Europe's top glamping retreats
Experience the call of the wild in eco-friendly comfort
Camping is all about enjoying the outdoors and banishing luxury, convenience and comfort in the name of something nobler. While some think this is a wonderful way to holiday, others see it as a nightmare played out in leaking, claustrophobic tents.
So if your idea of fun doesn't involve brushing your teeth with chemically-treated puddle water, we've rounded up the best glamping sites around the world to allow you to get back to nature in the most luxurious way possible.
Eco-Lodge Brejeira, Algarve, Portugal
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Choose a night at the Eco-Lodge Brejeira and you are given a choice of accommodation: Mongolian yurt, gypsy caravan or German fire truck. Each has the luxury of a double bed and compost toilet, (which is used for the vegetable garden) and two have kitchen. The Guardian calls the lodge as "unique as it is eco-friendly"' and suggests you "spend your days exploring the nearby beaches, or set off on the new Via Algarviana hiking and mountain biking track, which passes right under Brejeira".
Loveland Farm, Devon
The pursuit of fashion on most camping holidays is typically restricted to experimenting with ways you can pull off "windswept" chic while wearing a pair of your dad's waterproof hiking trousers. Luckily, glamping is a whole other kettle of fish. "Hotshot designer duo" Jeff and Karina gave up touring the world as fashionistas to run this Devon farm and offer glampers unique and fabulously designed accommodation.
Every farm needs animals and Loveland doesn't disappoint, with an onsite roster including pigs, ducks, alpacas and a pair of water buffaloes. On top of that, the whole complex is run off solar energy and eco-huts and loos are dotted around.
Eco Retreats, Powys
The idea of sleeping in a tent in the middle of Wales might be enough to make you scream, but a stay at Eco Retreats is a world away from soggy nights under tarpaulin. You sleep in either a yurt or a tipi furnished with double beds, stoves and private toilet and shower. "Reconnect with the rhythms of the environment" without having to get your hands dirty.
Whitepod Eco-Luxury Hotel, Swiss Alps
Whitepod's igloo-like guest homes make for a truly indulgent oasis in the low temperatures and deep snow of the Swiss Alps. For extra comfort, choose a "deluxe" pod with king-sized bed, fully fitted bathroom, satellite TV, wi-fi, a complimentary minibar and breakfast delivered to your door. The option of an in-pod massage is the icing on the cake.
All guests get access to the sauna, daily afternoon tea and outdoor activities from tennis to ski slopes with private lifts. Glamping doesn't get much better.
Treehotel, Sweden
If you want to get away from it all, then look no further than Sweden's Treehotel, where the accommodation nestles high in the branches of tall trees and is accessible only by ramp, bridge or electric stairs.
Each room is different, with guests able to choose from a mirror cube, alien spaceship and bird's nest. The hotel also offers guided tours, hiking excursions, mountain-biking, watersports, horse riding, ice dining, dog sled tours, fishing, snowmobile riding – basically anything you can imagine that involves nature or snow.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
The Week contest: Airport goodbyes
Puzzles and Quizzes
By The Week US Published
-
'We shouldn't be surprised that crypto is back'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
How the national debt affects your finances
Rachel Reeves has changed the rules, but why does that matter?
By Marc Shoffman, The Week UK Published
-
8 new cookbooks for a delicious fall
The Week Recommends With a big ole emphasis on baking. Because it is the season.
By Scott Hocker, The Week US Published
-
Forget the overtourism of the Amalfi Coast and head to Madeira, Portugal
The Week Recommends Try this stunning alternative in the Atlantic Ocean
By Catherine Garcia, The Week US Published
-
What are digital nomads?
The Explainer Dozens of countries now offer remote working visas but the schemes vary and there are downsides too
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Best staycation destinations in Wales
The Week recommends Rich in Celtic culture, coastline and castles, England's neighbouring nation has much to offer visitors
By Adrienne Wyper, The Week UK Published
-
The week's good news: Jan. 11, 2024
Feature It wasn't all bad!
By Catherine Garcia, The Week US Published
-
The week's good news: Jan. 4, 2023
Feature It wasn't all bad!
By Catherine Garcia, The Week US Published
-
World's oldest dog ever, Bobi, dies at 31
Speed Read Bobi was an astonishing 217 years old in dog years
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
A weekend in Tenby: travel guide, things to do, food and drink
The Week Recommends Everything you need to know for a coastal break in Pembrokeshire
By The Week Staff Published