When we first came across this green, mountain-like resort, we had to do a double take to see if it was for real! Called the Magic Mountain Lodge, the 13 room hotel looks like it came straight from middle earth. The lodge sits in the private Huilo-Huilo Biological Reserve in northern Chile's Patagonia and is a celebration of the rich natural heritage that the preserve aims to protect. And get this-- visitors enter the establishment on a suspended rope bridge and are greeted by a cascade of water coming down from the cone shaped green roof.
The Lodge sits on a diverse forest region in northern Patagonia and is a base camp at the Hulio Hulio preserve for ecotourists looking to spot a puma or explore the local waterfalls. The hotel is cone shaped with dormer windows peaking out of its vegetated and stone façade. A water spot on top pours over the roof, drenching the plants and anyone at the base of the building. The playful design is intended to evoke an ancient legend that speaks of a magic mountain in the area that grants wishes.
If you don’t get your wish fulfilled, at least there is a bar, a restaurant, and a sauna inside. Outside, there are hot tubs made from the hollows of tree stumps. The lodge is designed using local building materials and labor and all the wood was carefully harvested locally as well.
The reserve is a privately held 600 square kilometer park dedicated to the preservation of the region’s biodiversity and fauna. The surrounding land, located on the northern edge of Patagonia right in the center of Chile sees all four seasons and is a very wet region. The rich diversity of land types and the relatively undeveloped region is a huge draw for international tourists seeking to see one of the wildest places left on the planet.
No comments:
Post a Comment