Swoop has been sending travellers to Patagonia since 2010 and we firmly believe in the role that travel plays in creating a greater sense of global citizenship.
However, we fully recognise travel’s environmental impacts. We have to see our trips as an opportunity to help our customers make the best choices, not just for their two or three-week adventure, but as they return to their lives afterwards.
We believe Swoop’s success must be measured not just by how satisfied our customers are, but also by the extent to which they become ambassadors for change.
We value the trust our customers have in us and we're proud to guide them towards actions that have lower carbon emissions and a responsible approach to mitigating and managing impacts on wildlife and landscapes.
Cerro Castillo National Park
Swoop works closely with our local partners in both Chile and Argentina to provide the best possible travel experiences for our customers.
While Swoop is a certified B Corp, we recognise that on the ground we can only be as good as our partners. We work hand in hand with them to understand their policies and practices on sustainability and how we can align our ambitions to develop fully sustainable tourism in the region.
We regularly meet with all our local partners in Patagonia. We share knowledge, learn from their experiences on the ground, and work together to encourage best practice. The helps us identify the most meaningful decarbonisation drivers and sustainability practices for tourism in each region. We are also developing criteria by which we can embed sustainability performance into our assessment and selection of operator and hotel partners.
The destinations we travel to are unique – and every visitor has a responsibility to help protect them. An essential part of our role is ensuring that all our customers know how to travel responsibly so their trip has a positive impact.
Elliot Murphy Swoop Sustainability Manager
Swoop encourages all our travellers to commit to the Leave No Trace principles of travel:
1. Plan ahead and prepare Know the regulations for the area you’re travelling to. Visit in small groups where possible and always be prepared for changing weather conditions, hazards and emergencies. Pack to minimise waste.
2. Travel and camp on durable surfaces Good campsites are found rather than made. Camp away from water sources on rock, gravel, dry grasses or snow. Concentrate use on existing trails and campsites, walking single file in the middle of a trail avoiding places where impacts are starting to show.
3. Dispose of waste properly Always carry out all your rubbish and leftover food on the trail. Use biodegradable soap and wash away from water sources. Bury and cover and solid human waste away from water sources, campsites and trails, and pack out toilet paper and hygiene products.
4. Leave what you find Look at but don’t touch or remove cultural or historic artefacts, and leave rock, plants and natural objects in their places. Don’t build structures, rock cairns or dig trenches. Avoid transporting non-native species.
5. Minimise campfire impacts Obey rules where campfires are forbidden. Where allowed, keep fires small and only use as firewood loose sticks that can be broken by hand. Scatter the cold ashes after the fire has burned down.
6. Respect wildlife Don’t approach wildlife, but observe from a distance. Never feed wild animals or behave in a way that makes them alter their natural behaviour. Avoid wildlife during sensitive periods including mating, nesting or raising their young.
7. Be considerate of other visitors Respect and be courteous to other visitors. Yield to others on the trail and take care not to damage property. Keep noise to a minimum and let the sound of nature prevail to protect the quality of everyone's experience.
Patagonia is famously the land where you can encounter four seasons in a single day, so we provide all our customers with comprehensive packing lists prior to travel. Although the majority of travellers (particularly hikers) bring their own kit, we have found that renting kit is an excellent and environmentally friendly option instead of buying new.
We can recommend kit hire in Puerto Natales (for Torres del Paine) and El Calafate and El Chaltén (for Los Glaciares National Park). High quality gear on offer ranges from waterproof outer layers to hiking sticks, sleeping bags and sleeping mats.
Renting kit is a highly sustainable choice, and can be particularly useful for travellers living in warmer climates and are unlikely to wear their cold weather gear again.
Huemul Pass
Swoop’s B Corp certification is our promise to travellers that their adventures contribute to a more sustainable future for our destinations and the communities they support.
Discover More
The Swoop Conservation Fund was created to support projects that ensure our destinations will continue to thrive for generations to come.
Discover MoreWe'll spend some time listening to your aspirations, then discuss the kind of experience that might suit you.
Next we'll discuss the options, shortlist the best trips for you and present you our impartial recommendations.
We'll place a 24 hour hold on your preferred option - without obligation - whilst we talk through the details.
