Western Pyrenees
These mountains have everything, from miracles to majestic passes
THE SOUTH WEST of France has some of the most spectacular scenery and riding in the country – and it’s packed with fascinating places to visit, too. There are unspoilt beaches on the Altantic and Mediterranean coasts, historic villages and castles plus amazing riding in the mountains of the Pyrenees, the gorges of the Tarn and hills of the Cévennes. As a touring destination, it really does have everything anyone could want.
This western end of the Pyrenees is simply fabulous. Whether you approach overland from northern France or by sea, after a Santander ferry, the roads here will be the highlight of any trip. The mountains are the big attraction but there’s more to this area than just the high passes. So whether you come for the big-name passes, the smaller hill roads of Lot-et-garonne and the Midi-pyrenees or the quiet coastal pine forests, there is riding here to suit all tastes. PLACES TO STAY BIARRITZ We’d avoid Bayonne: Biarritz is big enough and has plenty of hotels to choose from. It’s cool, swanky, and has lots to see including a museum, an aquarium, a lighthouse, and the Rocher de la Vierge (a huge Madonna on a rock overlooking the entry to the fishermen’s harbour). The Wheels and Waves festival is held there each June. A good base if you’re not riding every day and want a bit of time on the beach.
Hotel tip: Hotel de l’ocean (biarritz-hotel-ocean.com) ST JEAN-PIED-DE-PORT Our preferred gateway to the mountains is a lovely town with a small, well-preserved medieval citadel. It’s generally charmingly sleepy but gets busier on Mondays, which is market day.
Hotel tip: Hotel des Remparts (hoteldesremparts.fr) ARGELES-GAZOST This quiet town is between the Col du Soulour and the Col du Tourmalet. A great central location for a riding trip with the emphasis on putting on mountain miles, without being as busy as nearby Lourdes.
Hotel tip: Hôtel l’arrieulat Auberge des Pyrenees (hotelpyrenees.fr) BAGNERES-DE-LUCHON High in the mountains, close to the Spanish border, at the heart of the Pyrenees, this spa town is a great base for exploring the eastern and western Pyrenees on both sides of the border.
Hotel tip: Hotel Alti Luchon (altiluchon.com) OFF THE BIKE ST JEAN-DE-LUZ An alternative seaside stop: smaller and less touristy than Biarritz. More fishermen, fewer surf dudes… Has an impressive church and about 10 miles away, right by the Spanish border, is Chateau Abbadia – a fairytalespecification chateau. (chateau-abbadia.com) CAVES High in the hills between St Jean-de-luz on the coast and St Jean-pied-de-port in the mountains is the Grottes de Sare, a huge cave. There’s another cave to the east of Larrau: the Grotte de la Verna, in a village called Calla. Good places to visit on hot days as they’re nice and cool. (grottesdesare.fr; laverna.fr) PASSERELLE D’HOLZARTE This high-altitude rope bridge outside Larrau will take your breath away. It’s a bit of a walk to get there from the car/bike park (about 2km) but is worth it for the views – if you have a head for heights. Not for those with vertigo… (topopyrenees.com) GORGES DE KAKUETTA A nice scenic walk along a river, with waterfalls and a cooling cave. It’s been 'improved' for tourists, which means its walkways have replaced natural trails: this is good for touring riders as they make it easier to walk in bike boots. (sainte-engrace.com)
AIGLES D’AURE To see some of the local wildlife, head to the bird-of-prey centre in Arreau, where there are flying demonstrations and a chance to get close to some of the birds. (aigles-daure.com) PARC’OURS This wildlife park is in the high mountains, on the way to Spain south of Oloron-st-marie. As the name suggests, it’s built around the brown bears but has everything from rabbits and marmots to mountain goats and horses as well. (parc-ours.fr) TRAIN D’ARTOUSTE To ride this narrow-gauge railway near Laruns, you start with a trip in a cable-car. It claims to be the highest railway in Europe and has spectacular views. There’s a café at the top – and apparently, if you keep walking, there’s a lake. (altiservice.com) LOURDES As a pilgrimage destination, Lourdes is one of the original European tourist traps – but manages to still be a lovely place. As well as the sanctuary and the Grotte de Massabielle – the two pilgrimage sites – the town is chock-full of churches (our pick: the Basilica and the Sacrécoeur). It also has a great castle, a funicular railway (have lunch at the top; the views from the terrace are great), as well as several museums and a miniature village – which is a quaint/creepy miniature version of itself… (lourdes-infotourisme.com, picdujer.fr) THE LAKES If you want a nice wild destination for a walk, the mountains have plenty of lakes to aim for, but try Lac de Cap de Long – mostly because the narrow road to get there is mind-blowingly good - if you enjoy tight hairpins with large drops. Otherwise, Lac de Payolle (at the foot of Col d’aspin) and Lac de Genos in Aranvielle are also easy to get to. HOT SPRINGS There are lots of places to take the waters – anywhere that has 'Les Thermes', 'Bains' or 'Bagnères' in its name will probably have a set of historic baths. (thermes-argeles.fr, valvital.fr, thermes-bagneres.fr) SUPERBAGNERES This is the ski-centre above Bagnères-de-luchon – you can take a cable car up there for the views if you don’t want to ride the bike up. It’s a good place for a walk in summer. The other starting point for walkers looking for an epic hike is, apparently, the Hospice de France, a bit further south at the end of the D125. (luchon-superbagneres.com)