A small dedicated group of local people in the remote Aracauria region of Chile has turned ancient ancestral paths into sustainable tourism through mountain biking as a way to keep their indigenous traditions and culture alive. Here is their story. Note: This article was written by me for the Chile Tourism Board and was published on GLP Films.
Beneath a towering canopy of ancient Araucanía trees, Victor Abarzua and Aldo Torres snap on their helmets and mount their bikes. As they glide down the age-old trail, sunlight filters through the forest, casting their silhouettes in a golden ray of light. Every twist and turn of the ride feels like magic. For this forest is not just a path to be ridden; it’s a living history, its roots entwined with the stories of the Mapuche people and the sacred wisdom of the past. As their tires carve into the earth, a plume of dust rises like smoke, drifting toward the treetops. Adrenaline surges through them, but so does a deep sense of reverence. Here, mountain biking becomes more than a sport—it’s a ritual, a celebration that bridges past and future, and builds connection between man and nature.
For the past ten years, Victor has been working with the local Indigenous Mapuche community to transform Icalma, a relatively remote and unknown region of Chile, into a sustainable tourism destination offering Mountain biking as the primary tool. It has not been an easy journey as Victor came to Icalma—a community that is 99% Indigenous—as an outsider and had to take time to develop relationships and, more importantly, to build trust. For Icalma is not just any place; it is a sacred place, one that is worth protecting, adding an extra layer of complexity to sustainably and responsibly developing tourism in this part of Chile.
Photo by Hass Salum/GLP Films
