25 years of Chile Nativo: The story we continue to build

This September 25, we celebrate 25 years of Chile Nativo. Twenty-five years of travel, adventure, learning, and shared experiences in Patagonia — a territory that has been our home and the starting point of this story.

In 2001, Gonzalo Fuenzalida decided to take a new direction in his life and pursue tourism in Patagonia. What began as a dream grew over the years into a project that today connects travelers from around the world with Chile and, especially, with the places we know and care about.

From the beginning, we have sought to create local tourism experiences that are connected to the territory and close to our travelers. The philosophy that has guided our journey is simple: to treat travelers as if they were our best friends — welcoming them, accompanying them, and sharing the territory through the knowledge and experience of those who live here.

25 years of exploring Patagonia

Over the years, we have created experiences that go beyond Patagonia’s best-known destinations, bringing our travelers closer to its landscapes, communities, traditions, and ways of life.

One of these programs was The Last Frontier, a 14-day horseback journey through Chilean Patagonia alongside local gauchos, which was recognized by National Geographic as one of its Trips of a Lifetime in 2014.

More recently, Estancias & E-Bikes was recognized by Chile’s National Tourism Service (SERNATUR) as the Most Innovative Program at the 2024 Más Valor Turístico Awards. The program combines seven days of e-bike rides, stays at local estancias, gastronomy, and encounters with gaucho culture, allowing travelers to discover lesser-visited parts of Patagonia in an active and meaningful way.

Sustainability has also been an important part of this journey. In 2025, we measured and certified the carbon footprint of our W Trek program, becoming the first tourism company in Chile to measure and certify the emissions associated with a tourism program of this kind. This process allowed us to understand, with concrete data, the impact of one of Torres del Paine’s most visited circuits and take steps toward mitigation based on real information.

Our commitment to continuing to explore and diversify our tourism offering has also led us to develop experiences in places such as Cape Froward, the southernmost point of mainland South America. There, we face a challenging and remote territory with a clear principle: to enjoy and explore these places while seeking to minimize our impact and carrying out all the waste we generate.

Crises, lessons, and opportunities

These 25 years have not been without challenges. The 2008 Subprime crisis, the 2011 Torres del Paine wildfires, the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, and other challenges that have tested our operations are all part of our history.

Through these moments, one idea has stayed with us: Crisis / Opportunity. Not because difficulties are easy, but because each one has taught us something and pushed us to look at things from a different perspective.

The people behind these 25 years

Chile Nativo has also changed over the years. We have grown, added new areas and new people, and seen different generations of team members become part of our journey. But one thing remains the same: every guide, porter, driver, administrative team member, and every person who has been part of our teams has contributed to building this story.

Because Chile Nativo has not been built solely around programs and destinations. It has been built by the people who make it all possible — those who know the trails, welcome our travelers, solve unexpected challenges, take care of the details, and make every experience happen.

What comes next

Turning 25 also means looking ahead. After a quarter of a century dedicated primarily to Patagonia, we are now expanding our horizons to other parts of Chile.

We want to bring our experience and our way of doing tourism to new destinations, including the Atacama Desert, central Chile, Rapa Nui, and Antarctica — taking the Chile Nativo spirit to every corner of the country.

Thank you to everyone who has been part of this journey, and to those who continue to help us build what comes next.