Search results for

From a reimagined safari camp to an art-filled Canadian outpost, these 10 hotels get high marks for their innovative architecture and purposeful design.

Our writer travels to the ends of the Earth—again and again—for the seafood-based dish called curanto.

This road trip tops lists for a reason: The fairy-tale scenery comes with adrenaline-spiking nature adventures, authentic South American culture, and world-class hospitality.

Don’t have 6 months to explore the 1,700-mile network that connects 17 Chilean national parks? Get a taste of the experience at these 6 spots.

Two photographers traversed five countries—spanning 9,000 miles—and captured countless stories that reveal the diverse cultures of a continent.

Along the coast of Chiloe, the second largest island in South America, artisan fishermen cultivate the Chilean black-lipped oyster, a tiny little bivalve that tastes of the fresh sea (similar to a Kunamoto in the Pacific Northwest). Often, many of the fishermen still freedive to collect these “manjares”, delicacies, and keep them in nets in their shells in the shallow ocean water until they are ready to be served on the half shell. Where to savor them? Almost anywhere in Chiloe but places like the Ancud market or speciality oyster “picadas”, joints, like Ostras Caulin where you can have them on the half shell, fried, poached and served cold or as a cream. Personally? They are best raw and skip the lemon, por favor.

Overview

Encompassing over 427 square kilometers (165 square miles) of indigenous forest, this park is situated on the west coast of Chiloé. The terrain is rich with wildlife including, at the coast, sea lions, penguins and seabirds. The village of Cucao in the southern part of the park is the location of the start of the Chanquin-Cole Cole Trail, which runs alongside the white beaches of the Pacific shoreline. Meanwhile, in the northern part of the park, the Castro-Abtao Trek weaves through dense forest before eventually reaching the Pacific Ocean.

A popular way to tour Chiloé National Park is by horse. At the end of the Chanquin-Cole Cole Trail, the Huilliche people organize rides through the forest. There are also many countryside paths to explore from Castro, allowing you to get a closer look at the island’s architecture, vegetation and coastline along the Pacific. The foothills of the Piuchen Mountains are an especially picturesque setting for horseback adventures.

The first luxury lodge to come to Chile’s second biggest island, Tierra Chiloé opened in 2012 and became a member of the Tierra hotel group in 2014. Designed by Chilean architect Patricio Browne, the hotel looks like a boat on stilts and was inspired by the homes of local fishermen, which take the same form and are known as palafitos. The exterior is made from picturesque larch wood shingles—a building technique that’s very typical on Chiloé and is seen on the famous UNESCO World Heritage churches that dot the islands.

Inside, guests find more wood. The hotel’s wood walls and ceilings are made from indigenous species . The decorations are locally inspired with plenty of handicrafts such as wicker baskets, handwoven rugs, and wooden carvings. The focal point is the meadow and Reloncaví Sound below, where the hotel’s boat is harbored. Large windows line the building on both floors and provide excellent views. Guests can relax in a small spa, a winetasting room, or a book-filled upstairs studio upstairs. The living room with fireplace makes a perfect spot for an end-of-day pisco sour.

A short drive outside the town of San Pedro de Atacama, Tierra Atacama has wonderful views of fields and Volvano Licancabur. The hotel is part of the Tierra hotel group owned by the Chilean-American Purcell family (who also own Tierra Patagonia, Tierra Chiloé, and Ski Portillo). The property originally served as a cattle corral, but Chilean landscape artist Teresa Moller has transformed the grounds, preserving the ancient algarrobo and chañar trees and restoring the adobe walls.

The bedrooms are decorated in natural colors, with local touches like ceramics marching along the sills of the extra-large windows. Animal-skin rugs and alpaca throws provide a touch of warmth for the cool desert nights. You can see the incredible silhouette of Volcano Licancabur from all the rooms, but the Poniente rooms are slightly larger and have better views. There is a friendly communal vibe at the hotel, and upon arrival guests meet with the head guide in the main lounge to choose from the range of group activities on offer each day.

Nestled among the verdant hills and sea, Castro, the capital town of Chiloé, is a quiet, rustic community. Within Chile, it is known for its colorful architecture of “palafitos,” homes built on stilts along the border of the Lemuy Channel and Gamboa River. Mounted on pillars over the water to accommodate for the large tides, the palafitos stand high on sand at low tide and at high tide, appear to float. Villagers keep their boats nearby, more necessary than cars in these parts. Photo: http://www.thisischile.cl

Explore oceans, deserts, and mountains in one of México’s most otherworldly landscapes.

Designed by Italian architect Eduardo Provasoli and completed between 1910 and 1912 to replace an earlier church that burned down, this UNESCO World Heritage Site (one of 16 churches on Chiloé recognized as such) blends Gothic and neoclassical elements. Located in the heart of town on the Plaza de Armas, the church is painted a bright yellow with purple accents. While the facade is eye-catching, the varnished-wood interior is a marvel in its own right.