Across the great deserts of the world, a handful of places manage to turn scarcity into abundance. They are not simply retreats surrounded by sand; they are living environments sustained by water, vegetation, and culture. From the Arabian dunes to the Moroccan palm groves, these rare lodges inhabit ecosystems where life endures against all logic. Within that small circle stands Nayara Alto Atacama, built inside Chile’s fertile Catarpe Valley: a natural oasis sustained by Andean meltwater.
The company of the world’s desert masters
In the Middle East, Qasr Al Sarab and Al Maha in the United Arab Emirates set the standard for desert hospitality. Both draw from genuine oases that have supported human life for centuries. Qasr Al Sarab rises from the Liwa Oasis in the vast Empty Quarter, its palms nourished by deep aquifers. Al Maha, hidden inside the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve, blends Bedouin tradition with wildlife conservation — a private oasis where oryx and gazelles wander between tamarisk trees. These properties prove that luxury in the desert begins with respect for its delicate water systems.
In North Africa, Dar Ahlam in Morocco’s Skoura Oasis does the same with different materials and rhythm. The restored kasbah sits within an agricultural palm grove where irrigation channels, gardens, and adobe architecture form one continuous landscape. It is less resort than living heritage — a model of how hospitality can nurture the community that surrounds it.
Across the Atlantic, Amangiri in southern Utah takes a more sculptural approach. It is carved into stone mesas rather than grown from a true oasis. Yet its reverence for geology and silence places it within this same conversation. Amangiri celebrates the desert’s immensity; it offers stillness as luxury.
And then, high in Chile’s Atacama, Nayara Alto Atacama brings this lineage to South America. While others evoke the desert’s emptiness, this lodge reveals its life. It is not perched above the landscape but nested within it — a network of adobe walls, gardens, and water channels that follow the natural contours of the Catarpe Valley. Here the desert is not theatrical; it breathes.
The difference between being in the desert and being of it
Most of Chile’s celebrated desert lodges borrow the language of an oasis to describe the comfort they create. Awasi Atacama, with its twelve suites and exquisite personal service, calls itself “a real-life oasis steeped in history.” Its hospitality lives up to the phrase, but geographically the property stands inside the town of San Pedro — a tranquil enclave rather than a natural ecosystem.
Explora Atacama speaks of labyrinthine courtyards and ancient pathways on the plain of Larache, framing the desert as a place of scientific exploration. Its history is rich, yet its setting is a restored plain on the outskirts of town, not a self-sustaining oasis.
Tierra Atacama, designed by Chile’s leading architects, uses water and shade to suggest calm; its “mindful architecture” brings the desert indoors. The effect is beautiful, but it is achieved through landscaping, not geography. Each of these hotels offers an exceptional interpretation of the Atacama — yet all are near the desert’s lifeblood, not within it.
What separates Nayara Alto Atacama is not only design but context. The lodge sits where water still flows, where native vegetation survives without irrigation, and where the ancient rhythms of the desert continue. Its spa uses minerals and plants from the valley, its power comes largely from the sun, and its guiding philosophy mirrors that of the world’s best desert lodges: to inhabit the landscape lightly, yet completely.
If Qasr Al Sarab is the Middle East’s vision of desert grandeur, and Dar Ahlam its North African soul, Nayara Alto Atacama is the Andean expression — quieter, higher, and deeply tied to the living earth that sustains it. Among the very few places on Earth where guests can sleep inside a functioning desert oasis, it stands as both sanctuary and statement: proof that regeneration, beauty, and genuine luxury can share the same ground.
Modern wellness-driven hospitality did not emerge from nowhere. Both Alto Atacama and Bocas del Toro sit at the end of two long architectural lineages: one shaped by survival in extreme dryness, the other shaped by elevation, timber, and arboreal shelter in forest cultures
Nayara’s architecture expresses two contrasting environments. In the Atacama Desert, the lodge reads as a built oasis in a hyper-arid valley. In Bocas del Toro, treehouses rise into a mangrove canopy as wellness structures shaped by height, airflow, and wood. One uses earth to cool and shelter. The other uses elevation to ventilate and restore. Together they show how architecture operates as the wellness mechanism itself. Hospitality can transcend convenience. In some resorts, architecture itself becomes the therapy.
At the intersection of design, place, and nature, resorts such as Nayara Alto Atacama and Nayara Bocas del Toro demonstrate that building with climate and context in mind can itself nurture wellness. One does so by embedding refuge into a barren desert valley. The other lifts guests into an elevated forest canopy where air, sound, and light become part of the healing.
The Desert Inheritance
Desert hospitality traces back millennia. On ancient trade routes, caravanserais were early desert hotels where travelers could eat well, rest safely, and prepare themselves for the next stage of the journey”[1]. Caravansary complexes often included hammams and bazaars[2], foreshadowing today’s spa and market amenities.
In parallel, indigenous cultures built vernacular desert habitats: adobe or rammed-earth villages and nomadic tents. Thick earthen walls provided high thermal mass, absorbing heat by day and releasing it at night.
Bedouin and Berbers lived in goat-hair tents or stone kasbahs that could be assembled quickly, offering shade and ventilation. Persian homes used badgirs and shaded courtyards to draw breezes and expel heat[4], while Spanish-Moorish cortijos centered on lush, inward-facing courtyards to create cool microclimates[5].
By the 19th–20th centuries, European colonial and leisure trends shaped desert hospitality. In North Africa and the Middle East, French and British colonists built sanatoriums and hunting lodges, often reflecting Moorish-Spanish styles: thick walls, domes, archways and courtyards proved effective against heat.
In the American Southwest and Mexico, Spanish-mission and Pueblo-Revival hotels used adobe and heavy timber with deep porches. These “colonial” desert hotels popularized spas and leisure in the desert, but often duplicated indigenous techniques (thick walls, verandas) under a new brand.
By mid-century, automobile tourism led to highway motels and tent camps in deserts. Yet even then, many maintained passive design: for example, El Tovar (1910) at the Grand Canyon and Arizona’s early resorts used local stone and orientated buildings to catch breezes. Overall, early modern desert hotels bridged ancient passive forms with new comforts (piped water, mechanized cooling), setting the stage for today’s eco-resorts.
Recent decades have seen a renaissance in desert lodge design, blending tradition with sustainability and luxury. Many new resorts explicitly honor local heritage while using advanced climate-responsive design.
In other regions, designers draw directly from the landscape and culture. Chile’s Nayara Alto Atacama \) uses an adobe-like form that “blends with the colors and topography of the Salt Mountainsb
Local materials and even plants are used as architecture: native “Brea” herb is lashed atop roof terraces to filter sun and cool interiors
Long before spas existed, desert architecture regulated the nervous system through temperature and light control. Adobe dwellings, courtyard houses in arid zones, and caravan shelters used the same principles: thick mineral mass for cooling and gradual heat release, recessed shade to reduce glare, and vegetation or water only at the core of the structure.
These strategies were not conceptual. They were survival mechanics.
When Alto Atacama was built, inspiration came from Andean architecture and design, plus highland-styled buildings, using a design process that involved researching local materials and learning from local communities to create a place that feels local and looks local. For example, bunches of the abundant and typical local herb called Brea cover the terrace roofs of all the rooms, providing shade and cooling the environment, offering a pleasant contrast to strong mountain sunlight during the excursions.
Meanwhile, the canes of a local Bamboo species called Chusquea quila (common name: Coligüe) cover the roofs of all the corridors. This plant provides filtered light and lovely shades that decorate the area and offer protection from solid desert sunlight.
The hotel’s exteriors also feature several garden features, complementing the architectural features with an ecosystem of life and color.
Guests can see the vibrant and colorful tuna orchard, set against green pastures planted in shiny alfalfa surrounded by dusty dry land. In another direction is the traditional corral of llamas, featuring a growing, living herd that includes a strong male and numerous females and young llamas who seek protection under the woolly bellies of their proud mamas.
The design of Nayara Hangaroa was brought to life by Chilean architect Tomás Bunster, interior designer Paula Gutiérrez, and landscape designer Juan Grimm. The architecture blends in with the environment through the island's grass roofs, colors, and textures.
Standout designs include the reception area modeled after the old houses that were made with boats, the wooden pillars seen throughout the hotel made of cypresses brought from the south of Chile, and the handcrafted items in the rooms such as the one-piece clay bathtubs made in large ovens and the hand-carved vanities.
One excellent example of this mentality is Nayara Hangaroa, inspired by ancient Rapa Nui architecture but with modern amenities that provide state-of-the-art luxury and comfort while preserving the island's cultural heritage.
The Orongo stone village inspires the hotel at Nayara Hangaroa. The birdman cult – central to the Rapa Nui culture and history — took place there, and it was through this process that the ancient Rapanui people decided who would become their next king.
The design elements found in common areas of the hotel all support this vision and speak of the island and its culture, not merely in aesthetics but in methods as well. For example, the reception area imitates old houses made of boats.
The work of mainland artisans accents these natural elements — an homage to the rich culture of trade that flourished throughout the ancient South Pacific — who have created the many unique pieces found throughout the property, such as handmade vanities, one-piece clay bathtubs made in large ovens, and the wooden pillars seen throughout the hotel made from cypresses brought from the south of Chile.
In ancient times, these gifts would be reserved for kings and queens, but today, they adorn your luxurious lodging.
At Nayara Hangaroa, the design draws from traditional elements such as stone walls and green roofs, which improve insulation and sustainability by regulating temperatures. Add hidden modern technology, and you have an authentic yet luxurious experience that is good for the earth and a delight for those who stay there.
The vision for Nayara Bocas del Toro was to offer an over-water luxury experience that integrated with the traditional Caribbean architecture and the pristine marine environment. The architecture of the overwater bungalows and the gorgeous treehouse lodging provide this in different ways.
The over-water bungalows' eco-friendly design and easy integration into the natural world emphasize the experience of enjoying attentive luxury in one of the most fascinating natural destinations on earth.
Meanwhile, the treehouses provide the chance to perch up in the trees with a bird’s eye view. These treehouses are a crowning achievement for Nayara Bocas del Toro, designed by Elora Hardy, a globally renowned designer from the design firm Ibuku specializing in groundbreaking architecture that balances luxurious beauty with cultural and environmental sustainability.
Her elegant style blends traditional Caribbean architecture with an element of Balinese-inspired design to offer both sumptuous luxury and complete immersion in the gorgeous natural world.
Nayara Bocas del Toro, Panama’s adults-only private island luxury retreat, is thrilled to reveal two towering fifty-foot treehouses originally designed by IBUKU, a Bali-based design studio led by Elora Hardy. This is the architectural firm’s first project in Central America. The solar-powered treehouses are constructed from four varieties of locally sourced bamboo and 19 varieties of reclaimed five-hundred-year-old, partially petrified hardwoods recovered from the floor of the Panama Canal.
The structures are the first of five treehouses conceived by Elora Hardy, who borrowed inspiration from the lush surroundings to create a sense of arrival and discovery. The elegant and whimsical one-bedroom accommodations are at the end of meandering paths covered in greenery and accessible via curving stairs.
The airy dwellings have 21-foot ceilings with a tropical yet pared-down aesthetic and floor-to-ceiling windows, and an open-air living room looks out over the canopy of the mangrove forest. Outdoor jungle showers and deep soaking tubs invite bathing en plein air, and a pulley system allows for unobtrusive room service.
“At Bocas Nayara’s treehouse, we wind up among the tall stilts to a glass Moon Door that turns like a dancer on its center pivot. Bamboo and reclaimed hardwood underfoot give texture to our journey. Around us, screens curve playfully, and poles soar overhead. Overlooking the mangroves, the view wraps around us, and we feel part of it. With a balance of elegance and texture, we are open to nature and sheltered within our space. Here is where we can incubate unforgettable experiences,” says designer Elora Hardy.
While the word “treehouse” can conjure a ramshackle structure cobbled out of bent nails and splintered boards, IBUKU’s tree dwellings are an exquisite tribute to local craftsmanship and the sensuousness of nature, with raw edges and distinctive character. Built from locally harvested bamboo and reclaimed hardwoods pulled from the floor of the Panama Canal, the treehouse is an environmental marvel that fuses Balinese and Panamanian materiality and design traditions.
Water is generated from purified rainwater and power from the sun. Great care has been taken to engineer environmentally safe wastewater treatment as specified in the detailed environmental study. The resort also features 16 custom overwater villas, a 70-foot freshwater pool, the 100-year-old Elephant House restaurant, and the world’s first elevated white sand beach built on stilts over the sea.
“A recent guest marveled at our varied architectural designs throughout the resort,” says General Manager of Nayara Bocas del Toro, Scott Dinsmore. “Every design has our guest experience in mind, and our new treehouse is no exception. Just imagine staying in an Elora Hardy treehouse and an over-the-water luxury villa with a private pool all in one vacation – perfection.”
.jpg)
