Going Green in… Puerto Varas

text: Viviana Sánchez
CATEGORIES: Chile, Latin America, Lifestyle, South America, Travel

Pillán Organics

Organic Treats

In addition to woven pieces and natural wools, the shop housed in the administrative offices of Parque Pumalín stocks a variety of honeys from Pillán Organics. Visitors will generally find elm and native forest honey. The products have been certified by the Swiss Institute for Market Ecology (IMO) and are made with ingredients from the fjords of Reñihué, Comau and Hornopirén, an area that is known as Chiloé Continental.

Ecotienda Organic

Eco-Shopping in Southern Chile

A Chilean architect and a teacher from Spain teamed up and relocated to Puerto Varas to create a sustainable initiative in southern Chile. Their company is based on three principles: habitat, education and health. The focus on the latter led to the creation of the Organic Puerto Varas eco-shop, which stocks perishable and non-perishable items. A group of small-scale, local producers sell certified organic vegetables, fruit and eggs, and the wide range of non-perishable products includes jewelry made of recycled materials, detergents and organic clothing specially made for outdoor tourism activities.

Hotel Cabaña del Lago

Sustainable Heating

Heating is an important part of life in southern Chile. Residents constantly face the challenge of finding sustainable heat sources – or at least ones that have limited impact on the environment. But there are some places where you can enjoy the warmth of the country’s southern regions secure in the knowledge that clean energy sources are being used: the traditional Hotel Cabaña del Lago was the first four-star hotel in Puerto Varas to use geothermal energy to heat its facilities.

Chilote Shoes

Slippers with Meaning

They are tempting to look at, so just imagine how you’ll feel when you learn what’s behind their manufacture. Chilote Shoes is a one-year-old initiative launched by a couple – she’s a commercial engineer and he’s a designer – who found the perfect primary materials to make a product that brings together environmental and social issues. These slippers are made from natural wool and waste material from the salmon industry, which is used for the soles. A network of women artisans were trained and organized for this initiative, and they handle the knitting and assembly. The Industrial Designers Society of America, the industrial design journal Core 77 and Ecochoice have all lauded the design and concept of Chilote Shoes. The company’s products are currently available in the United States and Japan.