andBeyond Vira Vira

The culturally-rich Mapuche Ruka & Weaving Tour includes a visit to Doña Rosario’s ruka (traditional house) in the local Mapuche community, where she shares age-old cooking traditions as she prepares a home-cooked meal for guests from Vira Vira; a visit to the town of Curarrehue also provides a unique opportunity to learn about the time-honored skills of local indigenous traditional weaving on a wooden loom.

At andBeyond Vira Vira, and the surrounding North Patagonian lake district, lakes and lagoons are vital freshwater sources, fragile ecosystems and the foundation of regional tourism. Through their partnership with Fundación Red de Nuevas Ideas, andBeyond and Wild Impact are helping protect these waters by empowering students in the Villarrica Lake watershed to become active guardians of their environment. With more than 20 years of experience in citizen monitoring and lake governance, the initiative combines classroom learning, outdoor workshops, monitoring expeditions and creative activities focused on aquatic plants, insects and birdlife. By understanding the richness and threats facing these ecosystems, students are inspired to move from awareness to action.

In Chile's Araucanía region, andBeyond Vira Vira and Wild Impact partner with the Bayos Foundation; a place of care where nature, therapy and community come together as powerful catalysts for change, development and health. Through their 'Valientes’ (‘brave’) therapeutic programme, the foundation offers a practical approach especially designed for children facing severe disabilities. Guided by therapists, these natural interactions and experiences have the potential to increase the children’s communication skills, their ability to interact, and develop a sense of belonging.