The Daily Telegraph - Saturday - Travel
10 OF THE BEST STAYS WITH NATURAL SWIMMING POOLS
What can be more welcome on a hot summer’s day than a plunge into the cool waters of an outdoor, natural swimming pool? When you’re reclining on the poolside lounger, don’t be surprised if you see dragonflies and butterflies flittering across the water. Without the expense of added chemicals, or the regular wholesale change of water like many conventional chlorinated pools, it’s no wonder hoteliers are installing these eco-friendly alternatives. Here are some examples in beautiful locations (prices quoted for stays in June). Jump in –the water’s lovely!
The Scarlet Hotel, Cornwall
It’s the setting of this natural pool (with a wood-fired hot tub) that sets it apart – on the clifftops overlooking the golden sands of Mawgan Porth on the north Cornish coast. After a rejuvenating swim, be pampered in the Ayurvedic spa and feast on fresh shellfish and sea herbs with a glass of Camel Valley Cornwall fizz at this stylish, small luxury hotel (01637 861800; scarlethotel.co.uk; doubles from £775 for a two-night stay)
Orion B&B, Saint-Paul de Vence, France
One of the pioneering natural pools in France set among a collection of four smart treehouses opposite the medieval village of Saint-Paul de Vence. There’s early-morning outdoor yoga followed by breakfast on the terrace by the pool, complete with barrel sauna and massage therapy (00 33 6755 1864; orionbb.com; tree house from £1,177 per week)
Il Paluffo, Tuscany, Italy
This collection of luxurious small villas and B&Bs – all clustered within and around a restored 15th-century historic building – are powered by solar energy and other renewable sources, and surrounded by classic rolling Chianti hills, not far from Florence and Siena (00 39 33583 26653; paluffo.com; doubles from £240 for two nights)
Chaumarty, Pyrenees, France
Irises, waterlilies, and papyrus line the water’s edge of the gorgeous natural pool-with-a-view at this ecogîte south of Toulouse, facing the Pyrenees. There’s a diving board and a smaller pool for children, while adjacent to the pools is a large terrace where you can lay your towels and settle in for a day spent admiring the glorious mountain panorama (00 33 6634
01189; chaumarty.com; six-person gîte from £650 per week)
Le Mas de Saribou, Auvergne, France
The splendid natural pool at this four-room, selfcatering ecogîte is just one of the many environmental features amid the rambling gardens of a 400-year-old farmhouse in the Ardèche. Solar panels for electricity, wood from old trees in the orchards to provide the fuel for heating, and a grass roof and thick walls keep you snug inside when the temperature dips. There’s also an organic garden for you to plunder your own veg, fruit, fresh herbs and even flowers
(00 33 6716 30465; masdesaribou.fr; four-room gite for £673 for two nights)
Le Camp, Varen, France
A luxury seven-pitch camp in a woodland overlooking the green valley of the Aveyron in south-west France. Every pitch – on a raised wooden platform – has been chosen for its views, privacy and mood. There are large hand-made beds, soft solar lighting, individually crafted tables and chairs, and an outdoor spa shower house, but pride of place is the glorious 66ft natural pool. The owners can help plan your journey by train and offer a free transfer to and from the local train stations; they also provide bikes (07732 398670; lecamp.co.uk; safari tents sleeping four from £151 per night)
Muxima, Algarve, Portugal
A single-storey farmstead that Jelle and his wife, Paula, have turned into a splendid rural guesthouse north-west of Faro. There’s earlymorning yoga by the natural pool followed by a vegetarian breakfast feast with mostly organic, local, home-grown and homemade produce, before you head out to explore the tranquil 70-acre forest on the doorstep (00 351 2829 95420; muxima-aljezur.com; £688 per double for a four-night stay)
Mas Ardèvol, Falset, Catalonia, Spain
The natural pool is a welcome oasis in the heat of the summer at this idyllic rural house in the green hills above Porrera. Dine here too, for the owners specialise in preparing traditional Priorat food, including fresh, seasonal produce from their own vegetable garden – asparagus in spring, fabulous fruit salads in summer, and mushrooms and almonds in autumn (00 34 6164 87696; masardevol. net; doubles from £77)
La Jument Verte, Aix-lesBains, France
Relax by the stunning natural pool at this B&B, guesthouse and country inn, set on a 17th-century farm above the spa town of Aix-les-Bains and the beautiful Lac du Bourget, both in the Bauges Natural Regional Park, right in the very heart of the Savoiey.
There’s even a tennis court, if you can tear yourself away from the gardens (00 33 4793 49512; la-jumentverte.com; doubles from £67 per night)
Agroturismo Can Martí, Ibiza
A beautiful, authentic and organic farmhouse in a quiet and idyllic spot in the unspoilt north of the island. This has long been a favourite of mine, a wonderfully peaceful part of the island, far from the noisy crowds of Ibiza Town and near some great beaches. Even better, it has recently installed a hammam (a Turkish-style bath) and a wonderful natural swimming pool (00 34 9713 33500; canmarti.com; doubles from £177)