ARGENTINA
Eolo
EL CALAFATE
At this 7,500-acre estancia and its lone 17-room lodge, guests can watch ostrichlike rheas grazing on the surrounding Patagonian steppe. Day trips by horseback, mountain bike, and four-wheel drive head to sites such as Perito Moreno Glacier, with its whale-size icebergs. ($825–$1,250, all-inclusive) www.eolo.com.ar
BRAZIL
Ponta dos Ganchos
GOVERNADOR CELSO RAMOS
High above a quaint fishing village some 800 miles south of Rio de Janeiro, this cozy hillside hideout features 25 sprawling, open-plan bungalows where the Brazilian rain forest meets the emerald sea. Lounging typically trumps planned activity. ($750–$2,750, including meals) www.pontadosganchos.com.br
CARIBBEAN/ATLANTIC
Eden Rock St Barths
ST. BARTHS
Built around a rocky outcropping in tony St. Jean Bay, this oceanfront complex has attracted the fashion-and-entertainment set since the 1950s. Today the resort remains the place to stay on St. Barths, with its Jean-Georges Vongerichten–helmed restaurant and 34 rooms plus two villas with private cinemas. ($650–$32,550) www.edenrockhotel.com
GoldenEye Hotel & Resort
JAMAICA
Where author Ian Fleming once hid in a simple tropical cottage while limning the adventures of the world’s best-known secret agent. The 52-acre GoldenEye hosts modern-day guests in 20 spacious accommodations set around a lagoon, in an exquisitely planted private jungle, and on a beach with sands finer than gunpowder. ($560–$7,500, including breakfast) www.goldeneye.com
Jade Mountain
ST. LUCIA
This labyrinthine hilltop compound features 29 sprawling, open-air sanctuaries with private infinity-edge pools or hot tubs, butler service, and awe-inspiring views of St. Lucia’s volcanic Pitons. ($950–$2,675) www.jademountain.com
Musha Cay
BAHAMAS
Eleven private islands in the Exuma chain owned by illusionist David Copperfield. Five impeccable estates on the main island sleep as many as 24 guests on an exclusive-use basis. Uncombed white-sand beaches and Bahamian turquoise waters are the settings for such activities as treasure hunts and spy adventures put on by Copperfield’s professional production team. ($37,500 for the entire island for 12 people, all-inclusive) www.mushacay.com
Necker Island
BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS
Sir Richard Branson’s exclusive-use private island offers six villa accommodations, Branson’s private home, and cabins in a 105-foot luxury catamaran. Ideal for family reunions and for high-profile types who travel with large entourages. ($47,500 for the entire island for 24 people, all-inclusive) www.neckerisland.com
Rosewood Little Dix Bay
BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS
Delivering a private-island feel without the isolation, this collection of 102 rooms, suites, beach houses, and villas includes a bluff-top spa, three restaurants, and tennis courts. Beyond the boundary of the former Rockefeller retreat, guests can enjoy Virgin Gorda’s Spanish Town, scuba-diving sanctuaries and hiking trails, and some of the Caribbean’s best sailing waters. ($300–$7,000) www.rosewoodhotels.com
Sandy Lane
BARBADOS
Mahogany trees and flowering foliage surround this country club–like enclave, whose white-sand beach, Tom Fazio–designed golf courses, and 112 delightfully formal guest rooms attract privacy-seeking families and couples. ($1,050–$25,325, including breakfast) www.sandylane.com
CHILE
Awasi
SAN PEDRO DE ATACAMA
Following day trips to altiplano lagoons, spewing geysers, and a Mars-like desert, return to this cozy eight-room lodge. Choose Awasi over neighboring resorts for its intimacy, hearty Atacamenian meals, and simple but authentic accommodations—all steps away from San Pedro’s dusty main drag. (Two-night packages from $1,500 to $1,700 per person, all-inclusive) www.awasi.cl
Hotel Salto Chico
TORRES DEL PAINENATIONAL PARK
Bordering Lake Pehoé’s Salto Chico waterfall and surrounded by the craggy peaks of the Cuernos del Paine mountain range, this 49-room adventure lodge—the only luxury resort within the national park’s boundaries—offers Patagonia’s best service, expedition options, and location. (Four-night packages from $2,775 to $6,225 per person, all-inclusive) www.explora.com
COLCHAGUA VALLEY
When Alexandra Marnier Lapostolle came to Chile’s…MORE
MEXICO
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PLAYA DEL CARMEN
A blend of Southeast Asian and Mexican hospitality, with 107 huge, romantic villas, each with its own private pool, yard, and outdoor tub. Features a blissful beach club and spa overlooking a lagoon in a mangrove jungle. ($625–$6,075) www.banyantree.com
Capella Ixtapa
ZIHUATANEJO
Terraced along a steep oceanfront bluff, 59 romance-ready rooms offer plunge pool–equipped decks with dramatic Pacific Ocean views. Personal assistants can arrange daily outings from whale-watching expeditions to golfing and deep-sea fishing trips. ($275–$825) www.capellahotels.com
Imanta Resort
PUNTA DE MITA
Intimate 250-acre retreat where the jungle meets the Pacific and opens onto a sandy cove dotted with just eight suites and three villas (accommodating a maximum of 30 guests total). The resort is ideal for couples or as a buyout property for family gatherings. ($800–$5,400) www.imantaresorts.com
COSTA ALEGRE
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Las Ventanas al Paraíso, a Rosewood Resort
LOS CABOS
With its minimalist adobe-style architecture and maximum attention to detail, Las Ventanas set the gold standard for Mexico’s luxury resorts decades ago. Includes private hot tubs, a new indoor/outdoor spa, and an impeccable ceviche bar. ($500–$6,900) www.rosewoodhotels.com
One&Only Palmilla
LOS CABOS
Classic Spanish construction in a legendary Los Cabos location, where whitewashed walls and red-tiled roofs pair with Pacific Ocean blues, a Jack Nicklaus–designed golf course, and Jean-Georges Vongerichten cuisine. ($575–$16,000) www.oneandonlyresorts.com
Rosewood San Miguel de Allende
SAN MIGUEL DE ALLENDE
This new resort brings world-class service and posh, rustically inspired accommodations to one of Mexico’s most romantic colonial towns. Also features one of the country’s finest modern Mexican restaurants. ($300–$2,500) www.rosewoodhotels.com
PERU
Titilaka
LAKE TITICACA
On the shores of the world’s highest navigable lake, this inn features 18 sun-splashed rooms accented by brightly colored textiles and waterfront views. Take private guided excursions by boat to island villages where life has not changed for centuries. ($275–$725, all-inclusive) www.titilaka.com
