With a name that means “The Sacred Mountain”, El Monte Sagrado Living Resort and Spa is a place that is made for getaway-from-it-all type of holidays. It offers guests the opportunity to escape their hectic daily lives and rejuvenate, explore one of America’s most remarkable towns and spend time in the majestic surrounding landscapes.
Situated in the heart of Taos, New Mexico, a quick stroll from Taos Plaza, this luxury resort is unique in more than one way. Its design, for starters, is exceptional and impressive, following perfectly in the iconic architectural style of the town. Some of the casitas are traditional adobe, but the others are constructed with blocks of compressed earth and gunnash, a fire-resistant mix of cement, sand and ash waste from coal plants.
El Monte Sagrado is arguably the most modern of America’s eco-resorts, a place that does everything in its power and ability to minimize its ecological footprint, while also using sustainable materials, conserving the environment and respecting the local culture. The entire complex focuses on eco-friendly practices and a lot of it runs on bio-systems. The pool is chlorine-free; the kitchen uses vegetables and fruit from the resort’s own organic garden and yak meat instead of beef; 60% of the entire resort is heated and cooled with geothermic power, while other areas are powered with solar energy; rain water is collected for use in the spa; and basically all wastewater is recycled through a purification system.
This last one, the water purification system, is arguably the biggest eco-attraction at El Monte Sagrado Living Resort and Spa. Known as the “Living Machine”, this water treatment plant, or “biolarium”, is set within a lush botanical garden and greenhouse and is open to guests. It is more or less a demonstration area where guests can learn about water treatment and how to use water responsibly. This resort focuses on wealthy visitors, who aren’t always aware of the stress their lifestyle puts on the environment, and it tries to raise awareness by showing solutions for certain problems.
This multi-award-winning resort features a large number of truly world-class facilities, from lush landscaped gardens to indoor waterfalls, 7,000 square feet of event space (wedding are popular), a private wine room, a restaurant and bar, and The Living Spa, which is arguably the flagship facility.
The Living Spa is an eco-friendly, rejuvenation center, a place where guests can enjoy a huge variety of treatments and find ultimate relaxation. The spa is characterized by scents of herbs and flowers, minerals and indigenous plants. There are no fewer than ten treatment rooms, a natural waterfall cooling system and a sunlit shower. There are also two romantic couple’s suites.
