Family Trip for teenagers and pre-teens | Découvrez les Hautes-Pyrénées : Nature, Montagnes & Aventures

On the programme for your stay

8 days / 8 nights

Day 1

From the Louron Valley to Balnéa

After passing through Luchon, you come to the Col de Peyresourde, a cycling classic with over sixty credited passes since 1910. Take the time to stop for a while at the summit. Then plunge into the Louron valley, with Lake Génos-Loudenvielle in your sights. Head to the balneotherapy centre for a moment of relaxation in the thermal water lagoons, in the open air, with your eyes riveted on the peaks and your lungs filled with pure air. At Balnéa, you can disconnect and recharge your batteries… Welcome to the Pyrenees, and your road trip can begin.

On your way :

The Col de Peyresourde, a wide pass with breathtaking views.
The village of Mont and its Romanesque chapel, listed as a Historic Monument, and its exterior fresco, which has stood the test of time.
Lac de Génos-Loudenvielle, the focal point as you descend the Col de Peyresourde, offering a lovely walking route and a host of fun activities.

Your activities :

Relaxation and well-being at Balnéa, a spa centre with open-air lagoons.

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A romantic paddle on Lake Génos-Loudenvielle, with a view of the Pyrenees ©Focus Vision
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Focus Vision

Day 2

Outdoor activities

17 km / 30 min (or car-free day if you stay at a 4* hotel)

Meet at 10am for a downhill scooter ride. You don’t have to be a champion to try it! With your helmet screwed on your head and your hands gripping the handlebars, you’ll set off down wide, rolling tracks… Afterwards, the whole family can enjoy a host of fun activities around Lake Génos-Loudenvielle. Hiking, pumptrack, tree climbing… you’ll be spoilt for choice. We suggest paddle-boarding on the lake – children and teenagers love it! Try something new this summer: theaquaparc, a Ninja Warrior-style course with inflatable games on Lake Loudenvielle.

Your activities:

Downhill scooter: you’ll hurtle down trails, between grassy slopes and forest paths, on your all-terrain scooter all the way to Lake Génos-Loudenvielle.
Water sports on the lake: paddle, canoe, pedalo… the choice is yours!
TheAquaparc on the lake: a Ninja Warrior-style adventure course with inflatable games, a climbing wall, a slide, a trampoline, etc., in all shapes and sizes, floating on the water and allowing you to run, jump, slide, dive…

Day 3

Col de Val Louron-Azet to Ainsa

113 km / 2h30

Today you’ll be taking on a spectacular route: the Route des Lacsde Haute Montagne. It winds between stone walls and climbs to Lac de Cap-de-Long (2,161 m), Lac d’Orédon (1,849 m), Lac d’Aumar (2,198 m) and Lac d’Aubert (2,150 m). This is the highest lakes route in the Pyrenees and the gateway to one of the most beautiful lakeside landscapes in the massif: the Néouvielle National Nature Reserve, with its countless lakes. The trails are easy to get to, fun for all the family, and take you from lake to lake through flower-filled meadows, pine forests and the highest hooked pine forests in Europe.

After exploring this reserve, which boasts the highest concentration of lakes in the Pyrenees, head for the arid side of the Pyrenees. Just three kilometres of tunnel cut into the heart of the mountain and you’ve got a change of scene! You’re in the Aragonese Pyrenees. Here, the sun is strong, the land arid and the evenings lively. In the evening, take the time to visit the village ofAinsa, capital of Sobrarbe. Summer evenings in its walled square always make for wonderful holiday memories.

Your activities :

Self-guided walk and picnic by a lake: Lac d’Orédon (1,849 m), accessible by road. Lacs d’Aumar (2,198 m) and Aubert (2,150 m) accessible by small train for those who don’t want to hike.

On your way:

The Val Louron-Azet pass, at the summit, vast meadows of pasture and favourite take-off ground for paragliders.
Tella, an ancient lookout point in the valley from which you can enjoy one of the finest panoramic views in the Pyrenees.
Lake Ainsa, a magnificent lake with turquoise waters. It can also be admired from the upper town of Ainsa.
The Plaza Mayor in Ainsa, a monumental, fully paved square surrounded by old houses linked by arcades.

Day 4

Mont Perdu Massif – Aragon

62 km / 1h16 (allow an extra hour for the loop through the Añisclo Canyon)

Today you’ll try your hand at canyoning in the exceptional setting of Monte Perdido, in Aragon. Jumps, swimming in crystal-clear waters, slides… Your guide will take you on an adventure through the Spanish ríos. An original experience in a breathtaking setting.

If you’ve got time and a bit of energy, we suggest you make a nice diversions, in the form of a loop, to discover the Añisclo Canyon, a concentration of wild nature. At Puyarruego, you can take another dip in the natural pools of turquoise water formed by the river.

Then it’s time to head back to the French side, to Saint-Lary.

Your activity :

A day of canyoning in Spain with a guide, a fun trip through the turquoise waters of the canyons of Spanish Aragon.

Day 5

From the Col d’Aspin to the Col du Tourmalet

70 km / 1h43

The adventure continues! It begins with the ascent of a pass: the Col d’Aspin or the Hourquette d’Ancizan, your choice. Both lead to the beautiful Lac de Payolle, nestling in a forest of fir trees. Here it is known as the “Little Canada of the Pyrenees”. But don’t linger too long, as you have a date with a highly original suspension course and via ferrata, set in the Adour gorges: Vertiges de l’Adour.

Then it’s on to the Pic du Midi. A spectacular cable car ride takes you to the summit. Take time to visit the site, stroll along the terraces, venture onto the vertiginous Ponton in the sky and admire the view of the Pyrenees chain. Exceptional!
Finally, you’ll cross the Col du Tourmalet into Toy country!

On your way :

Arreau, a typical, pleasant village where you can stop off at a café or discover its distinctive architecture.
The wild and little-travelled Col d’Aspin, offering sweeping views of the Pic du Midi, the Arbizon and the Aure valley.
Lac de Payolle, nestling in a forest of fir trees, is a great place to get away from it all.
The mythical Col du Tourmalet, the highest road pass in the Pyrenees at 2,115 m.

Your activities :

Via Ferrata, above the tumultuous waters of the Adour, you climb, jump, pass monkey bridges and have a laugh with the family.
Pic du Midi and Ponton dans le Ciel, ascent by cable car.

Day 6

Gavarnie and the Unesco-listed Grands Cirques

40 km / 52 min

Today, you’ll discover some intense and spectacular scenery: in Gavarnie, Troumouse or Estaubé, the great cirques of the Pyrenees listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. More than just geological curiosities, their semi-circular walls create grandiose, extraordinary landscapes. They look like pure invention. If you don’t have time to do all three, opt for Gavarnie and then Troumouse.
There’s also a sensational aerial run in the Gorges du Gave. Trout wriggle in the crystal-clear water as you link up zip wires, Nepalese bridges and a small via ferrata… a real adventure!

On your way :

The Napoleon Bridge – Luz-Saint-Sauveur: a spectacular structure consisting of a single arch 47 m in diameter and rising to a height of 66 m, built in 1860 on the orders of Napoleon III, who was taking a spa treatment at Luz-Saint-Sauveur with Empress Eugénie.
The Gavarnie cemetery, a pantheon of the great Pyrenean artists buried here, facing the cirque.

Well worth a visit:

The Cirque de Troumouse, the Goliath of circuses, even bigger than Gavarnie.
The Cirque d’Estaubé, accessible only by foot (1 hour’s walk), a world of stone and lichen, another planet with something lunar about it.

Your activities :

Free walk in the Cirque de Gavarnie: In 30 minutes, an easy walk along the Gave de Pau and across the Courade plateau: you reach the cirque’s orientation table on foot, horseback or donkey. Duration: 1h return – Departure from the village of Gavarnie.
Suspendedacrobatic course in the Gave gorges (2 km): 16 zip lines, 4 Nepalese bridges and 11 vias ferratas. (Duration of activity: 2 hours).

Day 7

From Cauterets to the Pyrenees National Park

56 km / 1h23

You’ll love discovering Cauterets-Pont d’Espagne, the emblematic site of the Pyrenees National Park, a veritable Garden of Eden. The Puntas gondola lift and the Gaube chairlift make for an effortless visit. You can have lunch next to the Pont d’Espagne waterfalls or on the banks of the splendid Lac de Gaube, at the foot of the Vignemale, the highest peak in the Pyrenees. The more adventurous can even go for a swim!

Your activities:

Discover Cauterets-Pont d’Espagne (car park, Puntas cable car and Lac de Gaube chairlift)

On your way :

Cauterets, and its monuments inherited from the Belle Époque.

Well worth the diversions:

Take a gourmet break at Refuge des Sens, a chocolate shop and tearoom: the hardest thing to do in Cauterets is choose between Viennese chocolate, tarte tatin, pastries and crêpes…

Day 8

Fun activities around Argelès-Gazost

33 km / 51 min

After the grandiose spectacle of Gavarnie, today we suggest a more playful programme. The day begins with a meeting with Robin for an easy ride along the trails on an electric mountain bike. Then, in the afternoon, you’ll discover new sensations in white water. Choose your craft – raft, mini-raft, canoe-raft or hot-dog – and let yourself be carried away by the white waters of the Pyrenees. All the thrills and spills you could wish for!

Activities:

Electric mountain bike rides, there are many lovely rides accessible from the village of Argelès-Gazost.
White-water activities on the Gave for all the family: rafting, mini-raft, canoe-raft or hot-dog.

Day of departure

Lourdes

Before leaving the Pyrenees, we suggest you linger a while in Lourdes to discover its Sanctuary, obviously a unique place in the world, but also an exceptional architectural site built in just 100 years on the banks of the river. Once again this year, the Sanctuary has some exceptional attractions not to be missed.

As well as the Sanctuary, you can also take advantage of the lake at Lourdes and its water sports activities, discover the castle perched on its rocky peak and climb the Pic du Jer on board the funicular railway.

On your way :

The Pic du Jer funicular, a charming journey guaranteed aboard this century-old funicular that leads to the summit at an altitude of 1000 m.
The fortified castle and its Pyrenean Museum, on its rocky peak overlooking the Marian city and offering an exceptional view of the Sanctuary.

expert

Our expert

Stay

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Julie, creator of holidays and breaks in the Hautes-Pyrénées

As an adventurer and lover of the great outdoors, I specialise in holidays that are full of emotion! Don’t hesitate to contact me to adapt this holiday. See you soon in the Hautes-Pyrénées.

Julie Richard

I personalise this holiday

accommodation

Your accommodation

In the Louron valley

1st base camp in the Louron valley: 2 nights. You’ll be able to take advantage of the many fun activities on offer on the shores of Lake Loudenvielle. You can choose to stay in a cosy mountain inn in a hilltop village, or in a superb 4-star hotel, a luxury retreat on the banks of the river and lake.

In Spain

2nd base camp in Spain: 1 night. This 2nd base camp will allow you to discover the landscapes and atmosphere of the southern slopes of the Pyrenees. Arid landscapes and a tapas evening – a change of scenery guaranteed! After a night in Spain, you’ll be on the spot for a taste of the Aragonese canyons. However, if you don’t want to spend the night in Spain, you can still do the canyoning on a day trip.

In the Aure Valley

3rd base camp in the Vallée d’Aure: 1 night. After a day of canyoning in Aragon, we return to the French side of the valley, to Saint-Lary, a well-known and lively resort.

In the Toy region

4th base camp in Pays Toy: 2 nights. You’ll be in the Gavarnie Valleys, in the mountains, at the crossroads of the Tourmalet and Gavarnie, in Luz-Saint-Sauveur. In the evening, in this beautiful, lively mountain village, you’ll be able to linger in front of restaurant windows, push open the door of a bistro for a toast or a snack.

On the plain of Argelès-Gazost

5th base camp on the Argelès-Gazost plain: 2 nights. Still in the Gavarnie Valleys, but on the plain, which will give you easier access to Cauterets, the Val d’Azun, Lourdes…

budget

Budget

The estimated budget for this stay is €3,441 per family.

Included in this suggestion :

8 days/8 nights with breakfasts included in choice addresses
Pic du Midi cable car
Discovery of Cauterets-Pont d’Espagne
1 admission (2 hrs) to Balnéa spa centre
Downhill scooter
Paddle
Aquaparc
Canyoning day in Spain
Suspension course and via ferrata
Tyrolean traverse
Electric mountain biking
White water day (rafting or hot-dogging)
A personalised travel diary
Michelin road map with annotated route

Plane + Car from €4,768 / fam. – Plane tickets and car hire included

will love

Our commitments

Just give us a call and we’ll organise everything for you: a cosy residence at a good price, a good address for dinner, a snowshoe walk with a guide, a hot bath in the open air, a dog-sledding trip… And we’ll share our tips with you to make sure your holiday is like no other.

Tailor-made holidays and weekends

We listen to you and advise you so that we can work with you to create an ultra-personalised holiday plan.

All-inclusive holidays

Flights, trains, shuttles, accommodation, ski passes, equipment, ski lessons, activities… We can organise it all!

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