Just as its green gecko mosaic fountain is at the core of this enchanted inn, any true Emerald Iguana experience combines many different pieces. First is its setting in SoCal's peaceful, crescent-shaped Ojai Valley, flanked by low-slung mountain peaks. Second are the myriad options for self-propelled fun on nearby lakes and trails. And, lastly, you've got the inn itself, a serene spot hidden...

The splendid "high peaks" region of upstate New York has been an epicenter for wilderness play since the late 1800s, when Theodore Roosevelt visited and extolled the area's priceless natural resources. Outdoor recreation soon became a cornerstone of the area's economy and character, and it remains so today.

The active-minded Adirondacks hub of Saranac Lake, just seven miles from Lake...

Chances are when Queen Elizabeth stayed at the Huka Lodge she didn't parasail over nearby Lake Taupo or skydive from 15,000 feet, freefalling above snow-capped volcanoes, as many guests do today. But it's likely that she did notice the inherent serenity of the place, a hidden retreat bordered by the magnificent Wairakei Park Reserve. Huka's 17 acres are dominated by the Waikato River, a...

Past guests boast of Blue Mountain B&B proprietors' Brady and Elaine Anderson-Wood's hospitality—and they downright rave about their cooking. The couple's mouth-watering breakfasts often include huckleberry sourdoughs, crab crêpes, tomato-herb soufflés, homemade preserves, and cinnamon rolls, to name a few. Guests dining on one of the many garden decks also savor big views of...

Owner John Caton says the best thing about his über-luxe tent resort in British Columbia is that being there is like stepping back in time. The lodge is located within the Clayoquot Sound UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and is surrounded by thousands of acres of pristine rainforest. The nearest sign of civilization is 30 minutes away in the seaside village of Tofino. When guests land at...

When word spread that Papoose Creek Lodge in southwestern Montana was shutting down in late 2007, the eco-lodging community gasped that the first of the country's luxury green resorts was closing its doors. But the mourning was short-lived when it was announced that the nearby private residence of Papoose Creek's founders, Roger and Cindy Lang, was being remodeled and renovated into a lush...

The lavish Nimmo Bay Heli Resort is a dream come true for founders Craig and Deb Murray, and no less than paradise-found for their guests. From the moment visitors step off the resort's helicopter—after a jaw-dropping transfer along British Columbia's central coast—reality is redefined. A surging waterfall, originating from neighboring Mount Stephens, provides the perfect backdrop...

Stunning Mnemba Island lies roughly three miles off the northeastern tip of the main island in Tanzania's Zanzibar archipelago, cast out in the Indian Ocean like a shimmering string of jewels. The five-acre, triangular wedge of an island takes only half an hour to circumnavigate on foot, but this short walk gives a good sense of the area's distinct and diverse habitats, home to a mind-boggling...

Resting on the tree-lined shores of a turquoise-tinged glacial lake in Chilean Patagonia, Terra Luna is a remote getaway in the heart of some of the world's most breathtaking alpine scenery. This small resort is perched on a hillside overlooking island-studded General Carrera Lake and beyond to a bevy of jagged Andean arêtes that beckon to willing guests.

Spread out on Terra...

The enormous Atacama Desert, which stretches 600 miles from northern Chile to the southern border of Peru, is flanked by the Pacific Ocean and the Andes Mountains. Its Martian terrain, at an average elevation of 10,000 feet, is the highest and driest desert on earth; too arid in some spots for even microbes to grow. But it endures as one of the most starkly beautiful places on Earth, where the...