The World's Most Dramatic Cliffside Hotels

This sprawling cliffside hotel, near the celebrity-filled Uruguayan beach city of Punta del Este, is a sight to behold, with not a straight line in sight. Casapueblo, which looks like melted candle wax running down the hillside, was designed and built – by hand – over a period of 36 years by the late artist, Carlos Páez Vilaró, with help from local fishermen. This part-building, part-sculpture features 13 terraced floors, with rooms marked by symbols hand-drawn by Páez Vilaró himself. On-site attractions also include a restaurant, spa and museum. Vilaró, who was an ardent traveller and rubbed shoulders with the likes of Pablo Picasso and Brigitte Bardot, picked this spot for its epic sunsets and the sun symbol featured in many of his works.

Go tropical with a stay at the stunning Jade Mountain resort. The luxury hotel, meticulously designed by architect and owner Nick Troubetzkoy, is poised atop a dramatic sloping cliff amid lush jungle overlooking St Lucia’s Unesco-listed Piton mountains. As for accommodation, there are 24 suites with private infinity pools, and the fourth wall of each room is missing so that guests can fully embrace the views of St Lucia’s distinctive peaks and the Caribbean Sea. There are also five Sky Jacuzzi Suites, which have open-air hot tubs instead of pools; these are located lower down the hillside. The restaurant curves around the resort’s main infinity pool and there is a spa on-site, with an Einstein head massage among the treatments on the menu.

One of the finest small luxury hotels in Ireland, Cliff House Hotel, close to Cork and Waterford, seems to defy gravity, with the building clinging to a cliff. There are 39 sunny rooms and suites, which overlook Ardmore Bay and its fishing village. For extra seclusion, a cottage and beach house are available to rent. The privately-owned hotel also features an intimate spa as well as a Michelin-lauded restaurant. As for activities, hiking, archery, sea kayaking, snorkelling and cold-water surfing are all on the menu.

Set into a cliff edge over tiered lemon and olive groves, Belmond Hotel Caruso seems to float above the ocean. The elegant 11th-century hotel was built by a wealthy family and its lofty location is now considered one of the best spots on the Amalfi Coast. The simple yet stylish room and suites, complete with antique furniture and metal four-poster beds, make the most of the views, with balconies overlooking the coastline below. Other highlights include a dramatic infinity pool and a private Krug Table terrace where diners can eat al fresco on decadent Emilio Pucci chairs with grass underfoot and a chilled magnum of champagne to hand.

On California’s Big Sur coastline, Post Range Inn offers 39 guest rooms, with either an ocean or mountain view. The Cliff House is particularly impressive, with an outside deck suspended over a vertical cut of rock. The secluded glass-walled bedroom features a wood-burning fireplace and heated floors for the cooler winter months. An outdoor stainless steel hot tub allows you to truly soak up the watery views. Two heated infinity pools with expansive views add to the drama. On the activity front, there are guided nature walks, stargazing sessions, falconry lessons and yoga classes.

San Antonio, in the picturesque village of Imerovigli on Santorini, is the sole occupant of a cliff face with the luxury hotel built into a sheer wall of volcanic rock. There are 25 rooms and suites with breezy interiors and prime views of the shimmering Aegean Sea. The superior and honeymoon suites have private Jacuzzis and there is a shared infinity pool at the resort, which seems to merge with the waters beyond. The Cliffside Dinner Restaurant is another highlight, with dishes inspired by Santorini’s heritage and local wines served.

Amid Cappadocia’s magical landscape of fairy chimneys, in the ancient village of Urgup, is a unique cave hotel carved into a cliff. The Yunak Evleri has 10 cave houses and 120 guest rooms in surroundings dating back to the 5th and 6th centuries, and the hotel’s lobby is contained within a 19th-century Greek mansion. All of the traditionally decorated chambers are connected via a labyrinth of narrow passageways and a curved stone stairway. Two outdoor pools, a spa and a hilltop restaurant overlooking the surrounding valleys.

When it comes to luxury, the Bvlgari Resort Bali cuts no corners. The hotel, which merges traditional Balinese design with a splash of Italian flare, boasts a spectacular position high on a cliff overlooking the Indian Ocean and private access via funicular to a pristine stretch of beach. There are 58 villas, five mansions offering up to five bedrooms and a sprawling villa. All rooms have private plunge pools and secluded tropical gardens. Final flourishes are added by an Italian and Indonesian restaurant, a lounge bar, spa and cliff-edge pool.