Green romantic holidays

Use our round-up of the best romantic eco-holidays to plan a short break away with your loved one – and keep your carbon footprint down.

Make your romantic escape an ecofriendly one with these ideas for greener romantic trips – they’re all built or run sustainably, or support environmental projects. Either way, they’re great romantic venues.

Best for… eco-pampering

The Titanic Eco Spa, Yorkshire aims to be carbon neutral as well as indulgent. Its eco credentials include photovoltaic solar panels, a borehole for local water and biomass heating. Located at the edge of the Pennines, the spa offers a package for couples including a private mud chamber session, a massage and a glass of champagne. www.titanicspa.com

Best for… wildlife lovers

Escape to your own unspoilt island and support wildlife and conservation projects at the same time. Owned by the National Trust, Lundy Island in the Bristol Channel is a Site of Special Interest. Seclusion is almost guaranteed, as there are only 23 buildings on the island. If you want to get out and about, it’s ideal for hiking, climbing, canoeing and diving. You can also help the preservation projects by becoming a Friend of Lundy. Perfect, peaceful romance. www.lundyisland.co.uk

Best for… a luxury hotel experience

Book an indulgent stay at Strattons Hotel, an environmentally aware boutique hotel set in the market town of Swaffham in Norfolk. This family-run business has an award-winning restaurant serving organic, local food wherever possible. The hotel is committed to recycling – with only two per cent of waste going into landfill. Book the Red Room to indulge your passion for romance. www.strattons-hotel.co.uk

Best for… a countryside escape

Indulge your romantic side and your eco principles at the Ecocabin in Shropshire. Located in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the cabin is made from locally-sourced wood, insulated with British sheep’s wool and furnished using mainly recycled or reclaimed materials. Water is heated by solar energy, and the heating comes from a wood pellet stove. The area around Ecocabin has been sensitively landscaped with native plants and trees – your own ecofriendly garden of Eden! www.ecocabin.co.uk

Best for… an outdoors adventure

Part of a business school that runs courses on sustainability, the Eco Lodge, Lincolnshire, has a delightful woodland setting in Old Leake. It’s a chance for the two of you to get away from traffic and TV, and makes an ideal base for a cosy cycling, walking and bird-watching break. Built using locally-sourced wood, the lodge uses solar and wind power and rainwater showers. Stay at the Eco Lodge and get a 10 per cent discount when you travel there by train or bike! www.ecolodge.me.uk

Best for… restored architectural gems

Under the Thatch – an award-winning company based in Wales – lets out a quirky range of 26 self-catering properties that have been lovingly restored. There are traditional cottages and a converted railway carriage but we recommend the Romany caravan – it’s small and simple but set in an acre of private riverside meadow. The company supports local businesses, uses ecofriendly building materials and minimises its environmental impact with solar panels, wood-pellet boilers and reed-bed sewage systems. www.underthethatch.co.uk