Ecotourism: 5 Unusual Places For A Quiet Holiday In Europe

If you are tired of the noisy cities, crowded beaches and tourist routes, you can try ecotourism – it involves outdoor recreation away from the hustle and bustle. At the same time, conditions can be both comfortable (for example, when you stay in a house on a farm with all the comforts), and as close as possible to the wild nature. Another important part of ecotourism is to minimize environmental damage. Therefore, the owners of such hotels and farms usually choose environmentally friendly materials for the construction of buildings and use electricity from alternative sources.

We have collected five ecotourism places in different countries of Europe, where you can enjoy a relaxing holiday without harming nature.

Treehouse Tree Hotel, Sweden

Tree Hotel is located in the middle of a forest next to the Swedish village of Harads. Its visitors can move into rooms in the form of a flying saucer, bird’s nest, mirror cube or other unusual forms. Although the rooms are located on the trees, they look modern, but you can not worry about safety: the rooms are firmly fixed on the pines 4-6 meters above the ground. In addition, all rooms have Wi-Fi, floor heating and toilets: the creators of the hotel emphasize that one of the main components of its concept is to have minimal impact on the environment. Room sizes range from 15 to 75 square meters and can accommodate both two people and large families with several children.

For an extra fee, guests can enjoy fishing, cycling or kayaking and visiting the sauna.

Eco Hotel Whitepod, Switzerland

Another unusual hotel is located in the Swiss Alps. Guests are placed in the “hearths” – small houses in the form of spheres consisting of triangles. This form was chosen because of its environmental friendliness: it allows the use of a smaller amount of metal without compromising the stability of such houses. In addition, the hotel uses special devices that help intelligently consume water and electricity. One “under” is one room, each of which, in addition to the bedroom, has a bathroom and everything you need. The owners of the hotel offer a lot of different entertainment depending on the time of year – however, for a fee. For example, in winter you can ski or ride a dog sled, and in the summer you can go hiking in the mountains, ride bicycles or paraglide. In bad weather, you can stay in the hotel to try one of the five types of massage,

Ashness Eco Farm, UK

The farm is located in the north of England in the middle of the picturesque Borrowdale valley – near the lake and the village with the market. The hosts offer a choice of one of five rooms in an old country house, depending on the number of guests – each of them has all the amenities, including a shower and central heating. Mostly sheep are raised on the farm, but there are also hens here – eggs that they carry are cooked for breakfast. Guests can take care of animals, feed them and just enjoy a relaxing holiday away from the city in the midst of English nature.

What farm Tenuta San Carlo, Italy

Located along the Mediterranean coast, the Tenuta San Carlo farm stretches across beaches, marshes, fields, and forests. Tourists can stay at the farmhouse, help feed the animals and pick vegetables for dinner. Guests are offered to treat themselves, for example, with fresh Tuscan tomatoes (in pasta, pizza or just like that), mushrooms collected in the forest (in risotto or lasagna), and also olive oil from olives grown here. The farm owners say that they want to do everything in harmony with the environment. “Our approach to food is simple: eat what you grow, keep animals free, not in captivity, and listen to nature,” they say.

Camping Munda Ecoturismo, Portugal

If you want to find a piece of Asia in Europe, you can go to Portugal and visit the campsite in the Mongolian style. Instead of tents, there are traditional Mongolian yurts, which can accommodate from one to four people. Each of them is equipped with its own kitchen, shower, and toilet, and the campsite has a sauna and an eco-pool with a natural water purification system. In the local garden grow olive and fruit trees, and in the garden – fresh vegetables and herbs. The owners of the campsite offer cycling and hiking in the mountains, or simply enjoy the peace and tranquility in the middle of Portuguese nature.