The world’s best hotels for outdoor adventures

Do thoughts of pool cocktails and hammock time leave you cold? Then we’ll hazard a guess that you are one of life’s natural adventurers; a go-getter whose idea of a real holiday is yomping or cycling up a hill, working on your (ski) carving turns or paddling down a river.

So to quench your thirst for thrills and pique your curiosity, we present our pick of 2026 hotels for outdoor adventure. They’ll not only deliver higher heart rates and days dosed with the freshest of air, but also the kind of screensaver scenery that is far from the well-trodden tourist path.

Ehrwald, Austria

You can keep your Kitzbühel and save your Saalbach — we’re eyeing the authentic villages and peaceful valleys of the Tiroler Zugspitz Arena, specifically, Ehrwald, one the Arena’s seven ski resorts. Hugged by the Zugspitze massif, this southern Austrian outpost is home to Eriro, a contemporary chalet hotel of nine suites that’s reachable only on foot or by cable car.

Its hard-to-reach setting reflects the hotel’s delight in disconnection. Once you’re checked in, screen-free suites, a slow-food concept, mindful activities and a nourishing spa pick up the baton. Not that switching off means slowing down: snow-sports in winter and hiking and biking in summer are ready to slake your thirst for activity.

Broaden your horizontals: To level up your contemplative downtime, plump for Boum or Wisa suites, which have stargazing-primed terraces and in-room wooden bath tubs, or bag made-for-four Himil for its private sauna and wood-burning fireplace.

Askøy, Norway

Just getting to Lilløy Lindenberg in Norway is an adventure: this sustainably minded escape lies on the islet of Midtøy, reachable via a 45-minute drive from Bergen and a short boat ride across the sound.

You’ll be staying in either one of the three rooms in its postcard-cute Main House or have the (slightly further away) Boat House room to yourself. Homey as its wood-panelled, soft-hued lodgings are, the great outdoors calls. You can borrow kayaks or snorkelling kit, try wind- or kite-surfing, join guided boat tours or head to Herdla for hiking and biking on Askøy.

From picking up groceries from the island’s self-serve shop to finding inspiration in local chef Antje de Vries’s ready-to-cook ingredients, or having a private chef whip you up something kelp-based, there are adventures of the culinary kind, too.

Broaden your horizontals: Opportunities to lie down are of the wholesome and Nordic variety: bask in the sauna, book in for a relaxing massage or ask staff about arranging a private yoga or Pilates session.

Aosta Valley, Italy

Where the Swiss and French Alps climb into northwest Italy, you’ll find the Aosta Valley — much-loved montane playground of climbers, hikers, skiers and snowboarders. A hop from Champuloc, make Aethos Monterosa your peak-gazing basecamp (you’ll see the resemblance to the Aosta Alps in its eye-catching architecture), where you’ll find that cheek-rosing Alpine adventures are matched in number by restorative frills.

A hammam, wood-fired saunas, 25-metre pool and alfresco hot tubs are the warm-up acts for face and body rituals at the spa. A duo of dining spots has you covered for everything from casual comfort food to multi-course tasting menus. And free shuttles into Champuloc will have you up the mountain in no time.

Broaden your horizontals: Actually, let’s take things vertical. Aethos Monterosa has a 12-metre-high indoor climbing wall. In winter, passionate pebble-wrestlers can up the ante with ascents of the hotel’s outdoor ice-climbing installation.

Vancouver Island, Canada

Vancouver Island in Canada’s British Columbia entices with wildlife-rich forests, wild-ocean shoreline and a tucked-away feel. Hiking, fishing whale-watching and bear-spotting should all be on your bingo card when you base yourself near Tofino and its patch of the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve.

If you were going to dream up a 21st-century frontier lodge, Wickaninnish Inn could easily fit your fantasy — perched on ocean-sprayed rugged rocks on the island’s wild west coast and backdropped by fir-feathered rainforest, just outside Tofino. And yet this is a wilderness outpost with welcome frills, such as a spa that spotlights natural therapies; hyper-local dining, and balconied rooms with fireplaces and giant soaking tubs.

Broaden your horizontals: With windswept sands that live up to its name, Long Beach, a skip from the Inn, is part of the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve. Explore its Second World War history and Nuu-chah-nulth stewardship at the Kwisitis Visitor Centre.

Linyanti Wildlife Reserve, Botswana

Botswana and upscale safari go together like zebras and stripes: at the heart of these out-in-nature trips of a lifetime is the Okavango Delta. But pan out further, and to the north, near Namibia’s border, you’ll find Wilderness DumaTau.

This luxury camp of stilted suites neighbours a longstanding elephant crossing, bringing prime pachyderm sightings. Its lagoon setting draws plenty of other wildlife, too, and boat cruises and game drives bring the animal action into focus. A private pool with your suite, main pool at the lodge and a wellness area where soothing massages are delivered to nature’s soundtrack provide laidback contrast to days filled with game spotting.

Broaden your horizontals: Your only-here-once moment is to treat yourself to a helicopter safari — an opportunity to get an osprey’s view of LInyanti’s 275,000 wild acres.

Argentine Patagonia, Argentina

Pilgrims who venture to this wild pocket of Patagonia tend to be boot-shod and likely packing crampons. It’s a wind-sculpted landscape of rock, ice, forest and sweeping, dust-swirled plains, where humans are merely an afterthought — until you check in at Explora El Chaltén, that is.

Contemporary rooms and suites come with Los Huemules Conservation Reserve views, dining spotlights a modern take on Andean cuisine and the wine list majors on Argentinian vintages. An all-inclusive set-up adds to the sense of freedom, but it’s your fresh-air-fuelled days — spent hiking, climbing, wildlife-spotting, or exploring Los Glaciares National Park — that will truly open up frontiers.

Broaden your horizontals: Look all around… Your base in Los Huemules Conservation Reserve comes with abundant wildlife, including rare huemul deer, guanacos, condors, pumas and foxes.

Looking to broaden your horizons even further? Check out our top wellness retreats for 2026 or dial down the action with the world’s most relaxing hotels.