Camping is the original “green” holiday. Its very appeal lies in its contrast with our modern lives, in the chance to lose electricity, the traffic, the television and telephone for a while.

Chilling in the countryside, sleeping under the stars and breathing clean, fresh air, is a rich and recharging experience – but it’s also the ultimate low-impact break, on which your biggest contribution to greenhouse gases is likely to be from that tin of baked beans you finally managed to open.

Camping is incredibly popular again, but this has less to do with how green it is than with how much fun it is. So, throw a tent in the car and head for the hills with this special selection of Cool Camping sites.

* denotes no tent required

Related Internet Links

• Our dedicated section on camping and caravanning

Tents, caravans and motorhomes

The popularity of all three is rising sharply in Britain, and appeal is broadly spread - include a travelling aristocrat

Britain's perfect pitches

Adventure, romance, showers, zero guilt; a night under canvas has it all, says the editor of the Cool Camping guides

• All your tent gear

• How much for a motorhome?

• Britain's best family campsites

BACKGROUND

• All your tent gear

• Girls go mad on a motorhome in Yorkshire

• A novice and his caravan in Dorset

• Why not buy a static caravan or holiday lodge?

Related Links

• All your tent gear

• How much for a motorhome?

• Britain's best family campsites

STUNNING VIEWS

1. Three Cliffs Bay, Gower

Pick up a brochure or guidebook to this part of Wales and, chances are, it will feature a picture of Three Cliffs Bay on the cover. Justifiably so; it’s one of the finest beaches on the Gower Peninsula, an almost-round, sandy playground encircled by unique rock formations, with a series of limestone peaks rising dramatically into the air, then disappearing into the Bristol Channel like a retreating monster. Perched on the high ground behind the beach sits Three Cliffs Bay Caravan Park. The sloping ground and an occasional whipping wind may put off some campers, but the pitches overlooking the bay surely rank among Europe’s best camping spots.

01792 371218, www.threecliffsbay.com; pitches from £12

2. Side Farm, Cumbria

Side Farm, on the eastern side of the Lake District, might just be one of the most scenically situated camp sites on the planet, sandwiched between the steep slopes of Place Fell and the sylvan shores of Ullswater. The view across the lake to the Helvellyn fells is one of the most compelling and beautiful in England, and to be able simply to open the tent every morning on this stunning scene is reason enough for a visit. The site has flat pitching and adequate facilities, though they are far from luxurious. But bring a pair of walking boots, or a canoe, and the idyllic location will more than compensate for any minor niggles.

017684 82337; £5 adult, £3 child

3. Hooks House Farm, North Yorkshire

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