THE GUIDE SUSTAINABLE TOURISM 2021 FRANCE TODAY’S TOP PICKS FOR 2021…


Clockwise from this image: Kayaking on the Meuse; walking through the Parc Naturel Régional de Millevaches in Limousin; more and more people are turning to eco-tourism; inset, organic farming in the Caps et Marais d’Opale Park; you will be spoilt for choice when it comes to sustainable accommodation in France


CAMPING & GLAMPING


The French have elevated camping (and its upmarket cousin, glamping) to a fine art. Whole families will happily spend much of August bedded down in the more gorgeous campsites in the more picturesque settings. Certain sites pride themselves on their eco credentials, offering yurts, gypsy caravans, tree houses and natural swimming pools. There are various ecological labels that they can adhere to, such as Clef Verte, the EU Ecolabel or Gîtes de France’s Ecogîtes. But let’s be honest, label or no label, if you’re spending a week under canvas, you’ll be automatically reducing the size of your carbon footprint without even trying.


132 ❘ FRANCE TODAY Apr/May 2021


Camping, eco or otherwise, is big business in France. According to the Federation Française de Camping et de Caravaning (FFCC), more than 112 million nights were spent under the stars in 2019 (the latest figures) at nearly 8,000 campsites scattered around the country. Aside from the United States, France has more camping than any other country in the world. Here are some more intriguing campsite suggestions…


Camping Mandala


Mongolian yurts are the focus at this campsite at Prads-Haute- Bléone in the French Alps. Cooking is done in a communal chalet while heating comes courtesy of firewood stoves. The hosts, Yvan and Nina, offer yoga courses and mountain tours


either on foot or with the aid of a donkey. www.camping-mandala.fr


Domaine de Puybeton The six luxury tree houses at this site in the Dordogne are quite remarkable. Designed to resemble real châteaux, the all-wooden structures feature peaked roofs and turrets, just like something out of the 18th century. Some have Nordic baths, others Jacuzzis, saunas or hot tubs. Nearby there’s also a swimming pool with an all-natural cleaning system. www.chateaux-dans-les-arbres. com


Orion Tree Houses Bagheera, Shere Khan, King Louie and Colonel Hathi… are the names of four lovely tree houses, a short distance west of


Nice, that are named after characters from Rudyard Kipling’s Jungle Book. All sit in the trees surrounding the central swimming pool which, the owners explain, is “filtered by plants, stones, gravel and sand, and oxygenated by a little waterfall and a fountain”. A short walk away is the medieval village of Saint-Paul-de-Vence. www.orionbb.com


La Chouette Cabane Remember the famous book The Swiss Family Robinson? Stay at one of the three tree houses at this site, between Rennes and Angers, and you’ll think you’re a character straight out of the story. One of the tree houses is designed as a love nest for two, while the others accommodate four people. www.chouettecabane.fr


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