Patagonia, Atacama and Rapa Nui all possess a great treasure: the people who live there. We are committed to actively promoting the well-being and development of these local communities and our commitment can be seen on all of our Patagonia, Atacama and Rapa Nui travel vacations.
Communities are the caretakers of traditions, artistic forms, myths, languages and visions of the universe. At explora we regard these cultural manifestations as a treasure to be cherished.
For example, at Atacama, thanks to the donation of an explora traveler, we refurbished the Machuca church, a building dating back to the 17th century. The local community participated in the work, which included repairing and painting the exterior walls and the wooden siding on the bell tower, as well as building new pews.
We also take part in community activities such as cleaning and repairing the irrigation canals and “los juegos Atacameños” (the Atacameño games) which take place in Catarpe.
On Rapa Nui, each year we sponsor the Tapati, a traditional local festivity which lasts two weeks and attracts international interest. Members of our Rapa Nui team usually take part in a variety of competitions. We support the work of musicians, dance groups and visual artists. We put on concerts by local folk groups every week at the lodge. We also helped to produce CDs by local musicians, which you can buy in the lodge shop.
