Has anyone hiked in the French Pyrenees? I am initially thinking about using Cauterets or Gavarnie as a home base. We would like demanding day hikes of 6-10 miles and are not intimidated (too much) by elevation changes. Any specific hikes, lodging, town or other logistical information would be very much appreciated. We will be travelling from Bordeaux next September.
Posted by
Washington
920 posts
Hi Nick,
There's an older thread on this in the forum. I hiked with Mountainbug out of Bareges in 2013 right before the massive flooding. The area is beautiful! I'd take a look at Mountainbug's website. It has a lot of useful information and history. Gavarnie is great and the national park above Cauterets lovely. Argeles Gazost is down toward the valley but is a nice market town to visit. If you go to Lourdes, I highly recommend going up into the fortress castle. Have fun!
Posted by
Washington
920 posts
Also, there are a number of thermal baths in the area. The one in Bareges is quite nice to visit for an hour or two. Helps if you know a smattering of French, but it's not necessary. Believe it's called Les Thermes.