10 of the best nature-based hotels around the world for a mood-boosting break

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An aerial view of Copal Tree Lodge, a luxurious eco-resort nestled within a rainforest in Belize

When you need a proper reset, getting out into nature is hard to beat. Fresh air, open space and a break from screens can do more for your mood than any quick fix — and choosing the right place to stay makes all the difference.

We’ve gathered 10 of the best hotels around the world that fully immerse you in nature, whether you're craving a digital detox or an unforgettable rural adventure. Think a turreted Scottish castle set among rolling hills, lantern-lit lodges on African plains and rooms perched at the top of South American jungles. You'll be surrounded by wildlife, unbeatable views and the best luxury of all – some peace and quiet.

For more travel inspiration, check out our picks of the best European hidden gem hotels or the best luxury hotels in the UK for a special occasion.

10 best nature-based hotels around the world

Elmley National Nature Reserve – for a cabin escape

From £160, check availability at mrandmrssmith.com or elmleynaturereserve.co.uk

Waking up in a hut in Elmley Nature Reserve on the remote Isle of Sheppey is a magical way to start your day. Without getting out of bed you can watch magnificent birds glide past the window and hares hop around the fields, all while sipping your coffee. Preserving nature is at the heart of Elmley, while still catering to little luxuries.

Accommodation ranges from plushly furnished rooms in the 17th-century farmhouse (available for private hire) to remote vintage-styled huts with wood burners and custom built cabins with fully glazed front walls so you can drool over sunsets while snuggled under Romney Marsh wool throws. Some have separate kitchenettes and lounge areas, and boast outdoor tubs for soaking in while listening to the wildlife. Come evening, toast complimentary marshmallows over your own firepit.

Breakfast and dinner, both delivered to your room in a hamper, are hearty and filling – think chicken curry with baked potatoes at dinner and thick-cut bacon sarnies in the mornings – perfect fuel for long walks to spot owls. Pass the time with books and board games, or pop to the honesty bar for a quick tipple by the fire. In the summer, pizzas and picnics are available to enjoy around the reserve.

From £160, check availability at mrandmrssmith.com or elmleynaturereserve.co.uk

Le Barn, Bonnelles, France – for unique rural France

Doubles from £200 per night, check availability at lebarnhotel.com or booking.com

You don't always have to travel far to reach rural serenity. Just 40 minutes from Paris Orly airport, the 500-acre Le Barn estate, set in France’s Bonnelles countryside, offers an outdoors experience with comfort and luxury.

This hotel is all about switching off and enjoying nature. The 73 rooms, mostly spread across two converted barns, provide a cosy home for your stay, with balconies that look over horses grazing in the fields or the lake (which you can swim in). Digital detoxing is easy when there are warm Nordic baths, a steam room, sauna, electric bikes and forest walks all on offer. Wind down for the evening with a drink by the fire in the colder months, or under a canopy of wisteria in the garden in summer. The grounds are shared with Haras de la Cense, a prestigious horse riding training centre, and there are horses dotted around the vast space, as well as the option to go riding or try the Whisperer’s Experience.

Food is seasonally-led, using as much as possible from the kitchen garden and locally sourced produce. The menu changes daily, according to what’s available, but dishes can include stuffed rotisserie chicken or roasted leg of lamb, with sides of roasted carrots, leeks and potatoes. Desserts are a treat not to be missed, including the likes of tarte aux figues and iles flottantes. Breakfast is a satisfyingly French affair: crusty bread, salty butter and homemade jams alongside eggs, bacon, pancakes and bowls of fruit fresh from the garden.

Doubles from £200 per night, check availability at lebarnhotel.com or booking.com

Boca de Agua, Bacalar, Mexico – for a luxury jungle retreat

Doubles from £222, check rates and availability at booking.com or mrandmrssmith.com

This luxury jungle retreat is set back from the Yucatán Peninsula’s Lagoon of Seven Colours, close to Mexico’s Belize border. Twenty-two treehouse suites, each with turquoise tiled outdoor rain showers, king-size beds, private plunge pools and hammocks strung across shaded decks, are nestled within the forest of mango, banana and kapok trees (believed to be sacred in Mayan culture), from which toucans, woodpeckers and spider monkeys provide a tropical soundtrack.

The brutalist-style main building gives the air of an abandoned jungle kingdom, with steps leading to a secluded pool and a man-made cenote. Chef Sergio cooks local specialities over fire in the open kitchen. Lunch options include flame-grilled steak tacos, plump prawn aguachile and black fish, mango and achiote ceviche. Come evening try charcoaled empanadas with chimichurri or a selection of steak cuts with tomato and fresh berry salad. Mexican wines include floral orange from Valle de Parras, or drinks specialist Leandro can guide you through a mezcal tasting.

The breakfast menu is split into Mexican and Yucatán specialities. In the latter, you can find huevos rancheros alongside cochinita pibil and lechón tacos, both made with smoky suckling pig cooked underground for 24 hours. Pad down the walkway through the mangroves to the uniquely turquoise waters of Bacalar Lagoon. Take a dip, hop on a kayak to spot the stromatolite fossils and relax on the deck with a mezcal margarita, guacamole and toasted tortilla chips.

Doubles from £222, check rates and availability at booking.com or mrandmrssmith.com

Squirrels Nest Treehouse, Wales – for a treehouse experience

Check rates and availability at squirrels-nest.co.uk

Retreat into the Welsh countryside for a getaway at Squirrels Nest Treehouse. Set on a 130-acre working family farm and enveloped by the 900-acre Maelinaidd Hill, this hideaway exudes rustic charm in an idyllic setting.

Each of the three treehouses has been designed by owner and carpenter John, who’s brought his knowledge of craftsmanship to life with locally sourced timber – oak, larch and western red cedar – colourful interiors and large glass windows that frame the picturesque countryside.

From taking an afternoon siesta on a hammock elevated on stilts, to soaking in a private outdoor hot tub with a view, there does not seem to be a shortage of ways to unwind. In-treehouse massage appointments can also be arranged for those looking to make the most of their countryside escape.

Dining options are just as plentiful here: there's a curated menu of hampers that showcase the best of Welsh treats, including a generous breakfast option packed with local goodies and homemade bread. Firepits, barbecues and pizza ovens are also available for a bit of alfresco cooking. Or, order in from Llatho Kitchen, which delivers freshly made platters, cakes and bites straight to your treehouse door.

Check rates and availability at squirrels-nest.co.uk

Casa Modesta, Portugal – for a boutique stay

Doubles from €220 per night, check availability at booking.com or welcomebeyond.com

In the heart of a residential hamlet on the border of the Algarve’s Ria Formosa lagoon, Carlos Fernandes has lovingly converted his grandparents’ house into a striking example of cubist architecture, now home to a nine-room boutique hotel that makes a very chic nature-based getaway.

Many original features remain – Santa Catarina flooring, curved brick ceilings and stone fireplaces – interspersed with tasteful Algarvian knick-knacks for pops of colour. Four rooms are housed in the striking whitewashed extension, complete with terraces that offer swoony sunsets over the wetlands. Blankets and bespoke toiletries are curated from local artisans, while shower tiles are from nearby town Olhão (worth a visit for the impressive fish market).

Continental breakfast is served home-style, laid on lace tablecloths in the kitchen. Make your selection from the likes of carrot and saffron bundt cake, fruits hand-plucked from the property, and Portuguese cold cuts – order your preference of eggs and take to the poolside terrace to enjoy beneath the dappled shade of the trees. Come evening, chef Alexandre works with local producers to put on intimate dinners using ingredients picked from the on-site pomegranate trees, fruit orchard and vegetable patch. There’s even a dedicated tea section in the herb garden – lemongrass, lemon verbena and chocolate mint. For those who prefer something stronger, an honesty bar is stocked with Algarvian wines and Portuguese spirits.

Sunbathe among the garden’s cork furniture, read in the shade of the replica regional fisherman’s hut, or cycle along the Fuseta eco trail in the neighbouring wetlands, home to oyster farms, eclectic birds and two families of flamingos. casamodesta.pt

Doubles from €220 per night, check availability at booking.com or welcomebeyond.com

Copal Tree Lodge, Belize – for an eco jungle escape

Suites from £450, check rates and availability at booking.com

Copal Tree Lodge is a luxurious eco-resort set between the Rio Grande river and lush jungle, blending laid-back Belizean hospitality with serious luxury.

For the most unique stay, four Signature Canopy Suites are accessed by a tiny tram that takes you to the top of the jungle canopy. Choose rooms 13 or 16 for sunrise views, and 14 or 15 to watch the sunset from your king-sized bed, veranda hammock or outdoor balcony bathtub. Whichever you go for, the views are out of this world. You also get shared use of the infinity pool and a private bar with bartender Ducky to shake up whatever you fancy.

Most of the food you’ll eat at Copal Tree Lodge is grown on site – the estate even produces its own coffee, chocolate and rum, with tours of the distillery, chocolate making or coffee tastings on offer. The Garden Table Restaurant serves dishes from the kitchen garden, cooked in traditional Belizean styles such as Creole, Latin and Garifuna. Lunches combine fresh produce in sandwiches, salads and tacos with spicy pico de gallo, handmade tortillas and homemade queso fresco.

Belizean breakfasts are some of the best in the world, combining Central American favourites like huevos rancheros or burritos with a plethora of sweet, fresh tropical fruits and juices, and US-style breakfasts like pancake stacks (served with pineapple butter – a must-try) and thick coconut and cinnamon french toast.

Suites from £450, check rates and availability at booking.com

Lådfabriken b&b, Orust, Sweden – for exploring the archipelago

Doubles from £133, check availability at booking.com or expedia.co.uk

An hour north from Gothenburg lies West Sweden’s Bohuslän coast, a series of islands and peninsulas home to fishing villages strung between rugged rocks. On the very western peninsula of Orust island sunshine bounces around quirky, colourful fish crate factory turned b&b, Lådfabriken.

Whilst there are four rooms in the B&B, our pick is the EKO Tiny House nestled in the cherry, almond and walnut trees of the waterside garden. Split over two levels, it’s a serene, secluded spot to gaze across the Skagerrak Sea at sunset. Owners Johan and Marcel serve family-style dinners such as cod fillets in buttery leek sauce and ‘East meets West’ coconut and lemongrass fish soup using catch of the day via Larsson’s fish shop in nearby Mollösund. When in season there is lobster soup on the menu and evenings dedicated to oyster shucking. Breakfast is a similarly homely affair, seeing the table laden with priest cheese, Swedish emmental, Leksands crackers and an array of homemade preserves – rosehip marmalade, cowberry, lingonberry and more.

During the day, take a kayak out on the crystal-clear water, go wild swimming in the archipelago, kick back with a book on a deck chair in the rocky garden, or clamber over rocks following blue dots to the picture postcard Swedish hamlet of Edshultshall. Here, among red and white clapboard houses, families gather around barbecues on little jetties outside their boathouses. Guests all receive a pick-up stick on check in and are encouraged to join the owners in their #5minutesbeachcleanup initiative to sustain local ecosystems.

Doubles from £133, check availability at booking.com or expedia.co.uk

Wilderness reserves, Zambia and Zimbabwe – for luxury safari

Check out Wilderness Destinations for destinations, rates and availability.

If a once-in-a-lifetime safari has always been your dream, the remote Wilderness reserves in Zambia and Zimbabwe offer a rare kind of travel. Each reserve is built sensitively around its environment to allow wildlife to roam freely and the landscape to remain untouched, so you'll feel fully immersed in your surroundings.

The guiding here is world-class and truly tailored to each guest. Days begin and end with river cruises or game drives timed for when the animals are at their most active and the sunsets impossibly vivid. In the golden calm of the afternoon the tempo slows – you can enjoy a dip in the pool, a massage at the spa, or a lingering lunch accompanied by the sound of cicadas and distant bird calls.

As well as getting you up close and personal to the animals, the Wilderness reserves offer a touch of luxury throughout your stay. Wilderness Toka Leya’s open-sided river suites with swinging chairs and outdoor bathtubs allow you to soak up the hippos’ nightly chorus from the mighty Zambezi below. Wilderness Linkwasha’s pale woods and glass walls create a modern aesthetic overlooking the watering hole where giraffes stoop to drink as you sip your morning coffee. Wilderness Ruckomechi’s lantern-lit decks and elephants wandering through camp feel timelessly explorer-chic. Many suites also feature outdoor beds – perfectly safe yet open to the night sky – where you fall asleep beneath the Milky Way and wake to the sound of laughing hyenas greeting the dawn.

Dining is integral to the experience and meals celebrate the bold, earthy flavours of southern Africa – flame-grilled bream from the Zambezi, slow-cooked game stews and vegetables grown in camp gardens. Mornings start with a light breakfast of fresh fruit, wood-fired breads and eggs cooked to order before your first adventure. Evenings are pure theatre – gin and tonics around the campfire as the sun sinks below the horizon, followed by candlelit dinners beneath a vast star-studded sky.

Check out Wilderness Destinations for destinations, rates and availability.

Nordelaia, Italy – for a vineyard stay

Rooms from £261 per night including breakfast. Check availability at booking.nordelaia.com, booking.com or mrandmrsssmith.com

Nordelaia lies within a hilly swathe of rural Piedmont – a region which represents a kind of geographical middle ground, suspended between the mighty Alps and the coastal province of Liguria in north-west Italy. Occupying an 800-year-old converted farmhouse, the interiors of Nordelaia’s 12 rooms are at once contemporary and classic. Two attic suites – all warm wood beams and pleasing oblique angles – evoke a sense of treetop seclusion, while freestanding baths in the bedroom areas add a dose of opulence.

Two outdoor pools – one heated, one not, but both with views for miles – entice in all seasons, while a visit to the spa, with its warm stone floors, barrel-vaulted brick ceiling and stone arches, is sure to restore a sense of internal equilibrium.

Beyond the walls, Nordelaia is set within five hectares of arable land and boasts a working vineyard. Its offerings feature prominently on the wine list at the hotel’s destination restaurant, Lorto. Here chef Charles Pearce pays stunning homage both to the earthy, woodland character of Piedmont and to the maritime bounty of neighbouring Liguria. The two coalesce inventively in his take on perbureira – a thick, bean-based sauce traditionally served with pasta that Charles instead pairs with barbecue-kissed prawns and a coral emulsion. There’s a potato risotto with mussels that hits all the right notes, and a lip-smacking tangle of barbecued oyster mushrooms, served with garum, a deeply savoury anchovy-based ferment. A bistro menu that leans towards traditional flavours with modern touches offers guests a more relaxed but no less excellent dining experience.

Rooms from £261 per night including breakfast. Check availability at booking.nordelaia.com, booking.com or mrandmrsssmith.com

Glenapp Castle, Ayrshire – for exploring countryside

Doubles from £395, check availability at booking.com or glenappcastle.com

As well as ivy-clad turrets and excellent food, there’s one thing Glenapp Castle has plenty of: fresh air. It sits in 36 acres of grounds, detailed for guests in a beautifully illustrated map. You'll find plenty of woodland, plus herb, fruit and flower gardens, a 150-foot Victorian glasshouse and a croquet lawn, all surrounded by more open Scottish countryside to explore. You can also book onto more adventurous outdoor experiences such as foraging, mountain biking or canoeing on the loch.

Despite the grand exterior (it was originally built in 1870 as an imposing family residence for James Hunter, Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Ayrshire), there’s no intimidating reception hall at the castle, just a welcoming parlour with neat piles of wellies for guests to borrow, panelled wash rooms and chesterfield sofas. Up a carpeted staircase is the drawing room, with stone fireplace and ceiling-high windows that frame a spectacular view of Ailsa Craig (you’ll find granite curling stones from the island propping doors open around the castle).

Guest rooms, especially the master suites, are spectacular, with chandeliers, four-poster beds, huge windows framed by thick drapes and, in one case, a curved corner door that leads to a private spiral staircase... follow it down to reach a wooden hatch that opens onto the castle’s forecourt (imagine the trysts!). So big are the suites that guests also enjoy their own walk-in wardrobes, and there’s enough seating for at least a dozen people.

Doubles from £395, check availability at booking.com or glenappcastle.com