1 ILHA DA BERLENGA
Portugal
Be brave — the sea crossing from Peniche can be bumpy, but the reward is a hillside camp site with exclusive access to the crystal waters of a small cove on Ilha da Berlenga. Only a dozen fishermen’s families live on the island, which is a protected nature reserve. It’s saltwater showers only, and you have to collect a daily personal allowance of fresh water at the island’s bar (which stocks other drinks, too).
ilhadasberlengas.no.sapo.pt
2 LUGAR VARZEAS
Portugal
Camp with a clear conscience in the hills of central Portugal, surrounded by the scent of jasmine, eucalyptus and orange blossom. The turquoise eco-yurts have a brass-knobbed bed and retro furnishings, while the owners’ organic allotment provides vines, figs and basil. Their chickens will lay your morning eggs, and you’ll wake up to find your breakfast in a hamper at your yurt’s front door before you skip off for a solar-powered hot shower.
yurtholidayportugal.com
3 EL BURRO BLANCO
Spain
This is a taste of what Spanish life was like before pubs clogged up the costas and when donkeys were two a peseta. High in the mountains of Salamanca, this nine-acre wood with views to the fortified village of Miranda del Castañar is the perfect place to roll back the years. Be warned, though: in summer, it’s scorching hot, so dive into the nearby rivers to cool off.
elburroblanco.net
4 LA FRESNEDA
Spain
Camp under the yawning Matarranyan skies on this environmentally friendly finca near Catalonia. Its 19 acres have only 28 pitches, so feel free to spread out. For shade, choose between olive trees and an umbrella-studded patio. Enjoy fresh pastries and espresso for breakfast, then, later, sample the Dutch owner’s evening platters of local goat’s cheese and cured meats, all washed down with wine from the local farmers’ co-op.
campinglafresneda.com
5 CALA LLEVADO
Spain
The wavy coastline of the Costa Brava hides all manner of coves and bays, and at Cala Llevado, you get four for the price of one. The huge site sprawls round the sides of several hills, with views of a rocky cove, a secluded pebble beach, a discreet nudist hideout and a curving sandy bay. As varied as the beaches, the pitches are under the shade of just about every species of tree, overlooking the water or in sheltered groves. Barcelona’s an hour away; or there’s the deceptively sleepy-looking Lloret de Mar, which is a rocky high-wire walk along the coast.
calallevado.com
6 LES ROMARINS
France
Not a site to choose if you suffer from vertigo: raked into the steep hills between Monaco and Nice, Les Romarins is a real high-flyer. Wake in the morning to views of the sun skidding across the azure ripples of the Med, relax in the shade of rosemary and olive trees, or cruise the Moyenne Corniche road like a 1950s movie star, stopping to enjoy a café au lait by the walls of a medieval castle in the stunning village of Eze. If that’s not enough fun, hire a pedalo and inspect the millionaires’ yachts in the harbour.
campingromarins.com
7 LA VENDETTE
France
Sat on the Ile de Noirmoutier, below the mouth of the Loire, this place is like a slice of the Med. To pitch up in the shade of the trees or slap-bang on its beach, just kick a few pine cones out of the way and plant your tent pegs in the shifting sands. The town, reached through a
tangle of trees, is a delight of whitewashed villas, terracotta roofs, a castle and a romanesque church. Seafood suppers and drinks by the sheltered bay will make you think you’re hundreds of miles further south.
www.camping-indigo.com
8 LE BREVEDENT
France
There’s cachet to pitching your tent in the grounds of a Louis XVI hunting lodge that’s been in the same family for 200 years. Choose a site around the lake or under the apple trees that make the local cider, and in the morning you’ll be roused by the sound of the baker’s van and the smell of pains au chocolat wafting across the grass.
campinglebrevedent.com
9 LES ROULOTTES
France
These gypsy caravans are the real deal. It’s three for the price of one: a 1970s two-person, a 1930s triple and a 1950s roulotte that serves as a compact kitchen/diner. There’s also a restored 1890 caravan, a self-contained unit for two with bathroom. The whole ensemble sits by a river so slow, it looks like a pond.
lesroulottes.net
10 VAL D’OR
Luxembourg
Luxembourg has 999 square miles of rolling hills and forests, and tucked away in the heart of it, in the middle of the Ardennes, is this little gold mine. Val d’Or is as sleepy as it gets: a village with 140 souls and a tiny bar like Nan’s front room. A river trickles through the site, and there are forest walks aplenty, but it’s more the kind of place to just sit and listen to the birds.
valdor.lu
11 CAMPSPIRIT
Holland
In this reed-enclosed eco-haven on Lake Veluwe, you can choose a Native American teepee, a Sahara tent or a Kyrgyz yurt. A Pakistani wedding tent provides the communal space. There’s pick-your-own organic veg, a woodland grove with hammocks and a dinky harbour if you need the sound of lapping water.
campspirit.nl
12 TENTSTATION
Germany
There aren’t many urban camp sites around, but this former outdoor swimming-pool park in Berlin makes city tenting sexy. It’s one for the young crowd, admittedly, with its techno vibe, guest DJs, beach volleyball and aerosol art, but there’s also a green meadow where you can pitch up. The facilities, while a touch municipal, are well maintained — and Berlin is right on the doorstep.
tentstation.de
13 SEEPERLE
Germany
Lake Constance is ringed by the Alps and surrounded by the Black Forest. Its hillsides are dotted with vineyards and orchards, so it’s no surprise that it’s one of Germany’s hottest tourist spots. All the nicer, then, that Seeperle is a small, simple site that reserves its lakeside pitches for tents and has caravans bringing up the rear. There are apple and pear trees to lounge under, and nature trails to wander, with the lake on tap for all manner of splashy business.
camping-seeperle.de
14 CAMPING DES GLACIERS
Switzerland
Everything you expect from the Swiss Alps in one handy camp site — a giant green picnic blanket spread out at the bottom of a glacier. Add in the charming owners, the polyglot Agathe and her husband, Michel (the first man to make a solo ascent of the north face of the Eiger), and you have a near-perfect pitch. Lovely.
www.camping-glaciers.ch
15 STELLA MARE
Italy
The crumbly chocolate cliffs of Stella Mare, on the island of Elba, would be a dramatic setting for anyone’s tent. Overlooking the waist-deep waters of the bay, the pitches are set among sizeable cacti and other exotic trees and shrubs on baked terraces set into the steep hillside. Elba is a little like the Caribbean without the bananas, and makes a great retreat from the hubbub of the mainland. Just ask Napoleon: he took time out from plotting his escape from exile to build himself a holiday villa.
stellamare.it
16 IL FALCONE
Italy
In the heart of Umbria, you can camp on terraces of poppies and olive trees with views down to a lake and across to a medieval village. Il Falcone is an old falcon-hunting ground in an area punctuated by hilltop towns and magnificent cathedrals. Crumple-faced old farmers in battered Fiat vans provide that local touch. Pick a poppy, pop an olive into your martini, and you’re all set to live the Umbrian high life.
www.campingilfalcone.com
17 KOREN
Slovenia
Kamp Koren is on the banks of Slovenia’s aquamarine artery, the Soca River. The tents are pitched in a charming wooded area of trees, fields and terraces, all connected by natural walkways and wooden bridges. The camp site has a comprehensive range of facilities, including an eight-metre climbing wall and a volleyball court. Just get there before everyone else does, as this is becoming a popular destination.
kamp-koren.si
18 MALA MILNA
Croatia
The island of Hvar is rapidly becoming Croatia’s Ibiza. At Mala Milna, the simple pitches are by the water’s edge, next to a couple of pebble beaches, and while the site’s facilities are not up to gold-tap standard, it’s a great way to sample the delights of Hvar without paying the jet-set price tag. Don’t expect sandy beaches in Croatia, though — the coastline here’s as rocky as the history.
hvar.hr/mala-milna
19 ARETI
Greece
Camping Areti is in Alexander the Great country, and on a clear day you can see Mount Olympus. At the on-site taverna, they grill locally caught fish, and in nearby Neos Marmaras, you can sit and haggle for a pot of honey, sealing the deal over a glass of ouzo.
camping-areti.gr
20 TARTARUGA
Greece
Tartaruga is on Zakynthos (Zante), one of the more emerald isles in the Ionian Sea. The campsite sits on a cliff amid witchy old olive trees, giving you stunning views across the ocean. If you’d prefer to pitch down by the water, there’s a handy beach with loggerhead turtles lounging around. Back up top, the chattering cicadas, the hypnotic scent of thyme and the whispering of pine trees will soon have you lazier than one of the locals.
tartaruga-camping.com
