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TORRES DEL PAINE NATIONAL PARK

Torres del Paine National Park

Preserving one of the world's natural gems and giving back to the community in Chilean Patagonia

Torres del Paine National Park, located in the extreme south of Chilean Patagonia, is world-renowned for its spectacular views, formidable mountain ranges, and unpredictable weather. Small, stunning valleys separate mesmerizing geological features, glaciers, and lakes of impossible blues. Every turn reveals a kind of beauty that is hard to process and a visceral fear of the jagged peaks above. Prior to the late 1800s, this hostile environment was solely inhabited by the native fauna of the region, including guanacos, pumas and condors, and the indigenous tribes that braved the harsh weather.

These days, a different resident is increasingly common. The park is now a playground for explorers and a retreat for over 280,000 visitors each year. CONAF, the Chilean National Forest Service, expects this figure to increase by over 10% each year. The rapid growth in visitors to the region has put enormous strain on the resources of the park, as well as its gateway community, Puerto Natales. The infrastructure, energy and waste systems in the region were designed for far fewer people than they currently serve.

The consequences from increased visitors and lack of sustainable tourism practices over the years can be seen throughout the park. The park has suffered three major man-made forest fires since 1985, devastating Lenga tree forests that will take at least a century to fully recover. Increasing foot traffic from the growing number of travelers has put the trails and other infrastructure in need of repair. Without intervention, the damage, and the needs will only grow, yet the region lacks both the financial and human resources to support the necessary improvement projects.

Our Role

Torres del Paine Legacy Fund

To address the growing needs and opportunities in the Torres del Paine region, Sustainable Travel International partnered with the Fink Family Foundation to develop the Torres del Paine Legacy Fund.  With a goal of enhancing the long-term health of the park and its surrounding communities, the Legacy Fund supports local community development and conservation projects including lenga tree reforestation, trail restoration, and recycling.

Sustainable Travel International oversaw the implementation of the Legacy Fund and its projects from 2014 to 2020. The Legacy Fund continues to partner with local communities, NGOs, businesses, and government stakeholders to implement these projects.

  • Aiding park reforestation efforts

    Aiding park reforestation efforts

    Since 1985, the park has lost one-fifth of its forest to man-made fires. In 2015, the Legacy Fund provided $18,000 to help construct a lenga tree nursery that will aid reforestation of native species and raise awareness of local ecology and human impacts in the park.
  • Aiding park reforestation efforts

    Aiding park reforestation efforts

    The Legacy Fund also engaged local Puerto Natales high school students in park reforestation efforts. Sixty-eight students participated, planting over 3,800 lenga trees.
  • Restoring worn down trails

    Restoring worn down trails

    In 2016, the Legacy Fund provided $3,500 for project tools and partnered with Conservation VIP, the National Forest Corporation, and local businesses to restore a segment of the popular W trail.
  • Restoring worn down trails

    Restoring worn down trails

    Volunteers installed 95m of new boardwalk, restored 27m of existing boardwalk and constructed 26 waterbars. In addition, nearly 1km of trail was brushed and another 1/5km of tread restored.
  • Improving waste management

    Improving waste management

    Growing visitation has increased the amount of waste being generated in Puerto Natales. In 2015, the Legacy Fund provided $6,000 to support installation of the town’s first permanent recycling program. Recycling has increased by 600% since 2015.

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  • Enhancing the local tourism product

    Enhancing the local tourism product

    In 2014, the Legacy Fund provided $1,000 to help convert a historically significant warehouse into the first local arts and culture-based community events venue in Puerto Natales. The new cultural center enhances the local tourism product offering and improves access to art and cultural expression in the region.

    Updates From Torres del Paine

      Monitoring Lenga Tree Reforestation

      Reforestation efforts are bringing forth new life and rehabilitating fire-scarred landscapes
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      Restoring the Base Torres Trail

      Repairing and reconstructing Torres del Paine's most popular trekking route to minimize visitor impacts
      Read more

      Kawésqar Community Tourism & Empowerment

      Community-run tourism to celebrate the forgotten heritage of Patagonia’s indigenous people
      Read more

      Puerto Natales Recycling Program

      Installing and expanding the first recycling system in Torres del Paine's gateway community
      Read more

      Engaging Local Students in Reforestation

      Restoring the park's native ecosystem after damage caused by man-made forest fires
      Read more

      Using Virtual Imagery To Connect People To Nature

      Thanks to a partnership with Google Trekker, anyone, anywhere can virtually wander the trails of Torres del Paine
      Read more

      Our Partners in Torres del Paine

      • Fink Family Foundation

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