Pyrenees National Parkan independent guide

This is an independent information guide to the Parc national des Pyrénées, the national park that runs along the French side of the border with Spain. It is not run by the park authority, and it does not replace official notices or local advice. Its aim is simple: to give English-speaking visitors a clear, practical picture of the park before they set off.

What the park is

Created in 1967, the park follows roughly 100 km of the crest line between France and Spain. It protects high valleys, glacial cirques, lakes, forests and summer pastures, from the Aspe valley in the west to the Aure valley in the east. In between lie Ossau, Azun, Cauterets and Luz-Gavarnie, with Louron close to Aure. The French-language home page opens the full guide.

On the Spanish side lies a neighbour, the Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park. Together the two sides share the Pyrénées – Mont Perdu landscape, inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1997. Since a law of 2006, the French park has had a protected core and a wider membership area of communes that take part in a shared charter.

Places that define the park

The Cirque de Gavarnie is the best-known sight: a vast amphitheatre of rock with a waterfall of more than 400 m. Near Cauterets, the Pont d’Espagne is the starting point for the walk to the Lac de Gaube, with the Vignemale, at about 3,300 m the highest summit of the French Pyrenees, in the distance. Further west, the Pic du Midi d’Ossau, at about 2,880 m, stands out with an unmistakable double-pointed profile. The Néouvielle massif adds pine forests and a great number of lakes.

Wildlife

The park shelters the isard, or Pyrenean chamois, and the marmot, which was reintroduced in the twentieth century with animals from the Alps. Big birds are a highlight: the bearded vulture, whose wingspan can exceed 2.70 m, the griffon vulture and the golden eagle. Rarer residents include the capercaillie, the rock ptarmigan and the Pyrenean desman. Iberian ibex have been reintroduced, and the brown bear is present mainly in the central Pyrenees. Our wildlife overview explains where and when to look.

Planning a visit

The nearest airports are at Pau and Tarbes-Lourdes, and trains serve Pau, Lourdes and Tarbes, from where roads lead up the valleys.

High-mountain paths are usually at their best from early summer to early autumn, though snow patches can linger late, and afternoon thunderstorms are common in summer. Our hiking guide explains how to choose a walk, and our discovery guide covers history and landscape. For information on the spot, park houses and tourist offices in the valleys are good starting points, and many mountain huts are staffed during the season.

Rules in principle

As a rule, camping is forbidden in the core of the park, although a strictly framed bivouac may be tolerated, from evening to morning, away from roads and without a fire. Dogs are not admitted in the core. Fires, drones, picking plants or minerals, litter, noise and disturbing wildlife are prohibited, and fishing requires a valid licence. Rules change and depend on the area, so check with the park authority, the prefecture or the town hall before you leave. The French-language page on rules in the core of the park gives more detail.

Key points

• This is an independent guide, not the voice of the park authority.
• The park runs for about 100 km along the French side of the Spanish border, from Aspe to Aure.
• Plan around the weather and the season, and keep a margin for storms and late snow.
• Check current rules and conditions locally before every trip.