes. "
  • Mangroves
    mangrove swamps
  • Otters
    Neotropical Otter
  • Biological Corridor
    Mesoamerican Biological Corridor

    See ieg.worldbank.org

  • Siraneans
    West Indian Manatee
  • Swamps and Marshes
    "The Río Plátano meanders for some 45 kilometres through the lowlands forming ox-bow lakes, backwater swamps.." (OUV)
  • Turtles and tortoises
    Habitat of green turtle, loggerhead turtle and leatherback turtle
  • Tapirs
    Baird's tapir
  • Sloths
    brown-throated sloth
  • Anteaters
    giant anteater, silky anteater, northern tamandua
Damaged
World Heritage Process
Human Activity
WHS on Other Lists
Timeline
  • Holocene
    The Mesoamerican tropical rainforest evolved after the last glaciation in the Late Pleistocene.

    See sciencedirect.com

Visiting conditions
  • No road access
    Only access by boat or plane
  • One thousand visitors or fewer
    DD : “Despite the obvious attractiveness of the area, in particular along the Caribbean coast, tourism remains in its infancy and is restricted to a small niche of scientific and adventure tourism, primarily due to the combination of a difficult security situation and minimal infrastructure” (IUCN Outlook 2020)
WHS Names
News
news.mongabay.com 05/01/2021
Drugs and agriculture cause defore…
news.mongabay.com 08/14/2019
Rainforest destruction accelerates…
wilderutopia.com 07/28/2011
Chinese dam project threatens Cent…

Community Reviews

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First published: 24/07/11.

Anonymous

Rio Platano Biosphere Reserve

Rio Platano Biosphere Reserve (Inscribed)

Rio Platano Biosphere Reserve by Roman Bruehwiler

Paradise in Peril Film Description

The Río Platáno Biosphere Reserve, Honduras – home to the highest level of tropical biodiversity in Central America, homeland of the Pech and Miskito Indians, and keeper of hundreds of unexplored archeological sites – is in danger. Non-indians are invading the Reserve from all sides, poaching endangered wildlife and fish, slashing and burning ancient forests to sow pastures, and forcing indigenous inhabitants off their ancestral lands. Paradise in Peril follows an expedition organized to document the destruction of this UNESCO World Heritage Site and collect testimony from the native peoples who rely on the Río Platáno for survival. Fewer than 400 individuals have ever completed this strenuous expedition from the rivers headwaters to the Miskito coast of Honduras.

Please go to http://skyshipfilms.com/paradise-in-peril or http://vimeo.com/skyshipfilms/paradise-in-peril to see this short documentary. Note: this film was shot in High Definition and should be watched on a computer with a high speed connection for best results. You may also see a short clip on You Tube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cF0-TbOXjsI

Thanks, Robert E. Hyman

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First published: 30/03/11.

Anonymous

Rio Platano Biosphere Reserve

Rio Platano Biosphere Reserve (Inscribed)

Rio Platano Biosphere Reserve by Roman Bruehwiler

I have just returned from my second complete descent of the Rio Platano from the headwaters to the coast. This time i brought along a great cinematographer to capture on film what is really going on in this remote and beautiful place. We are going to produce some footage that shows the uncontrolled invasion of the reserve by settlers and cattle ranchers. Poaching of animals and clear cutting the forest is having a dramatic effect on the local population that is being threatened off their traditional lands.

Robert The Explorer

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First published: 16/01/11.

Anonymous

Rio Platano Biosphere Reserve

Rio Platano Biosphere Reserve (Inscribed)

Rio Platano Biosphere Reserve by Roman Bruehwiler

Hi everyone, I did a 10 day complete raft descent of the Rio Platano in April of 2010 with a guided group. I am a world explorer and this supposedly protected Biosphere Reserve is an amazing experience to say the least! However, to our dismay we witnessed and found evidence of uncontrolled encroachment! Illegal fishing camps harvesting and salting thousands of fish to be taken out bu horse to be sold. Clear cutting slash and burn of flat areas for cattle and remains of animals killed poachers. Our group of concerned scientists and conservationists is trying to bring attention to this "Paradise in Peril". We are advocating for more protection of this wonderful place. Thanks for the forum to reach out. Robert

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First published: 16/12/10.

Anonymous

Rio Platano Biosphere Reserve

Rio Platano Biosphere Reserve (Inscribed)

Rio Platano Biosphere Reserve by Anonymous WHS Traveller

The Rio Platano Biosphere Reserve has become my favorite natural (and one of my favorite cultural) areas in all of Central America, surpassing that of more known countries, in particular Costa Rica.

The deep parts of the reserve are amazing untouched, and even where there are larger groups of indigenous people, there hasn't been too much deforestation. The wildlife was amazing (I saw 2 tapir, howler monkeys, spider monkeys, sloths, tree anteaters, white-faced monkeys, an ocelot, jaguarundi, crocodiles and caimans, several snakes and lizards, insects, and encountered several fresh jaguar tracks).

The indigenous culture (Miskito, Pech, and Garifuna) is also amazing. It's expensive to explore the reserve, but it's a priceless experience.

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