Amazon Basin
Down the Madre de Dios, almost 16km from Puerto Maldonado, this top-end lodge offers a luxurious look at the jungle. About 40 rustic individual cabins…
Must-see hotels in South America
Zona Cafetera
Amid stunning landscapes just outside the boundaries of PNN Los Nevados at 3500m, this thermal-baths complex is the place to go for total relaxation…
Northern Highlands
This fairy-tale 17th-century hacienda is on the southern outskirts of San Pablo del Lago, 10km from Otavalo. Tall cedar trees shade the garden paths…
Boyacá
This 230-year-old renovated colonial mansion gives plenty of comfort and a whole lotta atmosphere for the peso. The building's bright blue-and-yellow…
Tarija
Worthy of an upscale design magazine, five-room family-run Casona Gloria is a mix of historic colonial-era architecture and contemporary boutique stylings…
Iguazú Falls
Run by a welcoming young Misiones couple, this is a right-in-the-jungle escape from the crowds. There's just four comfortable rooms with wooden floors…
Paraná
You'll find spectacular views from the Sheraton on the Argentine side, but nowhere on either side of the falls is as delightful, delicious and deluxe as…
Sur Chico
Chilean-raised, half-American free spirit Annette and her supercat Guiña are your hosts at this remarkable three-room lodge, a nature-centric gem…
Amazon Basin
This small, rustic and friendly Ticuna-Dutch-run hotel in the Ticuna indigenous community of San Martin de Amacayacu is surrounded by majestic rivers and…
Minca
When they say the location here is 'above Minca' they're not kidding – just getting to this fantastic place is an adventure and ensures that only the…
Minas Gerais
Rooms at this peaceful, one-of-a-kind pousada range from simple shared-bath quartos off the garden courtyard to larger apartamentos (rooms with bathroom),…
Lake Titicaca
Secluded on the rugged shoreline of Lake Titicaca, one hour south of Puno, luxury hotel Titilaka is a destination in itself. Huge picture windows drink in…
Uruguay
Surrounded by a pastoral landscape of cows, fields and water vaguely reminiscent of a Flemish painting, this is the most tranquil of Salto's hot-springs…
Mirante do Gavião Amazon Lodge
Amazonas
This lodge at Novo Airão's northern end is a real stunner. Everything here is architecturally striking, from its tree-house rooms to those that resemble…
Central Highlands
This 300-year-old working hacienda is owned by a welcoming Peruvian-German couple, Pepe and Inge. The substantial, prettily decorated rooms flank a large…
Central Highlands
Located within the national-park boundaries, with Cotopaxi looming close by, Tambopaxi is a certified sustainable-tourism project that hires local workers…
Papallacta
Most visitors to Papallacta stay at this supremely comfortable yet totally unpretentious resort – a great way to experience the thermal baths in style…
Guayaquil
The unrivaled malecón location aside, Manso is both a hostel and boutique hotel, housed in an atmospheric period property. Rooms vary in comfort and style…
Huaraz & the Cordilleras
About 45 minutes by taxi from Yungay toward the Lagunas Llanganuco, this recommended lodge run by Brit Charlie Good is in a prime position for serious…
Bogotá
Find your way to this renovated 1950s art deco home in Quinta Camacho and you'll fall in love with your host, Helena, and her seven-room dream pad. An…
The Pantanal
This eco-pioneering lodge is a private Pantanal for a privileged few. There's a main building and two luxurious lodges; forest-side Cordilheiro is the…
Around Medellín
Offering amazing views and total tranquility in a colonial-style house just a block from Jardín's plaza, this superb hostel is the best choice in town for…
Santa Marta
A superb hotel that could almost be recommended as a city highlight, the Farol hides a wealth of little luxuries behind its plain red facade. The large,…
Bogotá
Perennial favorite the Cranky Croc, run by a friendly Aussie and styling itself as a backpacker hostel, has kept up with the times and doesn't lack space…
Mindo
Run by a warmhearted and knowledgeable American-Ecuadorian couple, El Monte is a lush ecofriendly retreat with six lovely, private riverside cabins. The…
Pucón
The eco-conscious ¡école! is a travel experience in itself. It's a meeting point for conscientious travelers and a tranquil and artsy hangout that has…
Cauca & Huila
This German-owned monastery-themed boutique hotel outside town is San Agustín's plushest option. Rooms are characterful, with heavy wooden beams and…
Uruguay
Overlooking Laguna de Castillos' northern shore is this tranquil hideaway, originally established in the 18th century as a Spanish guard post to protect…
Uruguay
What do you get when you cross a tourist estancia and a hostel? Find out at this unique country retreat 115km west of Montevideo and 60km east of Colonia…
Huaraz
Run by rugged and proud Canadians Diana and Wayne, this deluxe ecolodge steeped in sustainable and community tourism is at the mouth of the Quebrada Llaca…
San Gil
The original San Gil hostel is still easily the best in town. It's a laid-back but secure place (with CCTV) that feels a bit like crashing at a friend's…
The Lakes District
An architect family built and own Sur Chico's most beautiful new hotel, a deceptively small, 16-room sustainable lakeside retreat that harbors exquisite…
Uruguay
For a spectacular introduction to life on the Uruguayan land, head to this 970-hectare working estancia 40km northwest of Tacuarembó. Juan Manuel, who was…
Amazonas
Mamirauá Reserve's primary ecolodge is built entirely on floating logs and parked on a lovely river bend well into the reserve. Spacious bungalows have…
Parque Esteros del Iberá
This former cattle ranch turned nature reserve, 31km south of Pellegrini, is a wonderful place in which to come to terms with the big sky and abundant…
Riohacha
La Bona Vida is so good that it had to add a second branch in 2017, only a year after opening the first. Behind the turquoise colonial facade lies a…
Parque Nacional dos Lençóis Maranhenses
On the riverbank 1.5km north of town, the Swiss-owned Sossego is a perfect haven for resting for a couple of days, or as a relaxed base for excursions…
Puerto Maldonado
The most original airport hotel in South America? Cocooned in its own tropical garden on the edge of town, and with its own Thai restaurant, too, this…
Northern Highlands
One of Ecuador's finest hotels lies beyond an unpaved entry road, past iron gates, white cupolas and columned entrances where peacocks stroll the green…
Amazonas
Antonio Gomes has built a splendid lodge on the mosquito-free banks of the Rio Urubu, surrounded by a pristine tract of riverine forest rich in wildlife…
