Hôtel du Cirque et de la Cascade
Why we like it: The hotel in the middle of the Cirque de Gavarnie, open since 1845, with rooms named after valley guides and the Grande Cascade opposite; reached on foot only.
Duration2 nights
From San Sebastián3 h by car
From Huesca3 h 40 via Bielsa
Best timeJune – September
Budget€180–280 pp
The plan
The plan, hour by hour
Designed for June to September, when the path is free of snow and the cirque restaurant and the hotels are open. Arrive in the village on Friday afternoon and sleep two nights there or at the campsite next door.
Friday
- 119:00Arrival in Gavarnie
Three hours from San Sebastián, almost four from Huesca. Dinner in the village and check the report at the Gavarnie Valleys tourist office, which gives information on paths, snow and webcams.
Saturday
- 108:30Path to the Grande Cascade
Set off walking before nine. The path follows the river along a wide, flat valley to the Hôtellerie du Cirque, a good hour with little climbing. From there, a stonier path leads to the foot of the Grande Cascade, where the spray reaches.
- 212:30Lunch facing the waterfall
The Restaurant du Cirque, in the hotel that has stood in the middle of the cirque since 1845, has a terrace facing the Grande Cascade. It serves from 12:00 to 14:30, from May to September, and does not take bookings: arrive early. Trout or lamb from the Pays Toy.
- 315:00Back to the village
By the same path. With small children, the way down or up can be done on horseback or by donkey with the valley's hirers, an hour each way.
Sunday
- 109:00Cirque de Troumouse
From Gèdre drive up the mountain road to the Maillet plateau and continue on foot, or on the little tractor-drawn train, to the back of the biggest of the three amphitheatres, at 2,100 metres.
- 213:30Estaubé or back home
If you have energy left, go up to Lake Gloriettes and walk a while towards Estaubé. If not, head back at leisure.
The Cirque de Gavarnie is a glacial amphitheatre with a 6.5 km perimeter and about 1,500 metres of wall, with the Grande Cascade falling down the back, the highest in France. On the other side of that wall is Ordesa: together they form the Pyrénées – Mont Perdu site, a World Heritage Site since 1997. There is no direct road from Aragon, so from Huesca you go round through the Bielsa tunnel, three hours forty; from San Sebastián, by Pau and Lourdes, it is three hours. The weekend combines the big cirque and the two small ones in the valley, with far fewer people.
How do you get there and when to go?
From San Sebastián and Pamplona, via Pau, Lourdes and Luz-Saint-Sauveur. From Huesca and Zaragoza, via the Bielsa tunnel and Aragnouet, or via the Portalet. From June to September the path is free of snow; in June the waterfall carries more water and in July and August there are more people and horses on the path. The cirque restaurant and the Hôtel Le Marboré only open in season.
| Cirque | Path | For whom |
|---|---|---|
| Gavarnie | 3–4 h there and back to the waterfall | Everyone as far as the Hôtellerie; stony at the end |
| Troumouse | 2–3 h from the Maillet plateau | The biggest and with the fewest people |
| Estaubé | 3–4 h from Lake Gloriettes | The quietest, with marmots and flocks |
Where to sleep?
In the village, the two-star Hôtel Le Marboré is beside the path to the cirque, with a regional restaurant and a fireplace; it opens from 1 June to 30 September. Two minutes away, the Camping Le Pain de Sucre has 54 level pitches, mobile homes and chalets with a view of the cirque, and also opens in winter. To sleep inside the cirque, with the waterfall opposite, the Hôtel du Cirque et de la Cascade, open since 1845; you can only reach it on foot.
For mountaineers and those coming from Ordesa
The Brèche de Roland, the gash at the top of the wall on the border with Ordesa, is a full-day high-mountain route, from July to September depending on the snow: do not improvise it. On foot, from the Bujaruelo valley you cross to Gavarnie by the Bujaruelo pass, the Port de Boucharo. In summer, with children from age 8 who can swim 25 metres, the Ossoue canyon has jumps that can be avoided by a path, from €50 with the Bureau des Guides de Cauterets.
Map
The stops, in order
What to do
Eat
88 €Stay
Services
Plan the trip
Cirque de Gavarnie, step by step
Each choice narrows the next: the season shapes how best to travel, and how you travel decides where you stay and where you eat.
When to go
When to go to Cirque de Gavarnie
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Best timeGood timeLow season
How you travel
The same break, your way
The plan stays the same. What changes is where you sleep, how you get there and how much you spend.
From Huesca, via Bielsa or the Portalet
There is no direct road from Ordesa: from Aragon you go round through the Bielsa tunnel or the Portalet and climb via Lourdes and Luz-Saint-Sauveur. In the village you park and everything is done on foot. The car is useful for Troumouse and Estaubé.
70–130 €per person per day, approximate
- Where to stayHôtel Le Marboré, in the…
- Getting aroundPark in Gavarnie and walk…
- Where to eatRestaurant du Cirque, inside the…
- ServicesTourist office, with webcams
Where to stay
- Hôtel Le Marboré, in the village, June to September
- Camping Le Pain de Sucre, two minutes away, with chalets and mobile homes
Getting around
- Park in Gavarnie and walk up to the cirque
- Drive to Gèdre, Gloriettes and the Maillet plateau
Where to eat
- Restaurant du Cirque, inside the cirque, May to September
Services
- Tourist office, with webcams
- Snow chains or winter tyres from November to March
Cirques, the Brèche and a night inside the amphitheatre
Gavarnie is for walking: three cirques in one valley and the Brèche de Roland for those with experience. From Bujaruelo you cross on foot over the Port de Boucharo.
60–120 €per person per day, approximate
- Where to stayHôtel du Cirque et de…
- Getting aroundOn foot from the village…
- Where to eatRestaurant du Cirque, no booking…
- ServicesTourist office: snow and avalanche…
Where to stay
- Hôtel du Cirque et de la Cascade, inside the cirque, on foot only
- Hôtel Le Marboré, in the village
- Camping Le Pain de Sucre, at the entrance to Gavarnie
Getting around
- On foot from the village; in summer, by horse or donkey as far as the Hôtellerie
- liO 965 bus from Lourdes
Where to eat
- Restaurant du Cirque, no booking, 12:00 to 14:30
- Takeaway sandwiches at Chez Moussu
Services
- Tourist office: snow and avalanche conditions
- Bureau des Guides de Cauterets for the Brèche or the canyon
Fly to Lourdes or Toulouse and drive to the valley
From Aragon and Navarre it is quicker to come by car. From the rest of Spain, flying to Toulouse, with direct flights from Madrid and other cities, leaves Gavarnie about three hours away by car; Tarbes-Lourdes is a little over an hour away. Without a car: train to Lourdes and the liO 965 bus.
- Getting thereTarbes-Lourdes-Pyrénées (LDE), the closest
- Getting aroundHire car at the airport
- Where to stayHôtel Le Marboré, in the…
- ServicesCar hire at Tarbes-Lourdes airport
Getting there
- Tarbes-Lourdes-Pyrénées (LDE), the closest
- Toulouse-Blagnac (TLS), with direct flights from Spain
- Train to Lourdes, with TGV and Intercités
Getting around
- Hire car at the airport
- liO 965 bus from Lourdes to Gavarnie-Gèdre
Where to stay
- Hôtel Le Marboré, in the village, to arrive by car and park
Services
- Car hire at Tarbes-Lourdes airport
- liO 965 bus
How much does it cost?
People2
Nights2
Where to stay
Where to stay if you're drivingif you're on footif you're flying
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Hôtel Le Marboré
Why we like it: Two-star hotel in the village of Gavarnie, next to the path to the cirque, with a regional restaurant, pub, fireplace and fitness area; June to September.
Camping Le Pain de Sucre
Why we like it: Three-star campsite two minutes from Gavarnie at 1,200 m, with 54 level pitches, mobile homes and chalets with a view of the cirque; open in summer and winter.
Services for this trip
Where to eat
Where to eat in Cirque de Gavarnie
Restaurant du Cirque
What to order: Trout or Pays Toy lamb on the terrace, with the waterfall in front of you; to take away, a sandwich from Chez Moussu.
Tips
Worth knowing first
Local tip
Set out walking before nine. By half past ten you are at the Hôtellerie with the light coming into the cirque, and before midday the path fills up.
We'd skip it
October to May, unless you go with snowshoes and experience. The path has snow, there is avalanche risk and the restaurant and hotels in the cirque are closed.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take from San Sebastián?
About three hours via Pau and Lourdes. From Pamplona, about three hours and three quarters; from Huesca, three hours forty through the Bielsa tunnel.
Can you go from Ordesa?
By car there is no direct road: you go round via Bielsa or the Portalet. On foot, from Bujaruelo, over the Bujaruelo pass.
Is the path to the cirque difficult?
As far as the Hôtellerie du Cirque it is flat and families do it. The last stretch to the foot of the waterfall is stony.
Can you go with children?
Yes. Little ones can ride a donkey with an adult alongside, from Easter to All Saints.
Can you go without a car?
Yes, with the train to Lourdes and the liO 965 bus to Gavarnie-Gèdre. For Troumouse and Estaubé you need a car.