Walk along the waterfalls at Cauterets Pont d'Espagne
Hiking
in the Hautes-PyrénéesChoose the Pyrenees
for your walksWhen the weather’s fine, we start dreaming of an elsewhere made up of high altitude shores, summits and mountain pastures. That’s the signal! It’s time to pull up your socks and head for the fresh air of the Pyrenees.
Like pearls set in the hollow of mountains, lakes dot the Pyrenees massif. Bordered by hooked pines, set in a granite setting or frozen in for much of the year, there are more lakes here than in any other mountain in Europe.
More than half of our mountain areas are protected. These include the Pyrenees National Park, the Néouvielle National Nature Reserve and the Gavarnie-Mont Perdu UNESCO World Heritage Site. They are home to rare and protected species. You might spot the bearded vulture, the Egyptian vulture or the golden eagle.
That’s the privilege of the Pyrenees. They boast magnificent landscapes to explore and hot springs to comfort both experienced and casual walkers.
It’s a chance to enjoy a mountain range that has two faces. One to the north, the other to the south. One where sharp peaks alternate with green pastures and forests. The other, with its arid landscapes, ochre cliffs and dizzying canyons, has a Far West feel to it.
In the Pyrenees, the approach walks are shorter than in other mountain ranges, making the high mountain experience more accessible.
If you leave the beaten track, the Pyrenees have a lot to offer, away from the crowds.
A hiking destination
Whatever your level of fitness, if there’s one thing to do in the Hautes-Pyrénées, it’s hiking. Hikes of all distances, with varying gradients, in scenery as varied as it is magnificent, are THE nature outings of the Hautes-Pyrénées.
