Discover the Pyrenees

FRANCE & Spain

GUIDED WALKING HOLIDAYS From the Mediterranean to the Atlantic

This is one of our favourite walks. It combines the breathtaking views in the Pyrenees, beautiful Mediterranean coastline with ancient villages, and a rich array of flora and fauna. The Pyrenees stretch for 430kms from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean.

Our walk begins in Cadaqués, a small fishing village on the Costa Brava in Spain, which was also home to the famous artist Salvador Dali. The Bougainvillea draped, white washed houses lining narrow, cobbled streets and craggy headlands to either side of a picturesque harbour make this village truly irresistible.

Onto Figueres for lunch and an opportunity to visit Dali's "Teatre - Museu". From here we travel North, away from the coast and into the high Pyrenees. This is lush dairying country and from our tiny village we have magnificent views across to the Cadi Moixero N.P. The next day we; walk in the fertile valley of Cerdanya, discover ancient villages and picnic amidst magnificent alpine countryside.

Today we continue on to one of the most beautiful National Parks in the Pyrenees — the Aigues Tortes and Lake St Maurici National Park. There are over 50 lakes and the most characteristic features of the Pyrenees are represented in this park. Here we base ourselves in the tiny village of Tavascan at the end of a remote valley.

After a day of mountain passes and spectacular scenery, we travel to the Ordesa National Park in the Aragon region of Spain. This marvellous mountain range is the natural border between Spain and France. The Ordesa valley is a tongue of green vegetation running for 15 kms between two imposing walls of bleached, calcareous rock. Right at the end is our Parador with its unique location just below the imposing Monte Perdido. The walk into the spectacular Circo de Pineta starts directly at our hotel and takes us through some magnificent mountain scenery. Pyrenean chamois are plentiful and the lammergeyer has one of its major European strongholds in these mountains.

From here we traverse into France to the small town of Gavarnie in the Pyrenees National Park. In our small friendly hotel we enjoy the typical cuisine of the region which our host, Bernard, prepares to perfection. Gavarnie is an ideal location for a walk into the surrounding mountains and of course to discover the amazing amphitheatre of the Cirque de Gavarnie. It can only be described as one of nature's wonders. There are over 1500 species of wildflowers native to the Pyrenees and wildlife is abundant i.e. Lynx, lizard, marmot, ptarmigan, bearded vultures, and golden eagles - there are even approximately 15 Brown bears in the National Park.

Our final day takes us to Biarritz on the Atlantic coast, where the tour ends. With its colourful shops, picturesque restaurants and delightful old fashioned tea rooms, it is a great place to finish this tour.

OUR HOTELS & CUISINE

Our hotel in Cadaqués is located on the Cap de Creus Peninsula and faces the sea at the head of a deep bay. It is surrounded by an extraordinary landscape of grey slate and olive groves and has a truly unique beauty. The hotel has indoor and outdoor swimming pools and also a tennis court.;

In the Cerdanya Valley we stay in a tiny, remote village with an important historical background. Our friendly family-run hotel has a beautiful garden and swimming pool with grand views to the Cadi- Moixero N.P. At night we experience truly homemade Catalonian cooking.

In Tavascan, near the Aigues Tortes National Park, we stay in an extremely cozy and friendly family-run hotel. It is set in a wonderful mountain landscape and the hotel restaurant offers delicious mountain cuisine.

In the Monte Perdido nature reserve we stay in a welcoming Parador, located on the western slopes of the mountains now designated as the Ordesa National Park. The restaurant maintains the high standards of the Parador Group and serves the best of the dishes popular in the Northern part of Aragon. Particularly tasty are the: "Trucha del Cinca a lo fine" which is local trout, "Pierna de jabali" being roast leg of wild boar; "Teresicas de Aragon" which is a local dessert made with puff pastry.

From our hotel in Gavarnie we have magnificent views towards the most famous section of the Pyrenees, the Cirque de Gavarnie. In the cozy dining room we enjoy our tasty dinners each evening.

TOUR COMBINATION

Departure dates have been arranged to allow both the "Discover the Pyrenees" and "From the Sea to the Summits" walks to be combined.

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