Walking in the Pyrénées - Cirque de Gavernie

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.

Cirque de Gavarnie

Location: 50km south of Lourdes following the D921.
General Info: Website: http://www.gavarnie.com.
Description: The Cirque de Gavarnie is a majestic galacial amphitheatre rising to over 3000m at the back of which falls the 400m Grande Cascade waterfall (see right). It is only accessible on foot from the village of Gavarnie. The round trip takes around 2 hours.
Our recommendations: For a short walk follow the path on the right hand side of the valley which starts from the church and offers excellent views of the cirque and the waterfall. To reach the foot of the cirque follow the path along the valley bottom. Experienced walkers may like to follow one of the mountain passes to the border.
For the children: It’s possible to hire a horse or mule in the village so they will be more appreciative of the walk! Also the kids will enjoy the annual festival of Gavarnie, a musical spectacular which is usually held in the second half of July. Check with the tourist office for up to date info. On the way back down the valley there is a hydro electric power station you can visit at Pragnères.

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