Ah, glamping! How wonderful you are! For years, the tarpaulin-averse were denied the chance to sleep in the wild. Now, you can’t go into the countryside without snagging a yurt, dome or cabin hidden away in the trees. According to a report by Grand View Research, the global glamping market will be worth an eye-watering $5.94 billion by 2030.
Europe is the world’s champion of glamping, offering more luxury camping options than any other continent. Emerging trends include both wilder and more urban spaces, increasingly sustainable building, and a greater emphasis on wellness and activities such as on-site yoga, wild swims, and forest bathing. The result is earthy experiences without the deprivation.
Go to bed in a biosphere in Lanzarote
The entire northernmost Canary island – a Mars-looking land of astonishing biodiversity – is a Unesco Biosphere Reserve, and eco-luxury Finca de Arrieta, near the golden beach of La Garita, fits the bill. Powered by green energy and committed to responsible tourism, the island has a handful of yurts with sumptuous interiors and private gardens and kitchens. It also works with local providers who can deliver bikes and Toyota hybrids, and organise everything from snorkelling trips to hikes in Timanfaya National Park.
How to: Finca de Arrieta (lanzaroteretreats.com) offers self-catering dorms from £248 for two nights (2-7 people)
Head to the mountains in France
High in the Haute-Savoie, Les Écotagnes’ two hand-built huts hang among the trees overlooking the Aravis mountain range. High walkways lead to each eagle’s nest, decks offer unlimited views, and wood-burning stoves keep things warm. There’s also a communal jacuzzi and a dining hut serving home-cooked meals. It’s great for alpine activities, too: hiking trails stretch from the door, gondolas facilitate access to the summits, and Lake Annecy is nearby, ideal for water sports and the 26 miles of trails that surround it.
How to make: Ecotagnes (ecotagnes.com) offers cabins for 2-4 people (from £134 per night) and half board
Settle in somewhere among the pine trees in Croatia
And breathe… Tucked away among the pine trees of Pomer, on the coast of the Istrian peninsula, Arena One 99 Glamping offers both the fresh air of the forest and the breeze of the sea. Here, there are a variety of mini-huts, hut tents and safari tents, each equipped with Egyptian cotton sheets, fancy toiletries and espresso machines – this is not basic camping. You can also join the on-site ceramics workshops, gong bath sessions and windsurfing lessons. The ancient port town of Pula is also nearby.
How to: Arena One 99 Glamping (arenaglamping.com) Guesthouses and tents (2-6 people) are available from £183 for two nights
Catalan style camping in Spain
Bustling Barcelona is just an hour away, but you wouldn’t know it – it’s the sense of isolation that makes Forest Days feel luxurious. There are just four bell tents, well-spaced in the foothills of the Catalan Pyrenees. Each is rustic but comfortable with super king-size beds, handmade furniture, eco toilets and endless opportunities for exploring. Follow the trails into the forest, along the cliff tops and down to the Aigua d’Ora River for wild swimming. Cycling, canoeing and canyoning are also available nearby.
How to: Forest Days Glamping (coolstays.com) tents (for four) from £159 per night, self-catering
Get a pod and a pool in Devon
Loveland Farm, on Devon’s wild Hartland Peninsula, is beautifully situated close to the sea, but it also has its own eco-swimming pool in a bright barn conversion heated by a biomass boiler. Stay in one of the nine smart geodomes on site: sunbathe on the deck, cook in your separate kitchen, go surfing. After dark, curl up under cashmere blankets, turn on the projector for a movie night, or gaze at the stars through the clear sides and skylights of your pods.
How to: Loveland Farm (canopyandstars.co.uk) Rooms for 2-6 people (self-catering) from £149/day
Take a lakeside getaway in Sweden
The Swedes have a saying: friluftsliv – conveying the feeling of bliss that comes from being immersed in nature. Dalsland Activities has four glass houses that do just that. Perched on a private headland above Lake Ivag, these transparent shelters offer unobstructed views of the sky, water, deer, trees and stars. They have private bathing areas and access to fishing rods, rowing boats and SUPs, so you can paddle out whenever you want. Alternatively, canoe along the Steneby River or take a guided beaver-seeking walk.
How to: Dalsland Activities (dalslandaktiviteter.se) offers greenhouse accommodation from £410 per person (doubles) for three days, full board or from £235 per night (bed and breakfast).
Choose a perfect stack in Italy
On the shores of Lake Ledro, the Palafitta tents have been handcrafted to resemble the stilt houses built here around 4,000 years ago. But it’s unlikely that Trentino’s prehistoric inhabitants would have enjoyed anything quite so grand: these modern versions offer airy verandas, kitchenettes and comfy beds, all with lake and mountain views. The tents are part of Best Ledro Camping, which is located next to Besta beach and the crystal-clear waters of Ledro – perfect for canoeing, sailing, fishing and swimming; you can also learn more ancient history at the local museum.
How to: Best Ledro Camping (bestledrocamping.it) offers tents (2-4 people) from £235 for two nights, self-catering
Explore a remote retreat in Norway
The Canvas Hotel – nine waterside Kyrgyz tents clustered on an island in the Telemark region of southern Norway – is great for cyclists. The campsite is at the intersection of a network of carefully designed cycle paths that wind through the surrounding forest, ponds and rocky wilderness, but are also manageable for amateurs. Bike hire and guidance are included, as is a post-ride steam in the sauna, a swim in the lake, a soak in the rustic “spa” (10 tin baths on the shore) and delicious meals cooked over an open fire.
How to: Canvas Hotel (Tuval.norrona.com) Prices start from £259/day (doubles) and offer full board accommodation
Find family fun in Slovenia
For family-focused, stylish adventures, try River Camping Bled. Surrounded by the Sava River, just steps from Slovenia’s fairytale lake, this area sits at the confluence of three mountain ranges and numerous valleys – perfect for hiking, cycling, rafting and all sorts of sports. Sleeping options range from spacious boutique tents and mirrored houses with terraces, kitchens and stunning views to bijou spheres hidden in the forest. There’s also a large swimming pool and playground, plus Mother Nature’s even larger playground.
How to: Bled River Camp (riverkamp-bled.si) glamping accommodation (2-6 people) from £92/day, self-catering
Go far away to Greenland
At Camp Kiattua, the first adventure is getting there. Off-grid, off-trace tents (heated with wood stoves and reindeer hides) are pitched each summer in a private bay surrounded by ancient mountains and accessible only by helicopter or boat. Gourmet meals (modern interpretations of traditional Greenlandic dishes) and a variety of activities are included: canoeing among icebergs, glacier-cruising, hiking to Viking ruins, fishing for Arctic trout, engaging with Inuit culture, and getting away from the rest of the world.
How to: Swoop Arctic (swoop-arctic.com) Camp Kiattua offers three nights from £4,484, including meals and activities, excluding flights
