Montana Magica Lodge, Chile

The Montana Magica Lodge is a sight to behold. Nestled in the Andes, this hotel is built right into a volcano. And if that wasn't enough, it has a waterfall that makes its way down the steep slope of the resort. As its own website puts it, there may be no better "reminder of the majesty of Mother Nature."

 

A strange volcano-like building spews water instead of lava; its welcoming windows adorned with moss and vines, complementing the surrounding trees.

It looks like the kind of place the blue folk from Avatar might hook up with hobbits and Ewoks to go on holiday.Deep in southern Chile lies the Montana Magica Lodge - an extraordinary hotel hidden away in the centre of a 300,000-acre private nature reserve. It might be completely artificial but the lodge actually 'erupts' every day, sending water running down the outside of the 13-room guest house.

Inside, each of the cozy suites is named after a local species of bird, and all feature a selection of modern amenities that rival even fancier hotels in less remote parts of the country. And if the strangeness and beauty of the hotel itself fails to impress, it offers a number of other attractions. Among the offerings are hot tubs "made out of huge trunks of trees, dug out, and then filled with hot water perched on a deck overlooking the forest." There is also a mini golf course built into the forest itself, using the natural world as the obstacles, and there are various outdoor activities such as horseback riding, rafting, and hiking.

Of course, getting to such a magical place takes a bit of doing. The ride to Montaña Mágica Lodge is at least two hours from the nearest airfield. It is a small price to pay to experience a location that looks like it belongs in Middle-Earth.        

The 'Magic Mountain' retreat, in Los Rios, is accessible only by foot and intrepid guests must brave a swinging rope bridge to enter it.

 

 Among the activities on offer are a wild-course mini-golf, where the holes form part of the natural terrain, hiking and access to the longest zip wire in South America, which run through the grounds at a height of 1,500ft.At the end of the day, guests can relax in hot tubs carved from gigantic tree trunks - as the calming sound from the waterfall cascades down the side of the building.

P.S. If you're lucky, you might catch a glimpse of a pudu - the world's smallest deer which is just 13in tall