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Top Eco-Friendly & Sustainable Retreats in the UK and Worldwide

7 March 2022

Choosing a sustainable holiday retreat doesn’t only mean reducing your carbon footprint.

Often crafted by hand or to a bespoke design, eco-friendly properties come imbued with care, purpose, and meaning, elevating your holiday to refreshing new levels of luxury… guilt-free.

On our list of sustainable global havens is a master-crafted Bedouin tent fit for Moroccan royalty, and a selection of cabins and treehouses with mouth-watering organic produce, nestled in the glorious green hills of southern Hungary.

In other words, prepare to be amazed!

Author: Nina Jervis
Main image: Lazybed & Batbox | Scottish Highlands

Rosehill Lodges

Porthtowan, Cornwall, England
Grass-roofed, luxurious, five-star self-catering lodges in Porthtowan on North Cornwall coast.  
Bedrooms: 2-3 per unit
Sleeps: 4-6 per unit
From
£1,025 (7nt)

Swallowtail Hill

Beckley, East Sussex, England
Make the perfect picture-postcard lifestyle a reality in an East Sussex Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, built for conservation, luxury, education and fun.
Bedrooms: 1 per cabin
Sleeps: Up to 4 per cabin
From
£250 (2 nts)

A Terra

São Teotonio, Alentejo, Portugal
Secluded Portuguese eco-glamping, set beside a sparkling lake in the refreshing ‘slow lane' of life.
Bedrooms: Varies
Sleeps: Varies (2-4 per tent)
From
£115 (2 nights)

Canopy Lodge

El Valle de Antón, Coclé, Panama
Take a refreshing tour of the natural world, from a warmly picturesque setting in the foothills of Panama's volcanic heart.
Bedrooms: 12
Sleeps: 1-4 per room
From
£145 pppn

Refugio Marnes

Benissa, Alicante, Spain
Indulge in a luxurious Bedouin tent fit for royalty, found within a refreshing rural retreat on Spain's breathtaking Costa Blanca.
Bedrooms: 1
Sleeps: Up to 4
From
£70 / night

Kolarbyn Eco Lodge

Skinnskatteberg, Västmanland, Sweden
Welcome to "Sweden's most primitive hotel" - Kolarbyn Eco Lodge, a peaceful gathering of charcoal huts surrounded by lush spruce forest.
Bedrooms:
Sleeps: 2-5 per hut
From
£67 pppn

novanta

Bibbiena, Tuscany, Italy
It's probably easier to think of your stay at novanta as a relaxed gathering amongst friends, rather than a traditional Tuscan holiday - yet even this description doesn't go quite far enough! 
Bedrooms: Varies
Sleeps: Varies
From
£105 / night

Macaronesian Eco Suites Caves

San Cristobal de la Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
Live in harmony with the natural world in a Tenerife cave suite steeped in rustic luxury and just a short drive from the beach.
Bedrooms: 2
Sleeps: 4
From
£158 / night

Pedras Salgadas Park

Trás-os-Montes, North Portugal
Architect-designed treehouses and eco-houses, set within a magical century-old spa and nature park in northern Portugal.
Bedrooms: 1 or 2 per house
Sleeps: Varies
From
£170 / night (eco house)

Bulworthy Eco Cabin

Tiverton, Devon, England
Learn to appreciate nature again and relax in a lovingly handcrafted off-grid cabin, secluded in its own Devon woodland glade.
Bedrooms: 1
Sleeps: 2
From
£200 /2 nights

Sal Salis

Ningaloo Reef, Western Australia
Explore the outback in an exclusive beachside safari camp, remotely set within the dunes of Australia's Cape Range National Park.
Bedrooms: Open plan
Sleeps: Up to 3 per tent
From
£982/night

Aplite House

Freycinet Peninsula, Tasmania, Australia
A privately secluded, architect-designed eco haven that showcases Tasmania's unique beauty to its best, most dramatic effect.
Bedrooms: 2
Sleeps: 4 (+1)
From
£174 / night

The Secret Yurts

Welshpool, Powys, Wales
The Welsh countryside's best-kept secret, until now - three luxurious, eco-friendly yurts packed with cosy creature comforts.
Bedrooms: Open plan
Sleeps:
From
£360 2 nights

Coucoo Grands Reflets

Joncherey, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, France
A breathtaking eco-resort, set in the soothing heart of French forest land that's also close to Switzerland and Germany.
Bedrooms: Varies
Sleeps: 2-7 per cabin
From
£140 / night

Hunza Ecolodge

Bodolyaber, Baranya, Hungary
Get back to nature amongst the lush hills of Southern Hungary, where community, comfort, wine and good food reign supreme.
Bedrooms: Varies
Sleeps: 4-5 per unit
From
£46 / night

Eco Fisherman's Cottage

Arrieta, Lanzarote, Spain
A quaint and historic off-grid retreat, featuring soothing sea views and an authentic slice of rustic village life in Lanzarote.
Bedrooms: 1
Sleeps:
From
£110 / night

River Camping Bled

Bled, Upper Carniola, Slovenia
A refreshing, eco-and-family-friendly retreat amongst nature at its most magical, surrounded by Slovenia's breathtaking Julian Alps.
Bedrooms: 2 per cottage
Sleeps: 4 per cottage
From
£128 / night

By the Wye

Hay-on-Wye, Herefordshire, England
Plan your soothing escape to an off-grid, family-run glamping site in the rural heart of Hay-on-Wye, where everyone is welcome.
Bedrooms: 1-2 per tent
Sleeps:
From
£185 / night

Lough Mardal Lodge Glamping

Ballintra, County Donegal, Ireland
Luscious, off-grid lakeside retreats and a strawbale lodge, mesmerisingly secluded amongst 90 acres of diverse, wild, and unspoilt landscapes on the Wild Atlantic Way.
Bedrooms: Open plan
Sleeps: 2-4 per unit
From
£100 / night

Saveriako

Agia Pelagia, Crete, Greece
A relaxed eco-farm retreat with traditionally styled, homely apartments and a vegetable garden, nestled amongst olive groves on the scenic, sun-dappled north coast of Crete.
Bedrooms: 1-2 per apt
Sleeps: 2-5 per apt
From
£39 / night

Apukka Resort Rovaniemi

Rovaniemi, Lapland, Finland
A glistening snow-covered resort in the capital of Lapland, surrounded by wilderness lakes and magical Arctic nature, just 10 minutes from the official home of Santa Claus!
Bedrooms: Varies
Sleeps: Varies
From
£307 / night (Aurora)

Lazybed & Batbox

Nr Lochinver, Highlands, The Highlands, Scotland
Two unique, eco-friendly retreats, blissfully secluded on a three-acre croft in the North West Highlands, with jaw-dropping mountain-and-sea-loch views, and white-sand beaches close by.
Bedrooms: 1 per cabin
Sleeps: 2 per cabin
From

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