This report examines the nomination process of the Qhapaq Nan or Andean road system to UNESCO’s World Heritage List, by analyzing, on the one hand, its general historical development, and on the other hand, the specific strategies and actions undertaken by the Consejo de Monumentos Nacionales (National Council for Monuments), Chile. Examining the achievements attained throughout a working period of more than 10 years, this contribution focuses on the limitations and challenges that the project has faced in order to point out the issues at stake within the participatory planning process for the conservation and management of one of the most outstanding examples of human heritage.