The Hoopoe Yurt Hotel, Andalucia, Spain

The Hoopoe Yurt Hotel’s location is idyllic - set in three hectares of olives groves and unspoilt cork oak forest, and with spectacular views of the Grazalema mountains of Andalucia, in the rugged wilds of southern Spain.

Staying in one of our yurts allowing you to get back to nature without forgoing the usual luxuries you would wish for on your holiday. The yurts have private bathrooms, as well as an acre of private meadow with hammocks and comfortable shaded seating areas.

This is the perfect place to unwind and relax, and soak up the sights and sounds of nature right on your doorstep. Fall asleep lulled by the sound of goats' bells and crickets. Lounge in a hammock in the shade of a giant cork oak tree. Cool off with a dip in our refreshing chlorine-free swimming pool, surrounded by blue mountains and the beauty of nature.

There's a fabulous new bar and plunge pool. Guests can have dinner by the pool four nights a week, there's tapas night three times a week in the bar. 

Reviewed by Richard Hammond:

"It's one thing to plonk a yurt at the bottom of a field and call it luxury camping, quite another to buy a private meadow in Andalucia, import yurts from Mongolia and Afghanistan, drill a well, install an outdoor swimming pool, and run it all off-grid. Welcome to Hoopoe Yurt Hotel, a glorious - and yes luxury - yurt camp in Andalucia, southern Spain."

Read Richard's full review of the Yurt Hotel, which was published in the Guardian in summer 2006.

Why is this a greener holiday?

To truly minimise the environmental impact, guests are encouraged to arrive by public transport: the nearest train station is Cortes de la Fontera via Malaga. From there, take the train to Ronda (4 trains a day, 2-3 hours), and then transfer to a local service to Cortes de la Frontera. The owners are happy to collect guests from Cortes de la Fontera train station by prior arrangement.

Onsite the owners have taken a number of green measures to reduce the environmental impact of their tourism business and the accommodation is very low impact. It runs on solar power, the toilets are ecological and the swimming pool is chlorine free. Additionally, the open meadow and forest provides the perfect habitat for many species of birds.