The Pyrenees are a saw-toothed chain of mountains running from east to west for over 400km, forming a natural border between southwestern France and Spain, and sandwiching the Principality of Andorra. It’s difficult to imagine better terrain in Europe for adventurous activity vacations; the Pyrenees are rugged, challenging and nowhere near as crowded as the Alps. The tallest peaks are in the center of the range, but on the French side you’ll be walking at fairly high altitude most of the time anyway, as there are almost no foothills on this side.
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There is a wealth of activities to tackle throughout the French Pyrenees, taking you around immense natural amphitheatres, through deep river canyons and along epic coast-to-coast cycling routes.
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Crossing through several regions, the French Pyrenees offer a wide mix of cultures from Catalan in the east to Basque in the west. The mountains are also home to a handful of endangered species including griffon vultures and recently reintroduced brown bears and ibex, making wildlife spotting a fun adjunct to your trip. Find out more in our French Pyrenees vacations guide.
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