Pure Space, nestled on Ireland’s spectacular Loop Head Peninsula, offers a unique eco-lodge experience where sustainable tourism meets natural tranquility. This intimate retreat features wooden lodges, cozy off-grid cabins, and furnished bell tents scattered across ten acres of emerging native woodland surrounding an ancient ring fort.
Guests can disconnect from modern life while enjoying communal spaces including a wood-fired sauna, pizza oven, and yoga studio. The eco-conscious property minimizes its environmental impact with solar heating, rainwater harvesting and natural waste treatment systems. It offers an authentic back-to-nature experience just minutes from pristine beaches and the dramatic Atlantic coast.
Their story
Through thoughtful planning and sustainable design, Pure Space now offers a variety of lodging options. It also provides yoga sessions and forest therapy experiences that help guests find calm while staying connected to nature. What began as a family project has evolved into a certified eco-tourism destination that combines comfortable accommodation with environmental consciousness. Read more about them.
Sustainability actions
Lowest impact construction and operation
- The lodge uses locally sourced timber for its cabins, solar panels for hot water, rainwater harvesting for toilets and outdoor showers, and a natural reedbed system for wastewater treatment.
- Its buildings feature breathable lime and hemp-lime materials, with heat pumps and solar lighting further reducing environmental impact.
Highest level of energy efficiency
- The eco-lodge utilizes solar panels to provide hot water heating for both communal facilities and accommodations, with their DIY solar system featuring 12-square-foot panels and 300 meters of coiled black plastic piping.
- An air-source heat pump efficiently heats domestic water, while a wood-burning stove supplements the main shower block’s heating system using only FSC-certified logs.
- Solar-powered lighting illuminates bell tents, cabins, and woodland areas, minimizing grid electricity consumption.
- Their off-grid cabins feature solar lighting and tea-light lanterns, encouraging guests to reset natural body rhythms.
Pioneer in waste management
- The eco-lodge encourages guests to embrace minimal consumption principles, asking visitors to “buy and bring only the minimum and then divide that by two.”
- Strict policies prohibit plastic water bottles and takeaway containers, with reusable drinking bottles available onsite alongside free drinking water from rainwater harvesting systems.
- Natural waste water treatment operates through septic tanks flowing to horizontal reedbeds and willow coppice systems, with treated water passing through buffer marshes before surface discharge.
- Food waste transforms into valuable compost in communal kitchen facilities, while separated waste streams ensure proper recycling of materials.
Using organic and chemical-free products
- They maintain organic principles throughout their facility, using only natural, chemical-free products in their operations.
- Their kitchen facilities support sustainable living with locally-sourced ingredients where possible, while their woodland area promotes biodiversity through native tree planting.
Actively protects nature and community
- Conservation efforts include annual planting of 150+ native trees through the Trees on the Land project, creating carbon sequestration while restoring historical woodland coverage.
- The retreat supports local wildlife through careful habitat management, providing undisturbed nesting areas for ground-dwelling birds and maintaining wild meadows for native plant species.
- Educational programs introduce guests to Leave No Trace principles, bat monitoring walks, and biodiversity awareness sessions, transforming visitors into environmental ambassadors who return home with deeper ecological consciousness and practical sustainability skills.
Most Popular Activities Near Pure Space
- Wood-fired barrel sauna sessions with Atlantic ocean views for ultimate relaxation.
- Traditional stone cabin yoga studio offering daily classes and meditation retreats.
- Loop Head Labyrinth walks for spiritual reflection and contemplative healing practices.
- Native woodland forest bathing along kilometer-long trails through emerging Irish woodlands.
- Community pizza oven evenings using sustainable charcoal and locally-sourced organic ingredients.
- Bat monitoring walks through ancient ring fort woodlands using specialized detection equipment.
- Wildlife observation opportunities featuring dolphins, winter waders, and over 140 bird species.
- Heritage trail exploration with audio guides connecting 14 historical peninsula sites.
- Sustainable living workshops focusing on zero-waste practices and environmental consciousness.
HOW TO GET THERE – read our guide on Ireland airports
Best Time To Visit Pure Space
- The best time to visit Pure Space is from late spring to early autumn, when weather favors outdoor activities.
- Summer is ideal for glamping in bell tents and off-grid cabins, with long daylight hours for exploring native woodland trails.
- Spring and early autumn offer a quieter, more contemplative atmosphere for yoga and meditation. These seasons also keep cabin temperatures comfortable for wood-burning stoves.
- Winter brings a unique charm, with the sauna especially appealing, though stays are mostly limited to heated wooden lodges with mains power.