By David 25/01/08

Acquired from the rich resource of EcoTravelling but I've added links to the recommended places to make it easier :o)

Families lead the way on eco-holidays

When it comes to eco-friendly holidays it seems families lead the way. According to a recent survey for Take the Family, 86 per cent of parents consider the environment when they are choosing a holiday – making them more likely than any other group to opt for a low impact break. With just about every child in the land a mini-expert on melting glaciers, recycling and the imminent extinction of species, it is little wonder that parents have well-honed green consciences. So, having accepted the need to be eco-aware, what are the options for the family holiday?

Staying Near to Home

As with all holidays, the less travelling you do, the less environmental impact you will have, so the nearer to home you can stay, the better. British holidays have come on a long way from the image of bleak, dreary boarding houses, in even bleaker and drearier weather. Although the climate remains as unpredictable as ever, the options available for the annual family break have grown almost out of all recognition. That old favourite – the seaside holiday – is still a front runner, but the facilities available have certainly moved on and many directly echo the eco-theme. Rock-pooling is as much fun as ever, but attractions such as the many Sea-Life Centres or independent aquaria, including the ones at Macduff beside Scotland’s Moray Firth and in the Welsh coastal town of Aberaeron, help to provide further insights into the life in our seas.

Away from the coast too, many holiday companies have responded to the rise of eco-holidaying. Farm holidays remain popular, but a wide range of activities are also now on offer, from the traditional such as boating, cycling and horse-riding, to the more unusual – kite surfing, willow crafting and falconry – and all with suitably eco-friendly accommodation provided.

For the inquiringly eco-minded, the Centre for Alternative Technology (CAT) at Machynlleth have a new luxury hostel for stays there, while the white-knuckle riders of the family can try the first eco-friendly roller coaster in the world at Greenwood Forest Park in Snowdonia. Other possibilities include the Project Eco Lodge in Sussex, the Loch Ossian Eco Hostel on Rannoch Moor, which uses renewable energy, recycles water and even has bat-friendly paint, or Centre Parcs – a “flagship for its environmental practice” according to David Sheppard, of English Nature. Even families with very special needs can enjoy a British eco-friendly getaway – the likes of the Thomas Shop, offering respite care amid the beautiful countryside along the River Ithon in mid-Wales.