We were extremely proud to recently have been included in a National Geographic list of '21 Places to Stay if You Care About the Planet'. You can read the full article here.
Our commitment to responsible tourism partly came about due to necessity - as the estancia is completely 'off the grid' we needed to be as self-sufficient as possible, and so installation of solar panels and windmills was the sensible way forward. And also it just made good sense - solar-heated water is cheaper, organic free range beef tastes better, planting trees provides a source of shade for animals or fruit for jams and eventually wood for fires.
In more recent years however the drive towards sustainability has become more personal. The estancia has been in our family for 4 generations, and we want to make sure that our beautiful hills are preserved for generations to come. To that end, we actively work with a number of university groups studying such things as the spread of non-indigenous plant species, and the destruction and change in habitat due to wildfires. Our local environmental agency has several weather stations on our land and the provincial reserve team release native animals back on to the hills that have either been rescued or bred in captivity.
We encourage our guests to be part of our efforts. Instead of a spa bath, why not take a swim in our waterfall? Instead of a television, why not sit in one of our hammocks and watch the birdlife or a mare and foal grazing? Instead of packaged, out of season food, why not enjoy some of our delicious home-cooking with our own beef, eggs and vegetables? Sustainable tourism does not mean forgoing luxury - for us it just means defining luxury in a different way.
