Who says campsites can’t be glamorous? The two terms merge in the tourist infrastructures that proliferate throughout the Spanish geography: the “glamping” These are accommodations that combine the experience of nature with the services and comforts typical of other more sophisticated establishments.
According to Aragon Tourism Strategic Plan 2021 – 2024, the Community has more than 100 campsites, where camping pitches, mobile homes and bungalows are grouped together. In accordance with this plan, the Aragonese campsites follow an upward trend and position themselves, in absolute terms, as the second accommodation sector with more travelers from Aragon. In total, there are 33,570 places in campsites in the Community, according to the IAEST. And some of them are now banking on this new type of more luxurious accommodation, which is gaining in popularity.
This is the case of Pere Escoda, a youngster from Fraga who has already tried it twice. “I chose this option to avoid carrying the tent during the trip and to be able to include more luggage for the five occupants of the vehicle,” he explains. “In the case of festivals, if you choose to stay in a ‘glamping’ instead of the normal camping area, with your tent, you know you’re going to be close to the concert hall,” he explains.
And Elsa Sierra, camper since 2014 and originally from La Puebla de Híjar, indicates that age is the key factor in choosing this type of tourism. “Unlike younger people, as they get older, they seek the comfort of having a good bed or a private bathroom next to the bedroom,” he admits.
Sleep at almost 2,000 meters above sea level and with all the comforts
At over 1,800 meters above sea level, at the Aramón Formigal-Panticosa station, is the ‘glamping in Las Mugaswhose the rooms have the shape of an igloo and have a large window from which you can admire the sunset between the Pyrenean peaks and the starry sky the night. This is an experience that can only be booked for one night, starting in the afternoon.
“Participants can access either on skis in the last chairlifts in the afternoon, or on a conveyor belt adapted to be able to pick up passengers after the station has closed. In the evening, a gourmet dinner with zero kilometer products is served in the central igloo The next day, after breakfast, participants can be the first to go down the slopes, or to take a snowshoe ride to the Ibón de Culibillas to know the secrets, curiosities and legends of these mountains”, explain from Aramón
“It is one of the most successful experiences in Formigal-Panticosa. It is very well received and the type of public is of all kinds: couples predominate, but there are also families or friends who want to live a different experience in the mountains and in the snow” indicate the same sources.
The service was launched in the 2017/2018 ski season and It is only offered during the winter months. Those interested will have to wait until November 25 to take advantage of it.
Glamping in Formigal-Panticosa. / Mugs
The comfort of a home, but surrounded by nature
“When I was 18 I camped with my tent and then, over the years, we look for a bungalow with one bedroom, then two, and each time we want more comfort and quality. Campsites of a certain level increase the services and the public demands it more and more”. These are the words of José Antonio Rufas, director of Ligüerre Enoturismo, a holiday and events center erected in Ligüerre de Cinca, in Huesca, after the desertification of the city in the 1960s for the construction of the El Grado reservoir. Now you can enjoy a few days of vacation and visit its streets, squares and corners.
“We have all kinds of accommodation. As soon as you go out you are already in nature, but inside you have all the comforts you can have at home. In addition, there is a restaurant, a terrace , paths, sports fields, cellars … One of the biggest differences between a campsite and a ‘glamping’ is in the services”, indicates the director.
Rufas points out that this type of tourism is on the increase. “People want to be in nature, but not near the neighbour, and here you have it more than ten meters away. In recent years we have seen how the demand is increasing. At peak times, we fill all seats. Over the next two years, we plan to expand our offering.”said.
El Roble Campsite
spend the night in a typical desert tent or in an Indian tent is possible at El Roble campsite, near the town of Morella, in the Matarraña de Teruel. A tourist infrastructure with seven years of experience where they have opted for the ‘glamping’ format. “We have 100 places to set up tents and 22 accommodations, 12 of which are ‘glamping’ and we call them ‘world tents’. To stand out from the campsites that already existed in Aragon, we had to do something different”, says Carlos Arrufat, campsite owner.
Over there, the user can choose to sleep in different tents used by different cultures such as tents, American teepees or Mongolian yurts, with all the comforts inside. The latter, says Arrufat, are the most popular in the complex. “We open these types of stores at Easter and they are open until December, in fact we put some until heating. They are always full, in summer they are full, and out of season, especially on weekends.”
“At first we only set up an Indian-style store and they were calling a lot more for that store than for the rest of the offer, so I continued to invest there”, said Arrufat. And it was a success, because the business is getting bigger and bigger. “It’s growing exponentially and, in fact, at this point in the year, we’ve been billing more than at the same time in previous years. We’re gradually growing at a fairly rapid rate.” Proof of this are the campers who come back to this place every year, like Elsa Sierra, who usually leaves with her husband and her dog in a “mobile home”, but does not give up on the “Magasins du monde”. “The experience in them is wonderful. They are very well decorated, in the yurt you can see the starry sky if you open the roof windows and they are totally recommended.”
At Camping Chill Outdoor, in Perarrúa (Huesca), only 12 farmhouses are offered, eight are empty plots, where campers can pitch their tents, and four are ‘safari’ tents, 7×5 meters and equipped with a refrigerator, wooden furniture, a double bed, a coffee maker or a kettle. “People want to be in contact with nature, but sleep well. Many customers say that when they were young they used to camp, but now they are looking for more luxury. This is an audience that does not want to travel with a tent and a sleeping bag on their back and, although it is more expensive, they are looking for more luxury,” says Joaquín Van Krimpen, owner of the establishment.
“Safari tents are our most popular accommodation. Normally, for the summer season reservations are already complete in January. Since 2018 when we started with them, they have always been fully booked. There is a lot of demand”, settles the owner.