This looks like another planet. It’s the otherworldly Sonoran Desert, less than 30 minutes from Scottsdale, Arizona, in the United States. And those gargantuan granite boulders are 12 million years old. What is this place? An environmentally sound, family-owned luxury complex in the middle of the gold dust- and orange-toned Sonoran, the Boulders Resort spreads like an unexpected mirage across 525 hectares (1,300 acres). Huge irregular stones, many as tall as buildings, define the landscape, linking it with the American West’s seemingly limitless sky. With two Jay Morrish-designed championship golf courses (considered among the most demanding in the southwestern US), a spa, several restaurants, four swimming pools, tennis courts (even a court for pickleball, a paddle sport that combines elements of badminton, tennis and table tennis) and on-site activities from rock climbing to hot-air ballooning, Boulders is an outdoor enthusiast’s dream. Coming by helicopter? No worries. They’ve got a helipad. Environmentally sound you say. How so? Essentially it is about the design: low-rise structures that blend into the landscape. Boulders earned the Urban Land Institute’s Environmental Award of Excellence and the Valley Forward Association’s Crescordia Award of Environmental Excellence, primarily for the extensive revegetation (with only location-appropriate species) that was carried out after construction. Those big lizards; if I see one, should I run? Nope. That’s just a harmless chuckwalla. He’s one of the southwest’s most charming, albeit colossal lizards. You’ll find him eyeing you suspiciously from a rock while he sunbathes. He’ll be just one of various types of wildlife watching you while you sip a libation on your balcony: javelina, jackrabbits, coyote and deer abound, too. Those cacti look like people. You’re right. They do. The Saguaro cactus is a remarkable species that grows only in the Sonoran Desert. Anthropomorphic, stretching to the sky, with limbs askew and in profusion, these tree-like plants can grow to a height of more than 12 metres (40 feet). And they live for decades. The saguaro blossom is the state wild flower of Arizona. Other cacti grow outside the casitas . What’s a casita ? That means “little house” in Spanish, but at Boulders these suites are not all that diminutive. Grouped in low-rise adobe buildings meant to meld into the terrain, each luxury suite has a terrace with views of the desert and/or a golf course, and a fireplace (although hot during the day, it gets cold at night). Tell me about the food. Arizona cuisine adheres to Mexican-meets-Old-West traditions. At Palo Verde, the chief among six Boulders restaurants and which overlooks the sixth fairway of the South Course, blue corn pancakes are a good bet for breakfast, and spiced grilled beef fillet, after a starter of baked chile pasilla, makes the grade for dinner. Among the other eateries are the Spa Café, for wellness cuisine, and the Discovery Lounge, for alchemical cocktails. What’s the spa like? It’s the stuff of dreams. The 3,000 square metre (33,000 sq ft) facility has 24 treatment rooms, yoga facilities, a labyrinth for meditative walking and a tepee for Native American-inspired modalities. What else is there to do? In Carefree, Arizona (yes, the nearby small community’s name says it all), Boulders is a destination retreat. But Scottsdale is a buzzy, culinary-savvy city. Guests can also enjoy quad-bike touring, horseback riding, biking and hiking. What’s the cost? Low-season rates start at US$139, high season (winter) at US$459.