More than 16,000 hectares (nearly 40,000 acres) were destroyed by a fire that forced the closure of Chile’s Torres del Paine National Park between December 29, 2011, and January 4, 2012, and caused permanent environmental damage in one of the most beautiful places in the world.

Breaking away from the common aspiration to travel in a warm and tropical destination can be difficult – but Patagonia makes it EASY. Mixing immense natural beauty, rich wildlife and satisfying activities makes Patagonia a must for active travellers. Traveling throughout Patagonia results in boundless vantage points of ice-tipped mountains, granite cliffs, and icebergs. Turquoise tinted glaciers, river valleys, tangled pine forests, and spongy grassland plains reward all who visit.

EcoCamp Patagonia is located at the very tip of South America, in the heart of Torres del Paine National Park in Chile, with a unique view of the majestic granite towers. The region’s first fully sustainable accommodation south of the Amazon and the first of its kind in the Patagonian wilderness, EcoCamp offers upscale camping in geodesic domes inspired by the region’s ancient nomadic inhabitants. Guests enjoy guided treks and wildlife excursions by day and Chilean food and wine at night.

Situated in the heart of Torres del Paine National Park in Chilean Patagonia, EcoCamp Patagonia has gained an award-winning reputation for its eco-friendly policies and innovative use of green technology. EcoCamp Patagonia, owned and operated by the Chilean in-bound tour operator Cascada Expediciones, is carbon neutral, 100% renewable energy, and carefully designed to minimize environmental footprint. EcoCamp’s dome design was inspired by the ancient nomadic Kaweskar inhabitants, who relocated within the park without leaving a trace.

By Jason Wire

Aysén is Chile’s third-largest region, about the size of Tennessee, and the most sparsely populated. It’s among the most remote and undisturbed areas of Patagonia, and could be changed forever by the largest hydroelectric project in the history of Chile. This is not just another forest. This is the largest river in Chile. These are among the most powerful rapids on the planet. These are the wildest and most pristine rivers within the wildest and most pristine area left on earth.

By Kim Lisagor

It’s a sad day in Patagonia. Despite a grassroots opposition effort that had spread across the globe in recent years, the Chilean government finally caved to corporate pressure and approved a $7 billion dollar hydropower project that will destroy one of the world’s most pristine places. The Aysén region’s last two free-flowing rivers – rivers so pure you can drink the water without consequence – will be dammed to create up to 2.75 gigawatts of electricity, enough to power hundreds of thousands of homes.

By Eva Mossberg

According to several sources, Argentina’s Ministry of Tourism predicted that the year 2010 would set a new record of the number of foreign visitors to this South American nation, which enjoyed a 32% overall growth in arrivals during the summer months from 2002-2009, according to the Bureau of Market Research and Statistics SecTur.