January 24, 2022

Since its beginning, Tierra Patagonia has been committed to profoundly respecting the area in which it is located. A clear example of this is during its construction, in order to prevent any environmental damage, landscapers Catalina Phillips and Gerardo Ariztía temporarily removed the vegetation around the area, carefully transferred it to a greenhouse, and, once the work was done, re-planted them around the hotel.

Thanks to their efforts, the original ecosystem was preserved, and today we receive wild animal visitors from the Torres del Paine National Park and its surroundings.

This is how an unexpected event occurred recently that kept all of those in the hotel on their toes: a rhea decided to make a nest to hatch its eggs very close to the hotel. Over approximately a month, this giant flightless bird, similar to an ostrich, waited for its young to hatch, or its “charitos” as the locals call the babies of this Patagonian species.

Being careful to always maintain a respectful distance without bothering the rhea, guests and hotel staff followed along the story of this new friend as it patiently brooded.

Kineret Múñoz, Sub-Head of Excursions at Tierra Patagonia, was one of the most enthusiastic witnesses of this event and told us about it with much excitement. “We were super lucky,” she says, adding that even though it is normal to see animals like guanacos, foxes, and even pumas near the hotel, “it isn’t common that these birds build their nests here.”