Tierraventura
Ecoturism in Oaxaca Mexico
We are Claudia Schurr (1967, sociologist, German) and Yves Chavan (1967, architect, Swiss). We have lived in Oaxaca, Mexico since 1998. Yves went to Mexico for the first time in 1986 to visit some friends he had met while studying English in London. One of his Mexican friends had become an architect and invited him to come back and work. So, together, we decided to go to Mexico in 1997. Although there was more than enough architectural work in Mexico City we were drawn instead to the rural areas of Mexico. We ended up in Oaxaca which is rich with indigenous influences. It was in Oaxaca that we founded Tierraventura in 1999. We were enchanted by Mexico and fell in love with the country. It has become our home. Over the years we worked on an idea to take people to places they wouldn’t see in the course of an ordinary vacation – places we consider to be the “real” Mexico. These places take you beyond ordinary sight seeing and help you to see the sometimes hidden aspects of the culture.
Philosophy
Tierraventura is a small company based in Oaxaca, southern Mexico. It is our intention to show the “real” Oaxaca to our clients: the villages, the celebrations, the traditions, the mountains, the coast, the history and all those elements which tourists are not usually able to experience. We specialize in offering trips in the mountains, the Pacific Coast, the Sierra Mixteca, and the northern and the southern Sierras. Our groups have a maximum number of six people and our program offers one and two day trips, as well as tours lasting up to two or three weeks. We hope to show our customers as many aspects of life in Mexico as possible and to connect culture with nature.
Ecoturismo
For us, ecoturismo is a combination of the many aspects which contribute to the discovery, enjoyment and appreciation of a country. Always respecting the existing cultures and the environment, we try to bring our clients and these cultures together, providing you with the opportunity to discover the day-to-day lives and working conditions of the Oaxacan people. Our top priority as a company is to expose our clients to the beauty of the local environment while supporting ecological and community projects in a responsible and sustainable way.
