geocalia
Lac de Gaube with the Vignemale in the backgroundOrlando Mouchel · CC BY-SA 4.0

What to do · Cauterets

Lac de Gaube from Pont d'Espagne

The glacial lake beneath the north face of the Vignemale · 2 h 30 round trip, 259 m of ascent · or 20 flat minutes with the gondola and chairlift in summer

Information
Duration
2 h 30
Distance
4.9 km
Season
June to October; lifts until the end of September
Who it's for
Families; with the lifts, small children too
With a dog
Only in summer, on a lead and going up on the lifts to the first shore; from November to April, prohibited in the park

From Pont d'Espagne, about 4.9 km round trip with 259 m of ascent to the lake, with the Vignemale in the background and the Hôtellerie du Lac de Gaube, which opens in summer. In summer the Puntas gondola and the Gaube chairlift leave you twenty flat minutes away. Since 15 June 2026, swimming in the lakes in the heart of the park is prohibited.

With young childrenAs a familyWith teenagersWith a dog

Opening hours and prices can change: check them before you go.

Round off the plan

Where to eat, where to stay and what else to do

To eat nearby

The Hôtellerie du Pont d'Espagne among pines and waterfalls© Hôtellerie du Pont d'Espagne

Hôtellerie du Pont d'Espagne

Restaurant · Cauterets · €€€€

What to order: A brasserie dish on the terrace, on the way back from Lac de Gaube.

Le Pintxoak

Restaurant · Cauterets · €€€€

What to order: The garbure, the thick soup of cabbage and pulses from Béarn and Bigorre.

To stay nearby

The Hôtellerie du Pont d'Espagne among pines and waterfalls© Hôtellerie du Pont d'EspagneSmall hotel

Hôtellerie du Pont d'Espagne

Pont d'Espagne · 10 rooms · Restaurant and bar · 5 min from the Gaube chairlift · Free parking for guests

Why we like it: Ten-room family hotel inside the national park, beside the Pont d'Espagne waterfalls and five minutes from the Gaube chairlift; open in summer and winter.

A wooden chalet at the campsite among the mountains© Camping CabalirosCampsite

Camping Cabaliros

Cauterets · 100 grass pitches · Free bus to the village · Chalets all year · Dogs welcome

Dogs welcome

Why we like it: Three-star campsite with 100 grass pitches beside the river, a 20-minute walk from the centre of Cauterets, with a free bus to the village, chalets and a motorhome area.

From €14 / pitch View details