Pyrenees Overview

The Pyrenees mountains, stretch 450km between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, forming a natural frontier between France and Spain.

In the Hautes (high) Pyrenees, the border between these two countries is a high ridge of wild peaks, often more than 3000m high.

This mountainous barrier divides the dry, baked landscape of Northern Spain from the green and fertile hillsides of Southern France, where even the weather and plant life differ greatly on each side.

The Pyrenees are an unexploited and wild area. There are few all-year routes between France and Spain, which means that unlike other European mountain ranges you can easily get far from the crowds.

Part of the Pyrenean magic is its accessibility. Villages like Barèges have good year round access and then, with some walking, you can be on a network of seldom-travelled paths, climbing to hidden lakes and cirques, and high peaks.

As you’d expect from such an untouched area, the Pyrenees has an abundance of flora, fauna and insects. It’s still easy to find rare wild flowers, elusive birds and timid animals. These, combined with stunning scenery such as year-round glaciers, make the Pyrenees a real treat to visit, whether for activity holidays, relaxation or just to enjoy the view.