travel health safety world wonders travel directory world festivals tours worlds best beaches exotic places european places english speaking places safari wildlife gap year destination finder travel pictures maps bugbog homepage Maps, tours, pictures, travel guides

Walking Tours - Pyrenees of Spain and France

Walking Tours
Pyrenees -
France and Spain

France Hiking | France Walks

France Map | Europe Map | France Travel Guide

Spain Travel Guide | Spain Walks | Spain Map

Pyrenees of Spain and France - Hiking Tours 2


worldwide tours from iExplore iExplore runs masses of family holidays, adventure trips, biking vacations, wildlife safaris and walking tours through 100 countries around the world. Take a hike with them!
Family Holidays | Special Offers
| Tours Search | Hiking Trips

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.

Travel Pictures | Destination Finder | Exotic Places | World Festivals | World Wonders | Safari Wildlife | Best Beaches
European Places | Walking Tours | Travel Health | Travel Safety | Travel Directory | English Speaking Places | Tours
Gap Year | Site Map | Travel Guide Home | Contact | Resources | Press | Advertising | Legal | Maps

© 2000-2008 Bugbog