Area/Topic
South America, Ecuador, Peru, Patagonia, Trekking

Macarena Iturralde
CEO
Senderos Naturales Cia. Ltda.

Macarena Iturralde is the General Manager and Trip Designer in the office.

As a formerly naturalist guide in the Galápagos Islands, Peru and the Amazon rainforest she has developed a huge love for nature and it’s conservancy.

In the present she is a member of the General Assembly of the Charles Darwin Foundation and a fellow of the Shackleton and Selous Society.

All this vast experience allows her to create unique itineraries for each group. Clients can count with her services as trip leader to make sure everything goes perfect in their journey.

https://www.senderosnaturales.com/

Summary
Macarena Iturralde, CEO of Senderos Naturales, shares her journey into the adventure travel business. Growing up in a family that loved spontaneous adventures, Macarena developed a passion for travel and exploration from a young age. She became a Galapagos guide at 18 and later studied biology in Ecuador, immersing herself in the country's rich biodiversity. After working in research and interpretation, Macarena opened her own travel agency, offering unique and adventurous experiences to clients. Despite the challenges of divorce and balancing motherhood with a career, Macarena remains grateful for the opportunities and experiences she has had. Macarena Iturralde, CEO of Senderos Naturales, shares her personal journey of balancing motherhood and entrepreneurship. She discusses the challenges she faced as a single mother and CEO, and how she found stability and happiness in her life. Macarena also talks about the impact of the pandemic on her travel agency and how she managed to refund her clients while keeping the business afloat. She emphasizes the importance of freedom, happiness, and peace in life and shares her experiences of teaching yoga and finding solace in nature during the pandemic. Macarena also addresses the safety and security concerns in Ecuador and reassures listeners that the country is functioning normally and taking measures to combat drug cartels. She highlights the diverse natural beauty of South America and the personalized tailor-made trips offered by Senderos Naturales.

Takeaways

• Macarena Iturralde's passion for adventure travel was sparked by her childhood experiences of spontaneous family trips.
• She became a Galapagos guide at 18 and studied biology in Ecuador, immersing herself in the country's biodiversity.
• After working in research and interpretation, Macarena opened her own travel agency, offering unique and adventurous experiences to clients.
• Despite the challenges of divorce and balancing motherhood with a career, Macarena remains grateful for the opportunities and experiences she has had. Balancing motherhood and entrepreneurship can be challenging, but finding stability and happiness is possible.
• The pandemic had a significant impact on the travel industry, but with careful management, businesses can survive and even thrive.
• Freedom, happiness, and peace are essential in life, and finding solace in nature can contribute to overall well-being.
• Ecuador is functioning normally, and while there are some safety concerns in certain areas, the country is taking measures to combat drug cartels and ensure the safety of its residents and visitors.
• Senderos Naturales offers personalized tailor-made trips to South America, allowing travelers to explore the diverse natural beauty of the continent.

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