Buenos Aires, Rio and Iguazu Falls vacation, tailor made

Environment

We are strategic in considering every aspect of this itinerary in order to create the most eco-friendly, but still authentic, tour we can offer. The La Cantera Jungle lodge near Iguazu Falls, is located within the Iryapu Natural Reserve. The lodge believes in protecting endangered species, promoting ecotourism, and helping the local community. Sustainable use of natural resources and minimal environmental impact are goals of the lodge. For example, guest room balconies are built around standing trees. This ethic is passed on to staff and guests, as is a respect for the native culture and heritage of the local community through promotion of actions that help with social well-being and community development.

Recently La Cantera began to utilize bioenergy through its partnership with the company Lipsia. Using a Lipsia heater, wood pellets made from compressed sawdust, wood chips, and shavings are used to heat the water in the hotel.

Whilst on the road we ensure that we travel responsibly and 'leave no trace', especially when traveling through the Iguazu Falls are.

Conservation practices in our own office are just as important to our operation as preservation efforts during our tours. Cycling, walking, and car pooling to work are promoted so much that we have once again been named winner of our city-wide commuter challenge! Our small city only offers recycling of a few items such as aluminum cans. However, we pay for private recycling services to collect all of our paper waste, plastic, cardboard, and cans. Our office paper is made from 100% post-consumer material, and our customized brochures use soy ink, which is an earth friendly alternative. We make sincere efforts to reduce our impact on the environment here at home just as we do in our destination countries.

Community

By supporting and partnering with local communities on this trip, we give you the chance to enjoy all that South America has to offer. With a glimpse into the countryside life on the island of Tigre, you will have time to explore the local market where there is the chance to purchase rustic weaves, cane and willow furniture, sugary sweets, exotic flowers and, of course, numerous varieties of native fruit. Explore the history of Rio de Janeiro and experience a true local art form at a Tango show in Buenos Aires. Afterwards you can spend some time with the gauchos, when you take a trip to or stay the night at one of the estancias in the region. Watch the Argentine cowboys at work wrangling livestock and stroll around the beautiful grounds of these old ranches. Enjoy a traditional Argentinean barbeque.

This itinerary immerses the traveler in experiences that reflect different facets of Brazil and Argentina. By including activities that utilize local services, we are pouring back into the local economies in which we travel. We employ local guides who really know the area they are guiding through and will help enrich the experience through their local connections.

To further support the communities and sustain the environments in all of our destinations, we decided to initiate a grant program. This continuous program has given financial support to several different grassroots initiatives. Some of these include reforestation and home restoration projects in the Andes, funding a Christmas fiesta at a Costa Rica orphanage, providing a school in Guatemala with building supplies made out of recycled materials, supplying proper plumbing and irrigation to a historic hacienda in Bolivia by installing a new well system, and providing first-aid and hospitality training for the Secoya lodge in the Ecuadorian Amazon. By joining our community, you also directly support these projects!