Yurts in Spain

Yurt camps epitomise the fashion for cool camping, yet some are little more than glorified tents plonked in a spare field. Not so at La Huerta Yurts, which is about as remote as a modern yurt camp could be – tucked away by a river in a forested valley in Andalucía and a great place to go for some early sun…

Photo © Richard Hammond.

The camp is hidden in a sprawling orchard of orange and tangerine trees and surrounded by cork and oak forest, and can only be reached via a 4km dirt track. There are just two Uzbekistani yurts, with cushions and a mattress over a wooden floor. You’ll need a torch to find your way around if there’s no moon, and they are fenced off from wild pigs that snuffle round at night.

I went on a morning walk around the camp, which crosses the river several times, and discovered some idyllic spots for bathing. A log-fired sauna is yards from the solar-powered main building where you can dine on seasonal vegetables, lamb and goat’s cheese on the terrace looking out towards the saddle-backed Crestillina mountain. If you’ve time, there’s an overnight trip arranged by ferry to Chefchaouen in northwest Morocco.

· A yurt costs €35pp B&B (sleeps 4), dinner costs €20pp, overnight trip to Chefchaouen cost €150pp. andaluciayurts.com, 0034 952 117 486.

This article, by Richard Hammond, was first published in the Guardian.