On the border between France and Spain, the Pyrenees are one of France's top hiking destinations. They offer hikes for all levels, breathtaking views, and a culture and traditions all their own. Here, for Sunday walkers and hardy hikers alike, discover our selection of the finest hikes to be had in the Pyrenees.
1. Lac de Gaube
- Distance: 8 km
- Difference in altitude: 351 m
- Duration : 2 h 30
- Itinerary
From waterfalls to an emerald lake, this hike is a real eye-opener from start to finish, and well deserves its first place in our top list of the most beautiful hikes to do in the Pyrenees! In the heart of the Pyrenees National Park, this medium-level hike is accessible to all, but still includes some fine climbs. This beautiful Pyrenees hike begins at the famous Pont d'Espagne, surrounded by waterfalls. You'll then have to hike up to Lac de Gaube, at 1725 m altitude. While the trail is passable all year round, it's a bit of a victim of its own success in summer, especially since it's possible to swim here. If you visit in winter, the trail is sometimes closed due to icy or snowy conditions. The lake is also accessible by chairlift, so you don't have to walk.
2. The Gavarnie cirque
- Distance: 7.9 km
- Difference in altitude: 317 m
- Time: 2 hrs 30 mins
- Itinerary
The Cirque de Gavarnie is a true Pyrenean treasure. At the heart of the Pyrenees National Park, it lies in the commune of Gavarnie, on the French-Spanish border. Here, the Mont-Perdu massif forms a spectacular natural amphitheatre at an altitude of over 3,000 m, with a cascading waterfall at its heart. This site of rare beauty has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1997. This is an easy hike, with a few climbs, but it's not too difficult. It is, however, certainly one of the most beautiful hikes in the world, or at least in France, and can be quite busy, especially in summer.
3. The GR® 10
- Distance: 900 km
- Difference in altitude: 56,137 m
- Duration: 45 to 60 days
- Itinerary
The GR® 10, also known as the Traversée des Pyrénées, is one of the most beautiful hikes in the Pyrenees. But such beauty has to be earned! You'll have to climb almost 60,000 m in almost two months! It's a complete traverse of the mountain range, from Hendaye in the west to Banyuls-sur-Mer in the east. Along the way, you'll walk from one sea to the other: from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean. This makes it one of France's most challenging hikes. All along the trail, you'll find refuges offering room and board, allowing you to divide this great French hike into stages. On average, hikers divide it into 47 different stages, each lasting around 7 hours.
4. The Pont d'Espagne waterfall trail
- Distance: 8.7 km
- Difference in altitude: 466 m
- Walkingtime: 3 h
- Itinerary
The famous Pont d'Espagne, which owes its name to the commercial exchanges it once enabled with Spain, is one of the most beautiful sites in the Hautes-Pyrénées. It's famous both for its architecture, dating from 1886 and forming a half-arc over the water, and for its exceptional natural setting, surrounded by waterfalls. This medium-level hike takes in six of them:
- Pont d'Espagne waterfall,
- Mauhourat waterfall,
- Pouey Bacou waterfall,
- Boussès waterfall,
- Escane-Gat waterfall,
- Ceriset waterfall.
To do this, leave from the Les Griffons thermal baths parking lot and embark on the aptly named "chemin des cascades". This hike is suitable for the whole family, even young children, as long as you've got good shoes!
5. The great Gavarnie waterfall
- Distance: 11.6 km
- Ascent: 747 m
- Time: 4 hrs 30 mins
- Itinerary
This is one of the most beautiful hikes in the Pyrenees, even if it is considered a difficult trail due to its stony paths and steep gradient. It is a more difficult version of the previous hike in Gavarnie. But you can do both: you'll never tire of their beauty! From the commune of Gavarnie, you'll head for the eponymous waterfall, which at 423 m is the highest waterfall in mainland France!
6. Lac d'Oô
- Distance: 6.3 km
- Difference in altitude: 365 m
- Duration: 2 hrs
- Itinerary
This moderately-difficult hike sets out to conquer Lac d'Oô, an imposing high-altitude lake measuring 42 ha and 62 m deep. Once fed by melting ice, it has become an artificial lake since the construction of a hydroelectric power station a century ago. Yet this in no way detracts from its dazzling beauty, and it's undoubtedly one of the most beautiful hikes in the Pyrenees. The lake is also famous for its superb 275 m-high waterfall, which this hike will take you to.
7. The loop of the Lacs d'Ayous
- Distance: 15.6 km
- Difference in altitude: 809 m
- Duration : 4 h 30
- Itinerary
This is one of the most beautiful hikes in the Pyrenees, discovering the altitude lakes of Ayous: a group of six lakes in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques region: Lac de Bious-Artigues, which is the starting point for this hike, Lac Roumassot, Lac du Miey, Lac Gentau, Lac Bersau, and finally Lac Castérau. They are situated at different levels, between 1,842 m and 2,042 m altitude. So it's a demanding hike with a good difference in altitude. As well as seeing these superb lakes and mountain landscapes populated by marmots, you'll have a magnificent view of the emblematic Pic du Midi d'Ossau, culminating at 2,884 m altitude. In summer, remember to arrive early, as this trail can be busy, but also because of the lack of shade.
8. Bellevue plateau
- Distance: 8.1 km
- Elevation gain: 368 m
- Walkingtime: 3 h
- Itinerary
Once again, this hike allows you to admire the Unesco site of the cirque de Gavarnie: you'll never get tired of it! But this new hike offers a completely different viewpoint, from the Bellevue plateau, which almost forms a balcony over Gavarnie, earning it the name "Bellevue"! Departing from the Gavarnie tourist office, you'll set off on this medium-level hike. Along the Entortes trail, you may be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of an isard, the Pyrenean animal's emblematic cousin, the chamois, which has seen its population multiply after almost disappearing last century.
9. La brèche de Roland
- Distance: 11 km
- Difference in altitude: 631 m
- Duration : 5 h 30
- Itinerary
On this beautiful Pyrenees hike, you'll take on some superb high-mountain scenery. But high mountains often mean uneven terrain, so remember that this is a difficult hike, especially as the trail is slippery, with several scree slopes. La brèche de Roland is a 40 m-wide gap in the cliffs surrounding the cirque de Gavarnie. At an altitude of 2,800 m, it forms the border between France and Spain.
10. Lac Vert
- Distance: 11.4 km
- Difference in altitude: 980 m
- Hikingtime: 6 h
- Itinerary
Lac Vert, in the Hautes-Pyrénées, is a mountain lake named after its emerald waters. This small lake, just over a hectare in size, is situated at an altitude of over 2,000 m. To reach it, you'll have to start at the cascade de l'Enfer, where you'll have to hike up a challenging slope with a vertical drop of almost a kilometer! Along the way, you'll see some magnificent scenery typical of this mountain destination: forests, waterfalls, peaks... In bad weather, the path becomes slippery, making it a dangerous hike that's best avoided unless you're very well equipped. Some passages are indeed quite vertiginous.
11. The Néouvielle lakes circuit
- Distance: 10.2 km
- Difference in altitude: 495 m
- Duration : 4 h 20
- Itinerary
The Néouvielle nature reserve offers us this beautiful, challenging Pyrenean hike. You'll discover four cascading glacial lakes: Lac des Laquettes, Lac d'Aubert, Lac d'Aumar and Lac d'Orédon. On the return leg of this loop, you can even add a fifth high-altitude lake. We recommend that you come equipped with good shoes, walking sticks and a bag to collect your garbage and travel in an eco-responsible way. In high season, this route is quite busy.
12. Lake Estom
- Distance: 10.9 km
- Difference in altitude: 437 m
- Walkingtime : 4 h
- Itinerary
This hike follows the bed of the Gave du Lutour, a Pyrenean torrent that forms a magnificent valley typical of this green destination. This moderately-difficult hike is ideal for families, thanks to its beauty and relative altitude difference. At the end of the route, you can admire a magnificent waterfall, just before Lac d'Estom and its secluded refuge, where you can dine or spend the night, provided you book in advance.
13. Pic du Midi de Bigorre and Lac d'Oncet
- Distance: 14.5 km
- Difference in altitude: 833 m
- Time: 5 hrs 30 mins
- Itinerary
This is one of the most beautiful hikes in the Pyrenees, as you conquer the famous Pic du Midi de Bigorre, a 2,876 m peak that is a must-see in the Pyrenees. To do so, start this challenging hike from the Col du Tourmalet, initially at a leisurely pace, up to Lac d'Oncet, 2,254 m above sea level. Once you've passed the 7-hectare lake, the trail gets tougher, with more ascents and descents, all the way to the Pic du Midi de Bigorre, where you'll enjoy spectacular views.
