Explora set to clean up at the World Travel Awards

For more than a decade, trailblazing expedition company Explora has been recognised for redefining exploration, hospitality and conservation across South America's most remote and inspiring destinations.

In fact, for six consecutive years Explora has been named the World's Leading Expedition Company by the prestigious World Travel Awards, for its journeys through some of the South American continent's most extraordinary landscapes.

With seven lodges across Argentina, Bolivia, Chile and Peru, Explora continues to push the boundaries of sustainable luxury travel, and the travel industry is taking notice once again.

Before going any further, let's clear up a little confusion for anyone conducting an internet search for this company. Explora the expedition company is not the same as Explora the cruise company. The latter, called Explora Journeys, is the luxury cruise division of MSC Cruises, and it tends to appear first in the search results if you simply Google "Explora." So don't Google, go straight to explora.com

Patagonia's untamed beauty

At the southern tip of the continent in Argentina, Explora El Chaltén (nominated in two categories: South America's Leading Adventure Hotel, and Leading Lodge) has rapidly become one of Patagonia's most sought-after luxury wilderness retreats. Located within the dramatic landscape of Los Huemules Conservation Reserve, the lodge offers direct access to glaciers — one of which I've featured below, taken on my own travels in the region — granite peaks and unspoilt trekking routes that showcase Patagonia at its most rugged. 

Crossing the border into Chile, expeditioners will find Explora Patagonia National Park, offering a luxury lodge experience in Chile's remote Chacabuco Valley, combining immersive guided explorations with conservation-focused travel.

Located in the Aysén region of southern Chile, Patagonia National Park spans over 1,356 square kilometres and features the biologically rich Chacabuco Valley, connecting the Patagonian steppe of Argentina with Chilean beech forests.

The park was established through the efforts of conservationists Douglas and Kristine Tompkins and includes rewilded habitats, glacier-fed rivers, lakes and diverse ecosystems.

Explora's lodge is the only formal accommodation within the park, offering an intimate and remote setting with just 13 rooms, including standard rooms and suites. Set within one of South America's most ambitious rewilding projects, the lodge combines architectural elegance with appropriate respect for the fragile ecosystems that surround it.

The lodge is designed with sustainability in mind, using locally sourced stone, reclaimed wood and low-impact architecture. Guests enjoy all-inclusive meals and beverages featuring fresh, local ingredients and Patagonian cuisine that highlights the region's gaucho traditions. 

The lodge also provides spa facilities, outdoor hot tubs, and cosy common areas for relaxation after a day of exploration.

Explora offers over 30 guided explorations, tailored to guests' interests and fitness levels. Activities include:

• Hiking to hidden mountain lagoons and glaciers

• E-biking and mountain biking across grasslands and valleys

• Kayaking on crystal-clear rivers and rapids

• Helicopter flights over ice fields and glaciers

• Wildlife observation including guanacos, Andean condors, huemul deer, pumas and flamingos.

Explorations cover six distinct zones within the park, from forests and rivers to steppe and high mountain areas, providing a comprehensive experience of Patagonia's landscapes. The lodge emphasises responsible tourism, ensuring that all activities support ongoing conservation initiatives.

The lodge is accessible via a six-hour overland transfer from Balmaceda Airport or a 45-minute private flight. The overland journey along the Carretera Austral offers scenic views of mountains, turquoise lakes and glaciers.

The recommended travel period is October to March, when there is temperate weather and more hours of daylight.

Peru's Sacred Valley reimagined

In Peru, Explora Valle Sagrado delivers an entirely different style of immersion. Nestled between ancient Incan terraces and towering Andean peaks, the property offers unhurried explorations into one of the world's most culturally rich destinations.

Explora Valle Sagrado offers a stylish and luxurious retreat with sweeping views from every room on an historic 32-hectare estate near Urquillos village, surrounded by lush Andean steppes. Designed to immerse guests in the authentic essence of the Sacred Valley, the lodge is renowned for its soaring spaces and natural materials, full-service spa and exceptional Peruvian gastronomy.

Far removed from rushed sightseeing itineraries, Explora's approach allows travellers to engage deeply with local traditions, archaeology and mountain communities while enjoying understated luxury that complements rather than competes with the surrounding landscape.

Led by Explora's own expertly trained guides, guests can join more than 40 guided explorations included as part of their stay, from Ollantaytambo and Pisaq to the Moray terraces, the Maras Salt Mines and the picturesque village of Chinchero. Explora Valle Sagrado is also a convenient base for guests who wish to complement their stay with a visit to Machu Picchu. 

The silence of the Atacama

Another standout within the portfolio is Explora Atacama, nominated as Chile's Leading Boutique Hotel 2026. Set amid the surreal landscapes of the Atacama Desert — one of the driest places on Earth — the lodge offers travellers a rare opportunity to disconnect from modern noise and reconnect with nature through hikes across volcanic terrain and to salt flats and geothermal springs, as well as stargazing in clear night skies.

The company says that it is this sense of place that defines the Explora experience. Every lodge is designed not as a standalone hotel, but as a gateway to exploration. 

And if you doubt the need for responsible adventure travellers to support and contribute to the protection of places like this, consider the multiple news reports about how parts of the Atacama Desert have become major dumping grounds for discarded clothing, particularly from the global fast fashion industry. Hardly sustainable.

Luxury with purpose

According to Explora, what ultimately distinguishes it in an increasingly crowded luxury travel market is its commitment to conservation and responsible tourism. Exploration here is not simply about adventure for adventure's sake, it is about understanding the fragility of remote territories and inspiring travellers to become advocates for their protection.

As sustainable tourism becomes a defining force in global travel, Explora's model feels less like a trend and more like a blueprint for the future of experiential hospitality, the company says.

"For discerning travellers seeking something deeper than a traditional luxury escape, Explora offers something increasingly rare: the opportunity to leave transformed by the journey itself."

Exploration with confidence

Remote travel can be intimidating, even for experienced adventurers. Trekking through the granite peaks surrounding Explora El Chaltén or crossing the vast expanse of the Atacama Desert demands careful planning, environmental understanding and logistical expertise.

For many travellers, choosing an expedition company is not simply about booking a holiday. It is about placing confidence in the people who will guide them through glaciers, deserts, mountains and isolated wilderness far from familiar comforts. Explora boasts an unwavering commitment to guest safety without ever diminishing the spirit of adventure.

Whether arranging high-altitude acclimatisation in Bolivia, glacier expeditions in southern Patagonia or cultural journeys through the Sacred Valley, the company's teams are trained to balance exploration with comfort, security and flexibility. Guests are encouraged to challenge themselves, but always within an environment of professionalism and support.

The human element behind every journey

At the heart of every Explora expedition are the guides, conservation specialists, horsemen, drivers, naturalists and local experts who transform a trip into something deeply personal.

Unlike tours that require guests to move quickly from one attraction to another, Explora's expeditions are built around small groups and highly trained leaders who possess an intimate understanding of the territories they work within and, in many cases, where they were born and raised. Travellers are not simply shown landscapes, they are introduced to the stories, ecosystems, cultures and hidden rhythms of those places by people who genuinely know and love them. 

According to Explora, modern travellers increasingly seek meaningful experiences over superficial tourism. "Explora's teams offer a sense of credibility that cannot be manufactured," it says. "Guests feel they are travelling with experts, not entertainers."

The luxury of genuine discovery

The company also asserts that there is another reason travellers continue to place their faith in Explora: it understands that modern luxury is no longer defined solely by extravagance.

Travellers seeking luxury in the wilderness are not necessarily affluent, but what they have in common is a desire for privacy, silence, authenticity and transformative experiences over excess. Explora says the understated elegance of its lodges allows the surrounding landscapes to remain the true stars of the journey. Its guests, the company says, often describe their Explora journeys as life-changing rather than simply luxurious. 

The World Travel Awards will take place at various venues between August and November this year.

More information:

Explora - World's Leading Expedition Company | Official Site

Title picture: Explora