Our story begins a century ago with a compromise to the preservation of the sacred highlands or paramos where Hacienda El Porvenir (the first hotel by Tierra del Volcan) rests. Tierra del Volcan was born to promote conservation and sustainability more than two decades ago through tourism. Tierra del Volcan has reinvented itself constantly to use sustainable tourism towards the conservation of the environment, the achievement UN of goals of the millennium, the wellbeing of the local communities, the promotion of sustainable development in all its dimensions, and the life-changing experiences of our visitors. We are a role model for tourism development in the area by creating and sponsoring private conservation areas and introducing other properties into a sustainable tourism model.

We have been actively working since 1992 on the preservation of both cultural and natural environments, through a partnership with Fundación Páramo, a non-profit organization that protects over 75,000 hectares (185.329 acres) of private land in the territory adjacent to Cotopaxi National Park. Each Hacienda has conservation programs running permanently throughout the year and through innovative itineraries, we support those programs and elevate our clients’ consciousness about this particular and endangered ecosystem. The programs carried out by us, are sensitive to local needs and provide support for the community, NGOs, the National Park, and/or private initiatives.

Tierra del Volcán, together with non-profit organizations such as Fundación Páramo and The Nature Conservancy, works actively to protect the ecosystem, and at the same time, monitor and control the area to prevent hunting and indiscriminate fishing. We also run constant reforestation projects using native species of trees, endemic to the area. We also offer assessments in the creation of privately owned land conservation areas and train locals in nature protection efforts.

Creation of Privately Owned Conservation Areas

Hacienda El Tambo was declared to be a Protected Forest in 1992, which has reduced hunting in the area dramatically and aided in the growth of Andean animal populations.

Hacienda Santa Rita was declared a Private Ecological Reserve in 2002, under Tierra del Volcán management, and protects the last remains of native forest on the South Eastern Slopes of the Pasochoa Volcano.

Condor Bio-reserve

We are proud to have been part of the Nature Conservancy’s «Parks in Peril» project, which seeks to articulate the efforts of people working in areas of high biodiversity in Ecuador, creating conservation corridors, through coordinated work with the public and private sectors of Ecuador.

Sustainable Agricultural Practices

Hacienda El Porvenir has 1000 hectares (2471.05 acres). Around 20% of its land is intended for farming crops, 20% is exclusively dedicated to the reforestation of native species to restore natural habitat, and 60% is used for extensive grazing with low environmental impact; by managing animal load capacities to contribute to the conservation of the paramos (in other words: low numbers of cattle over a large area).

Habitat Restoration: Reforestation

Through Tierra del Volcán, over 600,000 native trees have been successfully planted on the northern slopes of Rumiñahui Volcano of Hacienda El Porvenir’s land. This project, which was started in 1998, aims to recover the high Andean habitat, protect water sources, contribute to carbon uptake, and educate both visitors and those visited, on the importance of native woods. The trees planted as part of this project include the following species: pumamaqui, polylepis, and hoja blanca – in areas where there used to be high Andean forests.

Education

Tierra del Volcán has programs with the following schools located in the central area of the National Park of Cotopaxi: Loreto, Pedregal, Rumipamba, Güitig, and San Ramón. The goal is to support local schools by improving facilities and access to technology (internet, libraries, and laboratories) along with the training needed for their proper use. We have also work to educate the local communities on waste management, conservation, and the dangers of living near an active volcano.

Along with our partnership with the local schools we were able to publish “Written in Stone,” a book written and illustrated by local children to create resilience after the Cotopaxi eruption.  

 

Local Sourcing

Almost all the necessary products and food are bought at the local Machachi market, this reduces waste, carbon footprint, and benefits local businesses. Tierra del Volcán has partnered with many local businesses including transportation, tour guides, artisans, and tourism businesses, in order to economically support the communities surrounding the Haciendas. The food that you enjoy at Tierra del Volcán is bought locally from small producers and entrepreneurs of the surrounding communities.

Cultural Heritage

The people of the area define themselves as «Chagra». This classification is more than ethnic, it is a cultural characteristic linked to a way of life connected to the countryside, to the management of livestock and the breeding and use of horses.

Tierra del Volcán is committed to supporting and maintaining local, traditional and cultural ways, in revaluing the Chagra as a fundamental part of this region and promoting their cultural manifestations through rodeos, lasso competitions, cattle drives, among others that help perpetuate the ancestral traditions.

Water consumption
Our policy of sustainably managing water resources means that we protect and refrain from contaminating water sources, and make sure that the withdrawal rate does not exceed the natural replenishment rate. This helps avoid contamination of water sources. We promote the responsible and appropriate use of water consciously and responsibly, through signs and information packets in the rooms. We use biodegradable products in all our cleaning products.

Heating
Our policy is to use only eucalyptus wood, which is a non-native, fast-growing species. We have installed efficient stoves to improve performance and reduce consumption in certain areas. In the traditional rooms of the Hacienda, we have the most efficient electric heaters in the market. We promote conscious energy use with our travelers and encourage them to wear more layers instead of using a large amount of energy to heat a space.

Energy
We use low – consumption lighting system in the great majority of the areas and rooms of the Hacienda, as well as movement sensors that enable us to optimize the use of electric power in our operation.

Waste Management

We keep to a strict policy for reducing the impact of solid waste, by evaluating the impact and offsetting it. We have purchase and supply policies that help reduce waste at the source and encourage the sorting of waste into biodegradable, recyclable, and non-recyclable items.

The organic waste is used as compost, and the inorganic waste is collected by the Municipality of Machachi, with whom we have worked to resolve the problems of waste management in the whole area.

We promote the reduction of plastic by offering drinks in returnable glass containers, buying products in large, reusable containers, and by being creative in looking for new ways to supply various necessities while being environmentally friendly. One example of this is the aluminum glasses we use for tea while horseback riding.

Green Construction
The design and the materials of Hacienda El Porvenir and Hacienda El Tambo follow traditional and ecological building systems; the walls are made of “tapial” (compacted earth) at Hacienda El Porvenir and basaltic stone from Cotopaxi’s past eruptions. The roofs are built with straw and eucalyptus wood. The farmhouses revive the spirit and essence of the traditional Andean construction techniques that have been used for hundreds of years. We use natural organic paint. Both houses make the most out of daylight in many of its social areas, by keeping the warmth in despite the cold surroundings.

TourCert

The TourCert label describes the contribution of a company to sustainable development by assuming social and environmental responsibility beyond legal requirements. Tierra de Volcán was certified for the first time by TourCert in 2016.

Lata Achievement Awards

In its 9th edition, the LATA Achievement Awards recognized Tierra del Volcán as the runner up for the Sustainability Tourism award.