New green resort to open in Chile

Scheduled to open in January 2008, the Tierra Atacama Spa & Hotel will appeal to adventure tourists and green-thinking travellers alike. The entire construction process has adhered to strict conservation standards, starting with an archaeological survey of the site to make sure no artifacts would be disturbed by the building process.

All the wood on the property was incorporated into the buildings somehow, whether used for fencing, gates or decoration. An herb and vegetable garden will provide the restaurant with fresh, organic ingredients. Even the water supply uses ancient reservoirs for community sharing of the mountain streams. The tap water is as pure as can be, and the irrigation of the gardens is done using water mixed with saline.

Tierra Atacama Hotel & Spa spokesperson Fiona Martin says, “We’re as green as green can be, particularly considering the aggressive and hostile surroundings around us. Even our excursions are designed to make as small an impact on the environment as possible, with many excursions by bike or on foot, a policy of small groups and all trips are carefully guided to avoid impacting on the environment negatively.”