Camping in the heart
of the Hautes-Pyrénées
A green getaway in the Hautes-Pyrénées
You are now in a territory where nature reveals its most beautiful secrets! Our region brings together exceptional sites, labeled “Grands Sites” by Occitanie, which bear witness to an unparalleled natural and cultural heritage. Glacial cirques, mythical peaks, unspoilt valleys, thousand-year-old sanctuaries… Your camping holiday in the Hautes-Pyrénées has a lot to offer!
peaks
to feast your eyes on
The “Grands Sites Occitanie” of the Hautes-Pyrénées
The Cirque de Gavarnie (UNESCO)
The Hautes-Pyrénées reveal their treasures to visitors from all over the world. Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1997, the Cirque de Gavarnie is part of the “Pyrénées – Mont Perdu” area, which enjoys a very rare distinction: double classification for both nature and culture.
Only a handful of sites worldwide can boast such a privilege! This rock wall rises to a height of 1,700 meters with a circumference of 14 kilometers.
The Grande Cascade leaps from a height of 422 meters, fed by the waters of the Lac Glacé du Cylindre. From the village of Gavarnie, an easy path leads you in 2 hours to the foot of these walls that culminate at an altitude of over 3,000 meters.
The Pic du Midi
Perched at an altitude of 2,877 meters, the Pic du Midi can be reached by cable car from La Mongie in just 15 minutes. Its panoramic terraces take in 300 kilometers of the Pyrenean range! The astronomical observatory, the oldest high-mountain observatory in the world, houses the highest planetarium in Europe. The Ponton dans le Ciel (Bridge in the Sky), a 12-meter walkway suspended over the void, offers dizzying sensations in the face of the immensity.
Cauterets – Pont d’Espagne
A spa resort since the 19th century, Cauterets, at an altitude of 950 meters, cultivates the charm of its monumental architecture, which bears witness to its glorious thermal past. Just 7 kilometers away, the Pont d’Espagne reveals striking waterfalls and panoramas in the heart of the Pyrenees National Park. This iconic site offers 36 kilometers of Nordic ski trails spread between the Clot and Cayan plateaus.
Lourdes
Since February 11, 1858, the date of the first appearance of the Virgin Mary to Bernadette Soubirous, Lourdes has welcomed millions of pilgrims from all over the world. The Grotte de Massabielle houses the miraculous spring discovered by Bernadette. The sanctuary brings together five basilicas, including the remarkable Basilica of Saint Pius X, built entirely underground.
Pyrénées Aure Louron
The Aure and Louron valleys reveal their authentic villages: Arreau, Sarrancolin, and Vielle-Aure offer surprises and discoveries. The Néouvielle Nature Reserve, protected since 1936, covers 2,000 hectares at an altitude of 2,000 meters. Nearly 100 lakes dot this legendary territory dominated by 3,000-meter peaks such as the Pic du Néouvielle, which culminates at 3,091 meters. The Aragnouet-Bielsa tunnel brings neighboring Spain closer.
here, nature
puts on a show
Nature activities and wide-open spaces
The Pyrenees National Park stretches over 100 km from east to west along the Spanish border, between the Aure and Aspe valleys. Its core protects 45,700 hectares spread over 85 municipalities, where 350 kilometers of marked trails wind through landscapes sculpted by glacial erosion. The 300 lakes scattered throughout the massif reflect the peaks that culminate at over 3,000 meters in a striking play of mirrors.
These cirques, surrounded by immense cliffs, are home to remarkable wildlife: chamois leaping on rocky ridges, bearded vultures soaring above deep valleys, and brown bears roaming the beech and fir forests. The Pyrenean desman, a small semi-aquatic mammal, frequents the mountain streams, while griffon vultures circle in the updrafts.
The Pyrenean flora reveals its endemic treasures: ramonda, fringed androsace, Lapeyrouse pansy… High-altitude meadows welcome herds for summer grazing, perpetuating a millennial pastoral activity. In 2014, the Park reintroduced the first Iberian ibex, a species that had disappeared since the 19th century.
The Néouvielle Nature Reserve, protected since 1968, brings together 70 lakes with crystal-clear blue waters. The mountain pine forests, the highest in Europe, cover the slopes up to 2,500 meters. Lake Gaube, nestled at 1,725 meters, can be reached in 1 hour from the Pont d’Espagne with the Vignemale peak as a backdrop. Mountain biking, canyoning, climbing, caving, rafting, and paragliding… Everyone finds their playground in this preserved immensity!
pyrenees national park
Néouvielle Nature Reserve
Cap de Long Néouvielle / ©A.BONAL
lake gaube
Aspe valley
WHEN THE MOUNTAIN
turns white
Winter in the Hautes-Pyrénées
When snow adorns the peaks with its white mantle, our territory transforms into a vast winter playground. Nine downhill ski resorts and five Nordic areas open their domains to snow sports enthusiasts, offering 401 km of slopes served by 127 ski lifts. From family-friendly green runs to expert couloirs, everyone finds their path to escape.
Saint-Lary-Soulan reigns over this white kingdom with its 100 kilometers of slopes spread over three connected sectors: Pla d’Adet, Espiaube, and the Vallon du Portet. Grand Tourmalet also offers 100 kilometers of skiing between La Mongie and Barèges, notably featuring the legendary descent of the Pic du Midi with its dizzying 1,700-meter vertical drop. Peyragudes extends its 65 kilometers over two sun-drenched slopes, while Piau-Engaly proudly culminates at an altitude of 2,528 meters.
Gentle snow sports find a home in five Nordic areas where cross-country skiing enthusiasts carve their tracks. The Val d’Azun features 90 kilometers of circuits between the Soulor and Couraduque passes. Nistos offers 43 kilometers of loops facing the grand panoramas of Aneto and the Pic du Midi. Campan-Payolle offers 50 kilometers of trails around its peaceful lake.
With snowshoes on their feet, hikers traverse snowy forests and pristine plateaus. Six free marked circuits wind through Gavarnie before the striking spectacle of waterfalls frozen by the frost. The Néouvielle Reserve reveals its crystallized lakes during enchanting two-day loops between the Oule and Orédon refuges.
Ice climbing attracts seasoned climbers to the walls of the Cirque de Gavarnie and the Marcadau valley in Cauterets. Our renowned balneotherapy centers allow for a harmonious blend of skiing and thermal waters, thus combining sport and well-being for fulfilling winter days.
Well-being and relaxation activities
You are here in the leading department of France for its thermal riches! A land of well-being par excellence, the Hautes-Pyrénées cultivate an art of living where relaxation and authenticity combine harmoniously.
Eight specialized thermal establishments open their doors to you: Argelès-Gazost, Bagnères-de-Bigorre, Barèges-Barzun, Beaucens, Capvern-les-Bains, Cauterets, Luz Saint-Sauveur, and Saint-Lary. These underground waters with millennial virtues, sodium-sulfur or sulfate-rich, naturally treat rheumatology, respiratory tracts, phlebology, metabolic disorders, digestive and urinary conditions, psychosomatic disorders, and gynecology.
Well beyond medical cures, eight modern balneotherapy centers cultivate the art of relaxation. Everyone can tailor their well-being to their desires: a few hours of escape, a full day of rejuvenation, or multi-day getaways. The institutes offer relaxing massages, as well as face and body treatments using precious local Pyrenean products.
Here, good living rhymes with authenticity!
Sports and thrills
An exceptional playground for adrenaline junkies! Canyoning reigns supreme in these mountains where the activity was born. The UNESCO-listed Gavarnie gorges house sporting routes such as the upper Saugué canyon and the Tourettes canyon. Jumps of up to 7 meters, natural slides reaching 20 meters, rappels along sprayed waterfalls… Each obstacle bears evocative names that promise guaranteed adrenaline rushes.
The via ferrata traces its dizzying routes on the rock walls. The Then route at Arrens-Marsous features two circuits with monkey bridges. In Luz Saint-Sauveur, the Pont Napoléon offers an aerial route with overhanging sections. Cauterets hosts Les Alias and its 9 zip lines, including a large final 280-meter zip line that propels you over the void! These installations, equipped with cables and metal rungs, facilitate safe progression.
Paragliding takes off from a number of remarkable sites, including Beaudéan and Loudenvielle, where EFVL-approved schools offer first flights for children aged 5-6 (minimum weight 25 kg). Rafting on the Gave de Pau is available for all profiles, including people with reduced mobility, with equipment adapted from 5XS to 5XL.
Outdoor hospitality in the Hautes-Pyrénées is the ideal starting point for these adventures: just minutes from the spots, you set off for adventure each morning and return to the calm each evening.
Gastronomy and craftsmanship of the Hautes-Pyrénées
Our Haut-Pyrénéen terroir cultivates an authentic art of living! No fewer than 20 products under official quality labels bear witness to jealously preserved ancestral know-how. Here, each product tells the story of a generous land and expert hands.
The Tarbais bean obtained the Label Rouge in 1997 and then the PGI in 2000. Its thin skin and melting flesh blend perfectly in garbure, the iconic soup that simmers gently for 3 hours with cabbage, vegetables, and preserved meats. A dish that warms the soul as much as the body!
The Bigorre black pig has benefited from an AOC since 2015 and a PDO since 2017. Raised freely in our forests, it feeds mainly on acorns and chestnuts for over 6 months, developing the incomparable flavors for which it is famous. Barèges-Gavarnie sheep received its AOC in 2003 and its PDO in 2008, while the sweet onion of Trébons cultive its sugary flavors in the fertile Bigourdan plain.
Cheeses of character, prestigious wines… Ossau-Iraty has held an AOC since 1980 and a PDO since 1996, just like Tomme des Pyrénées, protected by a PGI in 1996. These cheeses pair magnificently with our wines: Madiran and Pacherenc du Vic Bilh have benefited from an AOC and PDO since 1948, and Jurançon since 1936. Craftsmanship perpetuates these centuries-old traditions with the same passion.
La Carde has been weaving Pyrenean wool items since 1891. The Cité du Goût et des Saveurs trains food artisans in the most advanced techniques, while L’Escapade Artisanale promotes our precious local arts and crafts. Know-how, authenticity, excellence… our gastronomic and artisanal heritage reveals all the richness of our Pyrenean identity.
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