Despite sounding more like an alien invasion than an eco-friendly retreat, earthships are a concept that are growing in popularity for the environmentally-aware traveler that wants to enjoy creature comforts without leaving a hefty carbon stamp.
Many holiday homes and hotels are billed as eco-friendly and whilst that may be true, there are very few that will be as kind to the environment as an earthship.
By definition, an earthship must be constructed 100 per cent from sustainable materials and be self-sufficient in all ways, including heating, cooling, power and waste.
A holiday in an earthship is a radical experience and not for the faint-hearted. Electricity is gathered from the sun and the wind, whilst water is collected from snow and rain. Heating and coolants are sourced from either the sun or the earth, whilst food is grown both indoors and out.
The construction of earthships can be very inventive and whilst more conventional products such as rock, glass and wood are often utilised, less traditional building materials are often incorporated into the design, such as recycled car tyres which, when filled, form a solid and practically indestructible wall. Aluminium cans and bottles can also be used for internal designs as mini bricks, with the bottles allowing some light to filter through, providing a contemporary stained glass window effect.
Despite the determinedly green approach to the accommodation, earthships are comfortable abodes and provide all the luxuries that make a holiday memorable.
Earthships are springing up all over the planet, with some as far flung as New Mexico and even one lying on the south coast of England, in Brighton. For those hoping for slightly warmer climes but not too far, France has a fully operational earthship tucked away in a sleepy corner of Normandy.
A holiday in an earthship will mean discarding all polluting and toxic cosmetics and chemicals for the duration of your stay, but this doesn’t mean having to do without, as there are eco-friendly alternatives for all holidaymakers’ needs.
The earthship in the French village has a quiet and sleepy location, but in an example of how the modern world meets environmentally-balanced living, guests are also able to enjoy high-speed broadband access.
Earthships’ external appearances vary significantly, with some looking like overgrown greenhouses and others far more funky looking. Earthships are fully functional all year round and as well as being able to enjoy a green getaway in any season, whole communities have sprung up consisting entirely of the eco-friendly housing.
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