Our environmental policy arose from our desire to minimize the impact of our operations on the areas where we are based; from our tours to Patagonia to our adventure travel in Rapa Nui. From this starting point, we have made a commitment to responsible environmental management to ensure that the use we make of natural resources is sustainable and that we effectively manage the waste we generate.
Each lodge is located in a remote area, where over the centuries nature has come to achieve a delicate balance and human presence is limited. We have made sure that the construction of each lodge has a minimal impact on its surroundings. At each lodge, the outdoor circulation areas, whether wooden or paved walkways, are just the right size, thus preventing erosion and preserving the flora of the surrounding land.
We have also restored some areas near our lodges. At San Pedro de Atacama we have transformed 15 hectares (37 acres) of dusty land into a fertile reserve by using the traditional ayllu irrigation technique, a system of flooding which prevents the lands from oversalination. We planted 13 hectares (32 acres) of alfalfa and the rest with trees: pimientos, algarrobos (Prosopis chilensis) and some 1,500 chañares (Geoffroea decorticans), a tree native to this area. This has created a sanctuary visited by hundreds of birds, some of them local, some on migration routes.
On our explorations we leave behind no trace. We seek always to minimize our impact on the environment while exploring. We only walk along established footpaths. We never take anything away from the places we explore, nor do we discard anything. We are careful to share this approach with our travelers.
Most of our explorations are on foot, horseback or bicycle. We only use motorized vehicles to transfer travelers to the start or finish point of the explorations.
In addition to knowledge, our guides pass their environmental awareness on to all the travelers on our Atacama travel as well as all others.
