Green health, the experts call it — the way that spending time in nature can lower cortisol levels, reducing anxiety and blood pressure while boosting the immune system and mental health. There has been a slew of reports supporting this idea, and Scottish GPs are even now trialling “nature prescriptions”.
You’ve probably known all this intuitively for years. Think about those holidays that left you feeling renewed; I’ll bet each involved a good helping of natural beauty. While city breaks can leave you needing a holiday, trips that are set in gorgeous forests or on a wild coast have the power to calm, reset, revive.
Whatever the destination, the shortcut to guaranteeing natural beauty is to look for national parks and regional reserves. The trick is to match one with a stay that promotes connections with its surroundings. You want those “little-place-I-know” hotels in remote Andalusia, Tuscany or the Luberon; places where you’ll wake to nothing louder than birdsong, which wave you off for the day with a walking map, or which organise horse riding or canoeing then welcome you back with home cooking and a glass of something delicious. If you can find one in a private reserve, so much the better.
● Best walking tours in Europe
If you’re hankering after the coast, consider the Alentejo in Portugal or the Maddalena archipelago off Sardinia. However, I’d urge you to explore even further off the beaten track. Places such as the Danish Wadden Sea, the Epirus mountains in Greece and the Triglav National Park in Slovenia all receive far fewer visitors than their more celebrated counterparts; if nature demands anything of us it’s that humanity takes second billing.
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A final thought: as well as the health benefits of nature, those science reports noted a rise in feelings of generosity and often a rediscovered sense of wonder. In short, nature can make us better people. And you can’t ask more of a holiday than that.
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1. Kornati National Park, Croatia
Villa Nai 3.3
There was a sharp intake of breath on Dugi Otok island when plans emerged for an eight-bedroom, adults-only luxury hotel on one of Dalmatia’s last backwaters. They needn’t have worried. Clever design not only embeds the place into a hillside of 500-year-old olive trees, it maintains the illusion that you alone are experiencing the Adriatic panorama ahead. Those islands you see are the Kornati National Park. George Bernard Shaw considered its archipelago God’s crowning achievement. Superyacht owners probably agree. You’ll visit by yacht trips organised by the hotel.
Details B&B doubled from £622 (villanai.com). Fly to Zadar
2. Luberon Regional Nature Park, France
Domaine du Castellas
This remote ranch warrants your attention, not just for its pared-back bohemian interiors, however lovely their on-trend mix of Berber rugs and old wood. And not just for the fine restaurant and spa either. No, it’s included here because it sits in a 250-acre private reserve of the Luberon Regional Nature Park, which allows you to discover the ancient bucolic soul of this most mythologised region at your own pace, in peace and tranquillity — there are just ten suites in the restored 18th-century farmhouse.
Details Room-only doubles from £310 (domaineducastellas.fr). Fly to Avignon
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3. Triglav National Park, Slovenia
Sunrose 7
You’re looking for a nature holiday to escape everyday life for a while, so it seems appropriate to embrace the experience in an 18-room eco-hotel and spa that has ditched the tech in modern rooms: there are no TVs, phones, radios or electronics. It’s just you and the bell-pealing beauty of Slovenia’s only national park. Awesome twosome Lake Bled and Lake Bohinj are less than 20 minutes’ drive away.
Details B&B doubles from £147 (sunrose7.com). Fly to Ljubljana
4. Sierra de Grazalema Natural Park, Spain
El Hondón
Head between the pueblos blancos of Ubrique and El Bosque an hour from Jerez. Drive two miles down a dirt road. Now look around: bosky hills, meadows, mountains and, one house aside, no evidence of civilisation. Bliss. New to the market this year, this good-value renovated casa rural in Andalusia’s first parque natural, the Sierra de Grazalema, is a homely affair of airy interiors, a pool and terraces that will host many an alfresco meal. Artificial grass is a downer, but the real stuff ripples on all sides — walkers take note.
Details Seven nights’ self-catering for nine from £1,598 (vintagetravel.co.uk). Fly to Jerez
5. Dynamo Oasis Nature Reserve, Italy
Oasyhotel
It’s Tuscany but not as you know it: this 2,500-acre reserve of forest and meadows lies in the Apennine mountains in the San Marcello Piteglio region, an hour from Florence, and is supported by the WWF for its rewilding work. You may see red deer and golden eagles as you pedal a complimentary e-bike or go horse riding. First, though, you need to check in to the new “nature-first accommodation”, eco-speak for lodges sleeping three to eight that make a virtue of simplicity. Who needs bling with so much beauty outside?
Details B&B triples from £472 (oasyhotel.com). Fly to Florence
6. Madonie Regional Natural Park, Sicily
Villa Arte Mare Blue
It’s no standard holiday villa, this spot near the harbour town of Cefalu. It’s part modern rental for eight — all open-plan living within and, outside, large terraces and an infinity pool overlooking the sea out — part oddball art space, thanks to the owner’s collection. Young teenagers will enjoy the Spider-Man sculpture. I expect you’ll love the five (five!) bathrooms. You’re bang on the edge of the Madonie Regional Natural Park, too, 85,000 acres of family-friendly hiking routes and cycling.
Details Seven days’ self-catering for eight from £3,132 (wishsicily.com). Fly to Palermo
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7. Haut Val de Bagnes Nature Reserve, Switzerland
La Vallée
Because we Brits pigeonhole the Alps as winter destinations we overlook the Verbier region. The Swiss and French know better. The summer cycling in the Haut Val de Bagnes nature reserve is terrific: punchy trails for off-roaders (try Route 16 from Lourtier to Sarreyer) as well as easy rides among the sort of chalets you usually associate with cuckoo clocks. Modern, pine-panelled three-star La Vallée not only offers bike guiding, but has also just completed a spa for afterwards. Perfect.
Details B&B doubles from £144 (vallee.ch). Fly to Geneva
8. Brijuni and Kamenjak parks, Croatia
Meneghetti Wine Hotel
You’re getting two national parks for the price of one here: Brijuni National Park, where the Yugoslav leader Josip Broz Tito took his hols (land-trains through a safari park and rides in his Cadillac, anyone?); and Croatia’s forgotten nature park, the Kamenjak peninsula, dangling off Istria’s tip. You’re booking this luxury package not solely to wallow in rural sophistication (though that’s a fine reason), but because your curated programme of experiences includes kayak tours around Kamenjak — the best way to experience its limestone cliffs and dazzling seas.
Details Seven nights’ B&B from £3,250pp, including activities (blacktomato.com). Fly to Pula
9. Picos de Europa National Park, Spain
La Infinita Rural Boutique
The plump foothills of the Picos de Europa National Park loom large here: terrain that’s catnip to walkers and cyclists alike. After a big day out, this 18th-century house in Carmona feels like a hug. It’s the creation of two young Madrileños who sought a slower, greener life in one of the prettiest villages in the Cantabrian hills: four rooms of relaxed contemporary decor; good home cooking; no set times for breakfast. At this price it’s a steal.
Details B&B doubles from £69 (sawdays.co.uk). Fly to Santander
10. Wadden Sea National Park, Denmark
Hjerting Badehotel
Come to Esbjerg for simple seaside hols, Danish-style. This bright little beach hotel has crisp, Scandi-smart rooms (suites come with terraces) plus a sauna for post-swim recuperation. Beachy #bestlife aside, you’re here for the Wadden Sea National Park. The planet’s largest chain of mudflats might sound drab, but it’s actually a magical world of silt and glitter where seals loll on marshes and wading birds fill vast skies. Opposite, Fano island has pastel cottages and a spectacular beach littered with amber. Arrive by ferry or rented kayak from the hotel — your choice.
Details B&B doubles from £161 (hjertingbadehotel.dk). Fly to Billund
11. Vicentine Coast Natural Park, Portugal
Herdade do Touril
Fashionistas seeking glamorous beach breaks go to Comporta. For Portuguese soul, however, head to the southwest Alentejo and Vicentine Coast Natural Park, a rather plodding title for a spirit-reviving region where small resorts and unfussy fish restaurants take second billing to the spectacular coast. It lies 15 minutes’ drive from this 12-room place within the natural park. Spread between five houses in a 900-acre estate, it is low-key, a little rustic — and lovely.
Details Seven nights’ B&B from £945pp, including flights and transfers (sunvil.co.uk)
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12. Northern Pindos National Park, Greece
Aristi Mountain Resort
Had you visited this place a decade ago, Greece’s coolest mountain stay could have been in another country for all the recognition it received. Despite a slew of awards since, it remains a singular vision of a Greek holiday: city-smart rooms within a clutch of traditional houses in the village of Aristi. But what you’ve really come for is the Northern Pindos National Park beyond. Hikes, rafts or rides — they’ll accommodate however you want to experience its scenery. Hard to believe the ferry port for boats to Corfu is only two hours away.
Details B&B doubles from £111 (aristi.eu). Fly to Thessaloniki
13. Garajonay National Park, La Gomera, Spain
Parador de la Gomera
Why, long after the Canaries have caught holidaymakers’ imaginations, does tiny La Gomera still have soul and simplicity to spare? It’s the geography. From the misty, forested mountain at its heart — Unesco-listed Garajonay National Park — the island falls in steep gorges that are fantastically ill-suited to sprawling resorts. Come instead to walk in Tolkienesque laurel forest, to spot birds, to find tropical tranquillity. This manor-style place (wooden floors, white linen, an infinity pool) puts you 20 minutes from the national park in pipsqueak capital San Sebastian.
Details Seven nights’ B&B from £1,180pp, including flights and transfers (wexas.com)
14. Haut-Languedoc Regional Natural Park, France
Wild Boar Mountain
It’s a cinch to find isolation in the thinking person’s alternative to Provence; just book this place in the Haut-Languedoc Regional Natural Park near Bédarieux. It’s a splendid choice for double-family holidays, with two crisply styled self-contained houses that are close, but not too close, either side of a saltwater pool with a cave and waterfall plus a sauna. All have gorgeous views. Kids have a 2½-acre estate to explore plus the chance to overnight in a treehouse and/or shepherd’s hut.
Details Seven nights’ self-catering for eight from £2,800 (oneoffplaces.co.uk). Fly to Montpellier
15. Natural Park of the Ampezzo Dolomites, Italy
Hotel de Len
The Natural Park of the Ampezzo Dolomites takes on a new-world grandeur in summer. Factor in lifts to walking trails and cracking cuisine and you have a highly civilised outdoors. Book this new stay in Cortina d’Ampezzo, a radical refurbishment by the people behind Puglia’s luxury Borgo Egnazia. We could tell you how its untreated wood is a designer take on Ladin chalets, and how it updates traditional soul food — but why bother? You’ll be in the spa, goggling at the Dolomites’ highest peaks.
Details Seven nights’ B&B from £1,910pp, including flights and transfers (originaltravel.co.uk)
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16. Écrins National Park, France
Casalino cabins
Clever folk, architects. What the blurb calls an avant-garde “unstructured villa” near Gap translates into three circular cabins containing two en-suite bedrooms and a lounge. Each is styled with design-hotel aesthetics and fronted by glass that opens with the smooth precision of a sci-fi movie. The really smart aspect of this new stay, however, is that by deconstructing the accommodation, you end up spending more time outdoors: beside a pool in gorgeous, semi-wild gardens, or gawping at peaks of the Écrins National Park ahead.
Details Seven nights’ self-catering for four from £3,314 (casalino-homes.com). Fly to Grenoble
17. La Maddalena National Park, Sardinia, Italy
Villa del Parco
La Maddalena, a Sardinian archipelago, must be Europe’s slowest national park. Activities here include sunbathing, light swimming, perhaps some brisk towelling. Off-limits as a Nato base until 2008, this is what the Scilly Isles might look like if they were towed into the Caribbean: pink granite islands scalloped by exquisite bays such as Cala Soraya on Spargi, all lapped by sea the colour of kingfishers. Stay in Maddalena town for modest nightlife and choose this sweet family hotel — it operates a fleet of boats for the full Crusoe.
Details B&B doubles from £73 (booking.com). Fly to Olbia-Costa Smeralda
18. Maramures Mountains Natural Park, Romania
Maris Lodge
Prince Charles owns two houses in the Maramures Mountains Natural Park. Now it’s your turn to discover this last pocket of pre-industrial Europe, at wallet-friendly prices. This 200-year-old house appears like something from Little Red Riding Hood until you enter a smart kitchen and rooms of French antiques. Outside the mountains of the Rodna National Park line the horizon. Traffic? Mostly horses and carts.
Details Seven nights’ self-catering for five from £979 (welcomebeyond.com). Fly to Cluj-Napoca
19. Sierras Subbeticas Natural Park, Spain
Casa Olea
The birdsong here at dusk is practically a symphony — and all yours, if you’re lucky enough to check in. Owned by Tim and Claire Murray-Walker, this rural hotel is the only bit of civilisation in its valley here in the Sierras Subbeticas Natural Park: the rugged forgotten nature reserve of Andalusia. You’ll wake to views of olives and mountains, be waved off with Tim’s maps and return to Claire’s home cooking served beneath inky skies. Unfussy and fabulous.
Details Seven nights’ B&B from £844pp, including flights and car hire (sunvil.co.uk)
20. Monti Picentini and Vesuvius parks, Italy
Agriturismo Barone Antonio Negri
We’ve all done it on holiday: fantasised about an alternative reality of simpler, sunnier lives abroad. This family farm scratches the itch without the stressful house-buying or animal-rearing bit. It has simple romantic rooms, windows over vineyards and wooded hills, a small pool and the owner Monica’s terrific home cooking. Just the ticket after a day in nearby regional parks. Find farmsteads selling ricotta and mozzarella in the uplands of the Monti Picentini Regional Park. Experience awe in the Vesuvius National Park.
Details B&B doubles from £95 (sawdays.co.uk). Fly to Naples
21. Peneda-Geres National Park, Portugal
Villa Agarb
Portugal’s only national park, Peneda-Geres in the northeast, is another country from the coast: greener, slower, more remote. Traditional life lingers not for tourism (there isn’t much) but because that’s the way things have been done since, well, for ever. The place sags with history: mountain paths trodden by legionnaires; pilgrimage churches such as Santuario de Nossa Senhora da Peneda; timeless granite villages. Base yourself in this good-value holiday home in a four-property development within the national park: it’s nothing flash, but comfy, with a private pool and views over forested hills and the Cavado River.
Details Seven nights’ self-catering for six from £1,802 (oliverstravels.com). Fly to Porto
22. Parc National de Fôrets de Champagne et Bourgogne, France
Château de Courban
Have you heard of the Parc National de Fôrets de Champagne et Bourgogne? We Brits tend to ignore it, whizzing between wine regions, but the French are rather taken with their newest national park. There’s walking and cycling in beech forest, plus dreamy towns nearby such as Flavigny-sur-Ozerain. You’re in France’s epicurean hotspot, so it seems rude not to join in at this splendid place, a winning blend of grand family manoir, Michelin-starred restaurant and spa set in immaculate grounds.
Details Room-only doubles from £85 (chateaudecourban.com). Take the train to Dijon, via Paris, or the ferry to Calais; in both instances, you’ll need a car
23. Le Perche Regional Natural Park, France
Maison Maleyrand
Like the Cotswolds before it became la-di-da, Le Perche Regional Natural Park represents an entente cordiale between man and nature. It makes sense, then, to stay somewhere as civilised as this chambres d’hôtes in a beautifully restored 17th-century chaâteau. It’s beautifully furnished too. With curios on antique dressers and daybeds hung with swags of fabric, it’s like the residence of a bohemian aunt. Eating and drinking local cider after walks aside, the activity hereabouts is brocante shopping, which is why you’re coming by car.
Details B&B doubles from £138 (maisonmaleyrand.com). Take the ferry to Caen
24. Jasmund National Park, Germany
Gut Üselitz
All set to decompress on the German Baltic? Then to the southwest corner of nature island Rügen we go, checking in to a luxury apartment carved from an island Renaissance manor house (there’s a bridge). While their minimalism borders on bare for some tastes it superbly complements the quiet mosaic of water, reeds and fields outside. Jasmund National Park or the cute resort of Binz are 40 minutes’ drive away. Given their popularity, you may be hurrying back to tranquillity afterwards.
Details Three nights’ self-catering for two from £233 check (welcomebeyond.com). Fly to Hamburg
25. Akamas Peninsula National Park, Cyprus
Anassa
Here’s proof that nature and nurture are not mutually exclusive on family breaks. The latter comes in this five-star pile on Chrysochou Bay, northwest Cyprus. For young ones there is the best-kitted-out of kids’ clubs plus tennis, golf and an exhausting variety of water sports. For you there’s an outstanding spa, elegant rooms plus good dining options (plus a babysitting service, thankfully). Nature comes in the adjacent Akamas Peninsula National Park. Borrow a bike to reach the Blue Lagoon. Better still, charter a yacht and sail there.
Details B&B doubles from £403 (anassa.com). Fly to Paphos
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