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.
Drinking water is a valuable and fragile resource. Atacama is a desert, Rapa Nui a volcanic island with no permanent waterways, and the glaciers and rivers of Patagonia are one of the greatest freshwater reserves on earth.
For this reason we have installed water treatment and purification plants at our lodges, enabling the water to be returned to the natural waterways or used for watering.
At Hotel de Larache in Atacama, we have a special tree planting and preservation program on our grounds. We use the water recycled by our plant to water the trees, using a drip method which is very efficient and avoids evaporation. The toilets in the lodge have their own independent supply of non-treated water, thus saving energy and drinking water.
On Rapa Nui we have maintained the original vegetation so as to avoid the need to water introduced species. The water treatment plant uses a membrane system which is unique in Chile and enables 99% of the solid waste to be removed.
Furthermore, the paved area outside the lodge is semi-permeable, which means that rain water can filter through to the ground below, avoiding stagnation and pollution. The rooms have a dual flush system, which means the water is used more efficiently.
On your Rapa Nui vacation and at all of our lodges, we promote the re-use of towels in order to reduce the level of laundry.
