Patagonia wildlife holiday, tailormade

Planet

The itineraries we create are guided by three aims: looking after the places we visit, supporting local communities and helping our guests travel responsibly. To do this, we work with a boutique team on the ground who have been running responsible trips since 2011 and share our values.

Our itineraries favour direct flights over multiple stopovers, and we encourage guests to slow down and spend more time in fewer places rather than trying to see everything in one trip. Visits to national parks include park entry fees, which help fund the running of the parks. Many activities are on foot, such as walking tours and hikes, and we use small-group tours or buses instead of private transfers where we can. That means fewer vehicles on the road, fewer emissions per passenger and less pressure on busy sites.

We ask guests to follow simple practices while they're out exploring. On the trails, that means taking all rubbish out, sticking to marked paths and keeping a respectful distance from wildlife.

On excursions in places such as Peninsula Valdes, Tierra del Fuego National Park and Torres del Paine National Park, local guides explain the wildlife and landscapes you're seeing and share practical tips on how to reduce your impact while you're there.

We choose small and family-run accommodation wherever possible, such as Kosten Aike, a family-run hotel in El Calafate, and Estancia Cerro Guido, a working, family-run estancia where pumas, condors and guanacos can be seen on the land.

People

People are at the heart of everything we do. This itinerary balances Patagonia's best-known highlights with lesser-known community experiences, so that more people share in the benefits of your visit. Hiking, boat trips and wildlife watching are led by certified local guides, providing skilled employment and keeping local knowledge alive.

We've chosen hotels and lodges that play an active part in local life. For example:

Kosten Aike takes its name from the Tehuelche (Indigenous) words for "place of the wind". Most of its furnishings are made by local artists and inspired by Indigenous designs. The hotel buys local products, employs local people and invests in staff training.

Chalten Suites donates to local schools and the volunteer fire brigade. It offers space for local artists and musicians to show their work, and has a shop selling local crafts, food and artisan products.

Estancia Cerro Guido runs community workshops and keeps the traditions of Patagonian ranching alive, sharing them with guests. It hires and trains local people in livestock ranching, wildlife monitoring and tourism, and some former puma hunters now work there as wildlife guides, using their deep knowledge of the landscape.