- 6 mins
Sustainability cannot only remain spoken; every day, you must action it indefinitely over time. At Las Torres Patagonia, our role is to develop responsible tourism that helps care for the beautiful park and extends an invitation to care for and protect each place nature offers us here.
In alliance with AMA Torres del Paine, an NGO located in our reserve and focused on this purpose, we have developed many initiatives to put our mission of conservation, protection, and awareness into action. Here, we will show you ten practices that we are doing to fulfill our commitment.
The NGO AMA Torres del Paine
In 2004, we founded the NGO AMA Torres del Paine to boost all the sustainability initiatives within the reserve. This organization has been the foundation of the main activities at Las Torres, promoting awareness, reforestation, care and maintenance of trails, and being part of the community through various volunteer opportunities.
Transition from livestock to tourism and conservation
The reserve began with a Croatian family's dream to pursue ranching in Patagonia. With the passing of the years and word of mouth about the granite towers in Patagonia, hundreds of tourists arrived, and the dream changed to one of hotels. With this step, the family decided to remove their cattle from the territory and dedicate themselves entirely to providing accommodations and service, but with a special focus: sustainability. Due to this history, Las Torres Patagonia is deeply committed to the land on which it resides.
Welcome Center
In 2016, we inaugurated our Welcome Center, the starting point for adventurers from around the world to explore Torres del Paine National Park. This stop on the road helps us control the flow of visitors, know how many people are entering, and have a register of who must leave at the end of the day. This data also helps us understand how to care for our trails according to the demands placed on them.
Here, you can also find information about flora and fauna, the different trails you can follow to see the other points of interest and recharge your energy with a drink or sweet.
Reconstruction of the Trail to Base Torres
We know that a well-maintained trail helps to maintain the balance between man and nature. Every year, we work to ensure the trails are well marked, the ground is firm to avoid erosion, and the slopes are not too steep to prevent accidents. Doing this means the land is manageable and helps nature develop freely and with the lowest level of intervention.
We employ different mechanisms to care for and protect the trails. Maintenance on them doesn't produce pollutants and is carried out without dependence on machines or heavy vehicles since that could damage nature. If you want to know more about this project, you can read here: https://lastorres.com/en/news/construction-advances-for-the-new-base-of-the-towers-trail/
A Sustainable Cocktail Bar
In line with our planet-conscious hotel and service, we have developed a sustainable cocktail bar, eliminating single-use plastics; for example, we use copper reusable straws. We recycle bottles, turn them into glasses, and use herbs grown in our regenerative garden. Learn more about our sustainable bar here: https://lastorres.com/en/news/we-won-las-torres-reserve-swept-in-adventure-in-motion-contest/
Holistic Grazing System
Horses are an essential part of the culture of our service, so taking care of them must also respond to taking care of the space in which they develop. Our reserve has a Holistic Grazing System that allows the grass to regenerate. This process ensures that 190 galloping horses don't wear down the soil and cause erosion. Our system is also accredited by the Savory Institute with the EOV (Ecological Outcome Verification) seal. You can read more about this topic here: https://lastorres.com/en/news/reserva-las-torres-obtains-certification-for-grassland-regeneration/
Interpretive Trail
Thanks to the collaboration of a private company, we were able to advance with the reconstruction of a trail made with plastic wood. This sustainable product holds its structure and is resistant to inclement weather without negatively affecting the environment. We used 9 tons of plastic wood, making up the interpretive trail, one of the most striking paths we have worked on, with spaces to rest and admire the landscape without harming the environment. Would you like to know more about this trail? https://lastorres.com/en/news/reserva-las-torres-reopens-guided-trail-in-torres-del-paine/
Regenerative Garden
One of the most notable elements of our kitchen is having vegetables, fruits, and herbs harvested from our land. Our garden goes through a regenerative process to guarantee its nutritional value and flavor.
Using a regenerative and biointensive system, we built our garden, allowing us to use specific land areas during different periods and where other species can coexist without problems.
Reforestation
The fires in Torres del Paine have been a severe mark on the green mantle of Patagonia, so we are committed to the reforestation of the environment. We have planted close to 40,000 lenga trees, restoring the natural beauty of the land affected by these fires. Together with the NGO AMA Torres del Paine, we have taken care not only of planting these trees but even cultivating them and having reserves for future reforestation work.
Fire Brigade
Fires are a permanent threat in the national park. This threat has prompted us to develop a specialized team to deal with emergencies of this type. Our Fire Brigade has all the necessary elements to deliver emergency response in case of fire. Trained and prepared, the team ensures a fast and efficient squad. Learn more about this project here: https://lastorres.com/noticias/capacitacion-y-equipamiento-para-la-brigada-contra-incendios-de-torres-del-paine/
We invite you to watch this video to get to know our practices up close. If you want to volunteer for one of our projects, please get in touch with us! Together, we can make a difference in conserving and protecting our environment.
