Features

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 the refreshing rural retreat of Refugio Marnes, on Spain's breathtaking Costa Blanca.

Bedrooms: 1

Sleeps: 2

From

110€ / 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

£145 / 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

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

Cabanes des 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: 2-6 per cabin

From

£155 / 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

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)