Traveling with the Sun: Chaska Tours Turns to Solar Energy in Southwest Colombia

We shine with our own light, light that comes from the sun.

Colombia is moving toward a cleaner and more sustainable energy future. Today, the sun not only warms our mountains and valleys: it also drives a transformation that reaches communities, companies, and tourism projects committed to sustainability.

According to Adrián Correa, director of the Mining and Energy Planning Unit (UPME), “a little more than 10% of the energy consumed by Colombians is already generated by the sun during the hours around midday.”

Although the department of Huila is not considered a priority region for large solar developments, due to its humid climate and long rainy seasons, here we find something even more powerful: the will to do things differently. Among sacred mountains and ancient traditions, stories of sustainability are emerging. Projects that understand that natural beauty alone is not enough if it is not protected, and that tourism, more than just an economic activity, must be a conscious way of leaving a positive footprint: on the traveler, yes, but above all on the land that receives them.

The integration of solar energy in tourism is not just a global trend: it is an urgent necessity in the face of climate change and the fragility of the ecosystems of southwestern Colombia. In places like San Agustín, this decision makes even more sense.

One of the great challenges we faced at Chaska Tours was the intermittency of the electric service. This limitation forced us to operate with a gasoline generator: noisy, polluting, and expensive. It was contradictory to depend on such an unsustainable solution, when our purpose is precisely to offer experiences that connect the visitor with the land, the culture, and the harmony of the surroundings. Today, thanks to the installation of a solar energy system, that challenge has turned into an opportunity. Now we have clean energy 24 hours a day — without noise, without emissions. Our space is quieter, more harmonious, more consistent with the values we promote as a responsible tourism agency.

But beyond the technical and economic benefits, the most valuable aspect has been the impact on our community and on those who visit us. Here, travelers do not just explore landscapes: they also connect with a vision of the future. They are inspired, they understand that every decision counts. That it is possible to live, travel, and work in harmony with nature.

Colombia already has more than 2,000 megawatts of installed solar capacity, and it is estimated that by the end of this year, solar energy will represent nearly 12% of the national electricity mix. This is equivalent to supplying more than six million Colombians with clean energy. These are figures that fill us with hope and remind us that every panel installed, every kilowatt generated by the sun, makes a difference.

At Chaska Tours we believe that tourism can and must be an active part of this transformation. Not as spectators, but as protagonists. That is why we decided to shine with our own light. With the light of the sun.