UNESCO designated twelve new Global Geoparks in April 2026, bringing its network to 241 sites in 51 countries. The new places include landscapes in Ireland, Japan, Malaysia, Tunisia and Uruguay. Tunisia joined the network for the first time.
A geopark asks visitors to look at scenery as evidence. A ridge may be a record of colliding plates; a fossil bed, a glimpse of an ecosystem that vanished long before a footpath arrived. In Malaysia’s Lenggong Geopark, UNESCO describes river terraces, limestone hills and traces of ancient volcanic activity. The ground is doing a great deal of storytelling without a narrator.
These designations are about conservation and education as well as travel. For our Adventures channel, they are a reminder that the most rewarding outdoor stories begin by noticing what is already there and listening to the people who know it best.
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