RIPIOTURISMO INTERVIEWS: Tierra Atacama in the chilean north!
We met Fiona Martin, from Tierra Hotels, to talk about Tierra Atacama and their services
San Pedro de Atacama is one of the highlights when you visit Chile, and Atacama desert a must-see. One of the best places to stay during your visit is Tierra Atacama. Today, we met Fiona Martin to talk about this wonderful place in the north of Chile.
– HELLO FIONA, HOW ARE YOU? THANKS FOR YOUR TIME
– You´re welcome Ramiro. It´s a pleasure for me to talk about Tierra Atacama.
– WHERE IS TIERRA ATACAMA LOCATED? HOW TO GET THERE?
– The hotel is on the edge of the village of San Pedro de Atacama, looking out over the desert and with great views of the Licancabur volcano. The nearest airport is Calama (CJC) which is 2 hours from Santiago. Our all-inclusive program means that our drivers are there to collect our guests when they arrive and take them to the hotel. The journey is about an hour.
– WHAT´S THE TIERRA ATACAMA PHILOSOPHY? WHAT´S THE DIFFERENCE WITH OTHER HOTELS IN THE AREA
– We have a deep respect for nature, which is the base of all we do. Our teams are on hand to make every stay special, depending on what our guests are looking for. Our food is local and delicious, our guides are experienced and ready to show the wonders of the are to our guests, and the architecture and interior of the hotel truly bring the “outside in”, to generate a total connection with the destination.
– WHAT SERVICES ARE INCLUDED IN THE RATE? WHAT ACTIVITIES CAN BE DONE IN TIERRA ATACAMA ?
– Our programs are all-inclusive, which means that transfers, accommodations, all meals, an open bar, use of the spa, and daily excursions in small groups with other guests are all taken care of. The only extras are spa services, premium wines and beers and personal expenditure.
– WHICH ARE THE DIFFERENT ROOM CATEGORIES?
– We have two main room types. The “Oriente” rooms face the east and have floor-to-ceiling picture windows leading out to the terrace, with amazing views of the volcano. They have frosted glass bathroom walls, and an indoor and outdoor shower for showers under the stars! The “Poniente” rooms are slightly larger and set raised over the gardens. They have a volcano view through a huge picture window, and the terrace faces the gardens and salt mountain range for the sunset. The bathroom has a shower and bath. All are spacious with heating, air conditioning, and a ceiling fan.
– GREAT. AND WHAT ABOUT GASTRONOMY? IT IS IMPORTANT FOR OUR CLIENTS. WHAT CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THAT?
– The food at Tierra Atacama is fresh and healthy and we use local ingredients wherever possible. Traditional Chilean dishes are complemented by Mediterranean and Asian fusion style food. Our signature cocktail is the rica rica sour, made from pisco which has been infused with the rica rica herb, which is found growing wild in the desert.
– WHAT´S THE IDEAL STAY? HOW MANY NIGHTS DO YOU FEEL IS PERFECT TO STAY IN TIERRA ATACAMA?
– San Pedro de Atacama is one of my favorite destinations in Chile – it’s just so different from anywhere else – so I would recommend at least 4 nights, which is enough to visit all the main sites of interest, but you could stay for two whole weeks and still not have done everything!
– WHAT´S THE BEST SEASON TO VISIT THE AREA?
– High season is the southern hemisphere summer – January and February, which is when it can also rain (yes, really). I think the best months are September/October or April / May, when the temperatures are really lovely (not too hot in the day, and not too cold at night), and there tend to be fewer visitors.
– SUSTAINABILITY IS IMPORTANT FOR OUR CLIENTS. WHAT CAN YOU SAY ABOUT IT?
– From the very start, Tierra Atacama was planned as a sustainable property. We carried out an archeological survey before the building even started, to ensure we weren’t disturbing any important historical finds. The architects incorporated a former Cattle Corral which is part of the history of the village into the design, and that is now the entrance to the hotel. We used local stone collected by the villagers of Talabre, as well as adobe for the construction. Our energy is generated from solar panels, we recycle our grey water and run a scheme to sponsor local students from the village. We grow a lot of our own food on-site, including tomatoes, corn, herbs, asparagus, and even grapes and pomegranates, as well as herbs that are used to flavor and decorate the dishes in the restaurant.
– WELL FIONA, I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR TIME, YOU WERE VERY INFORMATIVE
– Thank you Ramiro! We´re at your disposal
For more information, please contact us at info@ripioturismo.com
Thank you,
