Heart of the Pyrenees Walk

• Superb peak and high ridge walking; breathtaking views, choice of different walking levels every day
• Friendly family-run hotels with excellent regional cuisine
• Dramatic gorges, beautiful lakes, lush green valleys and traditional mountain villages
• Unique flora and fauna: blue gentians, purple monkshood, bearded vultures and rare black woodpeckers
• Majestic, glacial amphitheatre of the Cirque de Gavarnie, a UNESCO world heritage site.

This walking holiday is based in the Hautes-Pyrenees, an area of outstanding natural beauty and boasting some of the highest, most spectacular peaks in the Pyrenees. It is a majestic network of verdant green valleys, pretty flower-strewn meadows, pristine, pine-scented woodlands and traditional rural villages perched steep on the hillsides.

Our walks follow mountain paths through a floral paradise with habitats ranging from vividly colourful upland pastures to rocky outcrops where countless alpine gems thrive in the most perfect of settings. We picnic by diamond-sparkling mountain streams, (perfect for dipping those hard-worked feet!) and spot marmots and deer foraging in the hillside whilst vultures and eagles soar overhead.

Each day offers a choice of 2 or 3 boot walks (easier/more challenging), and it's no problem to alternate from day to day. The routes have all been meticulously designed by our knowledgeable local representatives Malcolm and Anne Gregory, who'll be there to meet you and ensure your holiday runs as smoothly as possible. As usual, your luggage will be transported for you.

Our family-run hotels offer a warm, individual welcome and a sumptuous cuisine with distinctive flavours inspired by regional produce. In Aste you are guests of Albert and Monique Olaezola, keen to impress with their justly renowned restaurant, also popular with the locals! Then on to the busy little spa town of Bareges where our cosy mountain hotel enjoys a great location on the banks of the fast-flowing river Bastan. Finally, to Luz St. Sauveur where spectacular sunsets at Jean-Paul and Marie-Paule's rural retreat provide the perfect backdrop to a relaxing aperitif on the terrace.