Oh, glamping! You’re so awesome! For all those years, the canvas-averse were denied the chance to sleep in the wild. Now you can’t venture out into the countryside without stumbling across a yurt, dome or cabin tucked away in the trees. According to a report by Grand View Research, the global glamping market will be worth a staggering $5.94 billion by 2030.
Europe is the world champion of glamping, with more chic camping options than any other continent. Emerging trends include wilder and more urban locations, increasingly sustainable construction, and a greater emphasis on wellness and activities, such as on-site yoga, wild swimming and forest bathing. Ultimately, you get down-to-earth experiences without the deprivation.
Sleep in a biosphere in Lanzarote
The entirety of this northernmost Canary Island – a Martian-looking land of astonishing biodiversity – is a Unesco Biosphere Reserve, and eco-luxury Finca de Arrieta, just off the golden sands of La Garita, fits the bill perfectly. Powered by green energy and committed to responsible tourism, it has a handful of yurts with sumptuous interiors and private gardens and kitchens. It also works with local operators who can provide bikes and Toyota hybrid cars, and organise everything from snorkelling trips to treks in Timanfaya National Park.
How to do that: Finca de Arrieta (lanzaroteretreats.com) offers yurts (sleeping 2-7) from £248 for two nights, self-catering
Go to the mountains in France
High in the Haute-Savoie, Les Écotagnes’ two handcrafted cabins teeter in the trees, overlooking the Aravis Mountains. Elevated walkways lead to each eyrie, where decks offer unobstructed views and wood-burning stoves keep things cosy. There’s also a shared hot tub and dining hut serving home-cooked meals. It’s also great for alpine activities: hiking trails lead from the door, gondolas provide easy access to the peaks, and Lake Annecy is nearby, ideal for water sports and the 26-mile trail that runs around it.
How to do it: Ecotagnes (ecotagnes.com) offers cabins (sleeping 2-4) from £134 pn, half board
Camp among the pine trees in Croatia
And breathe in… Nestled among the pine trees of Pomer, on the shores of the Istrian peninsula, Arena One 99 Glamping offers both fresh forest air and sea breezes. There’s a selection of mini lodges, lodge tents and safari tents here, each kitted out with Egyptian cotton linen, luxury toiletries and espresso machines – basic camping this is not. You can also take part in ceramics workshops, gong bath sessions and on-site windsurfing lessons. Plus, the ancient port town of Pula is close by.
How to do that: Arena One 99 Glamping (arenglamping.com website) has lodges and tents (sleeping 2-6) from £183 for two nights
Camp Catalan style in Spain
Buzzy Barcelona is just an hour away, but you wouldn’t think it: what makes Forest Days so luxurious is the sense of isolation. There are just four bell tents, well-spaced in the foothills of the Catalan Pyrenees. They’re all rustic but comfortable, with super-king-size mattresses, handcrafted furniture, eco-toilets and plenty of opportunities to explore. Follow trails through forest, along cliffs and down to the Aigua d’Ora river for wild swimming. Cycling, kayaking and canyoning are also available nearby.
How to do it: Forest Days Glamping (coolstays.com) offers tents (sleeping four) from £159 pn, self-catering
Buy a pod and a pool in Devon
Loveland Farm, on Devon’s wild Hartland Peninsula, has a stunning seafront location. But it also has its own eco-pool, set in a bright barn heated by a biomass boiler. Stay in one of nine clever geodomes on site: sunbathe on the deck, cook in your separate kitchenette, surf. After sunset, curl up under cashmere blankets, turn down the projector for a movie night or stargaze through the clear sides and skylights of your pods.
How to do it: Loveland Farm (canopyandstars.co.uk) has pods (sleeping 2-6) from £149 pn self-catering
Go on a lake holiday in Sweden
The Swedes have a word – childish life – that conveys the blissful feeling that comes from being in the middle of nature. Dalsland Activities has four greenhouses that do just that. Situated on a private headland above Lake Ivag, these transparent hideaways offer unobstructed views of the sky, water, moose, trees and stars. They have private bathing facilities plus access to fishing rods, rowing boats and SUPs, so you can paddle out whenever you like. You can also kayak on the Steneby River or take a guided walk in search of beavers.
How to do that: Dalsland activities (dalslandsactivitet.se) offers cottages (for two people) from £410 pp for three days, full board, or £235 pn, B&B
Choose a perfect stack in Italy
The Palafitta tents on Lake Ledro are handcrafted to resemble the stilt houses built here some 4,000 years ago. It’s unlikely Trentino’s prehistoric inhabitants enjoyed anything so glamorous, though: these modern versions have airy verandas, small kitchens and comfortable beds, all with lake and mountain views. The tents are part of Best Ledro Camping, which is set on Besta Beach and the crystal-clear waters of Ledro – perfect for canoeing, sailing, fishing and swimming; you can also learn more about ancient history in the local museum.
How to do that: Dear Ledro Camping (bestledrocamping.it) offers tents (sleeping 2-4) from £235 for two nights, self-catering
Cycle around a remote Norwegian hideaway
Canvas Hotel – nine waterfront Kyrgyz yurts huddled on an island in the Telemark region of southern Norway – is fantastic for cyclists. The camp is at the hub of a network of carefully designed cycle paths that wind through the surrounding forest, pools and rocky wilderness – but are also accessible to amateurs. Bike hire and guiding are included, as are post-ride steams in a sauna, swimming in the lake, soaks in the rustic “spa” (10 tin tubs on the shore) and delicious meals cooked over an open fire.
How to do that: Canvas Hotel (canvas.norrona.com) offers yurts (for two people) from £259 pppn, full board
Find family fun in Slovenia
For stylish family adventures, try River Camping Bled. Surrounded by the Sava River, the campsite is a stone’s throw from Slovenia’s fairytale lake, at the intersection of three mountain ranges and multiple valleys – perfect for hiking, biking, rafting and all manner of sports. Accommodation options range from spacious boutique tents and mirrored cabins with terraces, kitchens and picture-perfect views, to tiny globes hidden in the forest. There’s also a large swimming pool and playground, plus Mother Nature’s much larger playground just down the road.
How to do that: Bled River Camping (rivercamping-bled.si) offers glamping accommodation (sleeps 2-6) from £92 pn, self-catering
Go far away in Greenland
At Camp Kiattua, the first adventure is getting there. This group of off-grid, leave-no-trace tents—warmed by wood stoves and reindeer hides—sets up each summer on a private inlet flanked by ancient mountains and accessible only by helicopter or boat. Gourmet meals (modern takes on traditional Greenlandic dishes) and a variety of activities are included: kayaking among icebergs, cruising past glaciers, hiking to Viking ruins, fishing for Arctic char, experiencing Inuit culture, and disconnecting from the rest of the world.
How to do it: Swoop Arctic (swoop-arctic.com) offers a three-night stay at Camp Kiattua from £4,484pp, including meals and activities, excluding flights
