We are planning a trip through the Pyrenees in June. We will be traveling by rental car so prefer trailheads with easy access that do not require 4-wheel drive. We are interested in recommendations for favorite towns or accommodations in which to stay and easy- to-moderate- difficulty day hikes. Thank you.
Posted by
la rioja
590 posts
Hey, the Pyrenees are 300mi long, do you have a preferred area?
If you are in the western end of the Pyrenees, I'd suggest you look at Izpegi. It is a mountain pass between Spain and France. It is easily reached from San Juan Pie de Puerto and San Juan de Luz. At the Izpegi pass there are several "ventas" or restaurants, and from there you can march off in several directions.
Does the Favorite town have to be French? On the Spanish side of Izpegi is the Baztan Valley which is quite beautiful and is full of hiking trail. You can base yourself in Elizondo.
Posted by
33 posts
Hi just came back from a hiking/photography trip in Oct - and it was great. We stayed in a couple of Refugios... the Val d'Ayous Refugio and the Refuge de Pombie.
Further south we went to Refuge d'Orédon in the Néouvielle region. This was a beautiful park but may be a bit remote. There are some more famous areas further south/east toward the Mediterranean end that might be better for Day Trips.
This UK tour company web site might have some more ideas for you - https://www.hikepyrenees.co.uk/ - to plan around. I have not used them but would love to try some of their tours some day. As well as the PICOS de Europa areas of N. Spain.
Note - take some extra snacks and pastry from town - as these Refugios didn't seem as well stocked as the many Swiss and Dolomite alpine Refugios I have enjoyed! They seem to be a bit more sparse and spread out unlike the Alps.
Posted by
OP
16 posts
Thank you to all who responded. Your comments are helpful for our planning!
Posted by
24 posts
We stayed in Luz Saint Sauveur in the Pyrenees a few years ago and loved this small French town. One good hike was to the Cirque de Gavarnie and another day did nice hike at Pont D’Espagne/ Lake Gaube which is near another French town of Cauteret.