Walking in the Pyrénées

Walking in the Pyrénées In the peak summer months the Pyrénées make for the most idyllic walking imaginable. Rocky crags and mountain tops combine with sleepy villages and river valleys to make a terrain that is pure delight. The weather is excellent in the peak summer months and this, combined with a multitude of other attractions in the area, provides the perfect destination for a family walking holiday. Depending on the age, capability and experience of your children you will find there is a broad scope of walks with different degrees of difficulty and distance.

Lac de Gaube

Location: Follow the D920 south of Cauterets along the Chemin des Cascades (a few of these dramatic waterfalls are worth stopping to take a look at). Park at the Pont d’Espagne (1350 spaces, €4 for 6 hours).
General Info: Cauterets w ebsite.
Description: The Lac de Gaube is delightfully located underneath the Vignemale, the highest mountain in the French Pyrénées, with a dramatic glacier as a backdrop even in the middle of the summer.
Our recommendations: There is a cable car/chair lift that will speed you on your way to the lake and if you are fit you will then have time to walk on to the far side of the lake and beyond for great views of the glacier (3 hours round trip). The cable car/chair lift costs around €35 return for a family of six.
For the children: The far end of the lake (20 minutes walk each way) has a series of small streams running into the lake which are great for building dams on a sunny day, as well as providing a lovely picnic location.

Our favourite walking spots in the Pyrénées:

          - Cirque d'Estaube
          - Cirque de Gavarnie
          - Cirque de Lys
          - Cirque de Troumouse
          - Col d'Aspin
          - Lac du Bouillouses
          - Lac de Gaube

Needless to say there is so much walking in the Pyrénées we have only scratched the surface here. For more information check out the websites listed in the panel below.

External websites offering information on walking in the Pyrénées (and elsewhere in France):

- France on Foot - this is a useful website in English which explains the French trail system.
- Balades en Famille - an excellent website (French only) with walking trails and suggestions throughout France, especially aimed at the Family.
- Pyrenees Mountains - useful English site with information on walking in the Pyrénées and offering organised walking holidays.
- Balades Pyrénées - website about walking in the Pyrénées, focusing on the famous GR10 route.

Websites on cycling in the Pyrénées (only for real roughnecks!):
http://www.cycling-pyrenees.com
http://www.cycle-rides.co.uk

External websites offering information on the Pyrénées:

- Pyrénées National Park official site. Good site, including English, with advice for walking with the family and some suggested routes.
- Pyrénées Info Site. Useful website on the Pyrénées (French only).
- Ariège - nice site on this beautiful area of the central Pyrénées.
- Argelès-Gazost - another useful website on the central Pyrénées area.

Chosen by our children:

- Top Ten Holiday destinations in France