Huttopia Sud Ardèche

Sud Ardèche is one of multiple Huttopia sites spread across France. It is run by logo-bearing staff, has a heated swimming pool, organized children’s activities and an on-site restaurant. It all sounds a little holiday-park-ish doesn’t it?

The reality is quite the opposite. Don’t expect strips of tarmac and mown lawns here. Huttopia Sud Ardèche is an entirely natural camping space; complete with all its lumps, bumps and overgrown tree stumps. Footpaths are worn into the ground, weaving around the site, and the best pitches can’t even be reached in your car. Instead you bob beneath branches and make your way to various forest clearings, irregularly shaped patches where you can erect your tent.

For the most ‘wild’ experience, pitches at the far end of the woods don’t have electricity, but there are still spots closer to the entrance suitable for campervans and motorhomes – they have electrical hook-ups and wooden picnic benches for you to use. There are also a variety of eco-friendly glamping options, beautifully built from French-grown Douglas fir. They range from two-person wood and canvas tents, with double beds and some basic furnishings, to the largest six-person cabins that have separate bedrooms, kitchens and living spaces.

It’s kids who are most at home. Camping among the trees provides an added element of adventure while the plethora of facilities still mean comforts are always at hand: board games on rainy days, a shallow paddling pool for when the sun’s out and a well-equipped outdoor playground. It may not have that personal touch of an owner-run, small-scale campsite but it’s still a far cry from Euro-park monstrosities. For camping in the woods, Huttopia is just the ticket.