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Walking
Tours in the Pyrenees:
In
the far south west of France the Pyrenees mountain range forms the
border with Spain and its Catalonia, Aragon, Navarre and Vasco regions.
Many of the walking tours in the Pyrenees are fairly demanding though
some could be classed as moderate.
French
entry:
Fly to Toulouse, then travel southwest via Cauterets or for an Atlantic
base keep going through Pau and Bayonne.
For a Mediterranean start head south east through Perpignan.
The super efficient French TGV train system also goes all the way
down to Pau and buses are available to the border.
Spanish
entry:
Fly or ferry from England to Bilbao on the Atlantic side, or fly
to Barcelona on the Mediterranean side.
Wildlife:
this an important region for wildlife, especially raptors [birds
of prey]. Some possible wild sights are:
Isard [Pyrenean Chamois - a goat], Marmots [a large whistling rodent],
Brown Bears [there are only a handful left here, you'd be lucky
to see one], the Desmond [a bizarre mole like creature with webbed
feet], the Lammergaier or Bearded Vulture - with a three metre wingspan,
the Griffon Vulture, Egyptian Vulture, Peregrine Falcon and the
Golden Eagle.
Where
to go walking in the Pyrenees:
France or Spain? You don't have to split the range into two separate
country destinations.
Come and go as you please between the two, taking in the places
you wish too see on either side of the border, but if limited for
time you may need to choose one or the other.
France:
the French bit is arguably the best side with several of the most
beautiful tours to be found within the Parc National des Pyrenees.
Some extremely pretty villages known as 'bastides' nestle amongst
the mountains.
The entrance to the park is usually via Cauterets, a large town
right on the edge of the park and ideally located as a base to sample
the park's best attractions.
There are six major valleys in the park each with a unique look,
and for those not staying at towns or villages there are many 'refuges'
set up for overnight stays in the most popular areas.
Popular
hiking tours in the Parc National include:
Cirque of Gavarnie - a world heritage site with a spectacular 1,000
ft waterfall reached after a couple of hours of walking from the
village of Gavarnie.
The
route to the nearby crater Cirque de Troumouse is a visual feast.
Lac du Gaube lake - an exceptionally 'blue' and aesthetically pleasing
lake with an impressive mountains backdrop.
Pont
d'Espagne 'Bridge to Spain' and the Marcadau Valley - a large pine
filled valley below the Lac du Gaube with some superb mountain views
and many routes to the best Pyrenean lakes.
Ossau
Valley - one of the more beautiful valleys below Pau and near the
Cirque of Gavarnie.
Grotte de Niaux cave - prehistoric cave paintings of animals and
other things that stone age man liked to club.
Grottes de Betharram - caves full of interesting water formed wierdness
such as stalactites and stalagmites.
Lourdes - a historically important religious mecca for those Christians
who wish to visit the Grotto of Massabielle and follow in the footsteps
of young Bernadette seeking peace or revelation.
Spain: the Spanish side generally gets better weather, is less populated
and the splendid city of Barcelona is nearby.
Aigues Tortes 'Twisted Waters' National Park - using Espot as a base
you can travel to this spectacular mountain area using the four wheel
drive taxi service. This is one of the most beautiful areas in the
Pyrenees and certainly the best on the Spanish side.
Ordesa National Park - another good park but the thick forest reduces
opportunities for grand views from the valley floor - unless you take
a route overlooking it. Torla is a base for trips into the park.
Andorra - buy stuff without sales tax in Andorra La Vella, then move
on but beware the customs man.
Long
Distance Routes:
Haute Route des Pyreneene - Frederic Parrot of France was the
first person known to have walked the length of the range along
the high border region in 1817, taking around 53 days. This formed
the basis for what is now known as the HRP, by far the most challenging
of the two routes on the French side.
Chemin de Grande Randonnee - the less demanding lower level route
on the French side known as the GR10, with more moderate altitudes
and regular access to food and clean water.
Senda Pirenaica - also known as the GR11, this is the Spanish equivalent
of the Chemin de Grande Randonnee.
For
more information on hiking in the Pyrenees try:
Walking Tours: Links | Spain
Travel Guide | France
Travel Guide
More
Walking Tours in Europe: Greece | Germany | Iceland | European | Alps | Italy
Also
see New
Zealand, Canada, UK walking. |
