Glamping in Taos

Who wants to go camping when you can go glamping in Taos?

In 2009, journalist, author, and designer Julia Chaplin coined the term Gypset (gypsy + jet set). It describes an international group of artists, entrepreneurs, surfers, and bon vivants who lead semi-nomadic, unconventional lives. At the time, she could hardly have imagined how the term would come to encompass the way an entire generation travels: taking a high–low approach to the open road and fusing the freewheeling of a Bohemian gypsy with the sophistication and global references of the jet set. 

“Gypsetters are equally as comfortable in a luxury hotel or a teepee, bare feet or high heels (or even better, barefoot in a luxury hotel, or high-heeled in a teepee),” Chaplin has said. “The theory behind Gypset is that real luxury is actually soulfulness, creativity and experimentation.“ It is also an alternative way of traveling based more on creativity and resourcefulness than it is on cash.

What is Glamping?

Glamping is certainly a spinoff of the Gypset movement, but as with most everything, it’s not a reinvention of the wheel.

Luxury camping has been going on from the Sahara to the Silk Road for as long as Nomads have been pitching their tents; filled with tribal weavings, comfortable mattresses, and pillows, these shelters have never been spartan. A feast served on huge hammered silver platters in a Sheik’s tent in Morocco didn’t lack luxury! Nor did Napoleon’s campaign furniture for his forays through Europe. Portable iron beds, available with or without a canopy, followed the Emperor wherever he went. Now that was glamping!

Going on Safari in Africa can also be a form of glamping, but the latest craze for sleeping under the stars, enveloped in down and Frette linens on a real mattress, can be directly traced to the Gypset movement.

Travelers no longer want a generic, one-size-fits-all vacation. We want to explore on our terms and immerse ourselves in local culture., We don’t want to simply witness nature—we want to live in it. A fusion of glamour and camping, glamping is a way to authentically experience some of the most awe-inspiring locales around the world, and it’s much more than just a nice tent. 

The glamping movement is showing no signs of slowing down. Across the globe, you’ll find incredible destinations, each offering its own unique advantages. You can wake up in a yurt on a mountaintop in Bhutan or spend a few nights in a Redwoods canopy in a treehouse. Or if you’re glamping in Taos, you can bask in the ethereal light and enjoy mouth-watering meals while allowing the high desert to work its magic. 

So, Are You Ready to Go Glamping in Taos?

One immersive experience of glamping in Taos can be had courtesy of Angelisa Espinoza and her company, Heritage Inspirations. Angelisa runs Heritage’s glamping tours with her husband Tommy, and together they go all out to provide an unforgettable experience in the glorious Taos landscape. 

“Glamping is our new passion because it combines remote outdoor experiences with luxurious camping facilities, so you do not have to forsake pleasure and comfort while experiencing our great, but hard to reach, outdoor locations,” Angelisa says. “It’s a way to experience untamed and completely different parts of our region, without having to sacrifice creature comforts.”

Heritage leads glamping tours (or “glampours”) that allow you to experience the ancient magic of Chaco Canyon under the moonlight or take in meteor showers far away from any city lights. It’s a transformative, holistic, multilayered experience with gourmet meals, active adventures, and traditional ceremonies involving sage (you’ll learn to make your own smudge sticks) along with the luxe accommodations.

If your glamping bent runs more towards the teepee, look no further than Taos Goji Eco Lodge just north of Taos in beautiful San Cristobal. Cosy, elegant teepees are set in a broad meadow, each with a queen-sized bed and access to a cedar wood hot tub just a short stroll through the organic goji berry field. The Lodge also boasts a host of rustic cabins if you prefer a roof over your head, as well as a farm-to-table café.

Whether you’re camped (or rather, glamped) out in the sagebrush above the Rio Grande or nestled in a teepee in a meadow of wildflowers, you will certainly feel far away from the everyday when glamping in Taos.

All images thanks to Heritage Inspirations, photographs by Paulina Gwaltney.