Puyuhuapi Lodge & Spa

From the moment you first set eyes on the hotel, stretched out across its own bay, and are led in by speedboats and welcomed by the staff lining the walkway, your Puyuhuapi experience is a very special one. Relaxation is everything here, be it in the wonderfully hot natural pools, in front of the roaring log fire, or during a thalassotherapy treatment in the spa, and thanks to the silence and total absence of contact with the outside world, you cannot help but come away feeling rejuvenated and pampered.

The best of the 33 rooms have uninterrupted views of the bay and all are comfortable and light with interiors made from local wood. Despite the isolated location, heating and hot water are prolific and entirely natural, powered by the same volcanic springs which gush into the indoor and outdoor thermal pools. All that fresh air makes for a big appetite and this is well catered for in the waterfront restaurant serving wonderful regional seafood washed down by prestigious Chilean wines.

If you can tear yourself away from the velvety warm water, go fly-fishing, kayaking or dolphin-spotting, follow the narrow trails cut through the forest, listen out for the exquisite song of the chucao, or venture even further to the hanging glacier in Queulat National Park, and the town of Puyuhuapi with its renowned carpet factory. The luxury catamaran which transports you to and from this hidden jewel is as comfortable as the hotel itself, and if you are lucky with the weather, provides stunning views of the dramatic fjord scenery en route.

OUR RATING: First Class