Spectacular mountains between Spain & France. Hiking, relative easy mountaineering, waterfalls, canyoning, via ferratas, and more.

Even if I was born nearby, I had never visited this mountain range. This year, we decided to check them a bit on our way to visit family. I asked friends and relatives that had extensively hiked/run around for their recommendations and then I researched a bit on my own. I wanted to have as many options as possible, considering weather variability and our fitness on those days (both of us recovering from injuries and unsure of how much we could push it). So in this post quite some of what I checked and what we finally did. Not much 😅 but hopefully we will go back soon.

Most of the information I found was in Spanish or some in French. The former is one of my mother tongues, so easy for me. Most of the videos shown below are in Spanish. Mainly so that you can watch what you would encounter there. Do you need to speak a bit of the language to enjoy the Pyrenees? I don’t think so, for hiking. But more complex activities (via ferratas, etc) might have indications only in Spanish/French, above all with sudden/recent changes. So you might need to research more or ask thoroughly in the information centers before heading there.

We are too used to the warm Hong Kong weather. Not to real cold and snow anymore. Therefore all info is focused on summertime visits. Be mindful that in other seasons, starting as early as October and till late May, you can find ice and snow easily in lower altitudes. Crampons, ice axes, etc apart from really warm clothing and heavy-duty rain gear might be required.

Even going in July we packed our rain jackets, a couple of puffies, and thermal t-shirts. Also coasteering gear 😄 As the Pyrenees start on the very Mediterranean coastline.

Cap de Creus

2-3 hours driving North from Barcelona the Pyrenees emerge from the sea. Next to the picturesque, and too touristy, village of Cadaques you have Cap de Creus, which in Catalan means Cape of the Crosses. The Easternmost point of the Iberian peninsula. There are several relatively easy hiking paths around bringing you to different coves and points of interest around. Loose gravel and steep in some places, but we didn’t need to scramble at all to do the below

See full screen & the Garmin path.

My ankle and her knee were not 100% recovered yet and we brought walking poles just in case. But as soon as I got closer to the water I could not resist the temptation and I jumped to check the coastline in wet mode. Mainly swimming, but also going up to the rocks a few times to check around. Very pretty formations, relatively easy to coasteer on, with clear water and tons of sea life. We found a quiet corner where to eat and relax with a few pleasure boats anchored around. Later we headed back up to the bus stop. In peak season, as it was then, you can’t drive till there. You need to leave your car behind in an open parking and take the public bus which departed approximately every 15-20 minutes.

Cap de Creus is the last stage of the GR11 route that starts in Hondarribia (Basque Country) and crosses all the Pyrinees. Approx. 840km & a total elevation change of 39,000m. For those into through-hiking and with plenty of free time.

Starting from Cap de Creus and Southwards you have kilometers and kilometers of hiking paths next to the Costa Brava coastline. We hiked a bit on Cadaques, but you have the whole Cami de Ronda for example. Really easy hiking by our standards. Very pretty in some areas. Good friends of ours loved the stage around Begur. For some easy days or long “trail” runs. I have marked on the map with a lighter blue color the spots where we have not been yet but were recommended by friends. Like the aforementioned.

Ordesa

For many the best National Park in Spain. There are all kinds of routes available around. With even highlights just a few minutes walking from the road. If you want to sleep in hotels in the area Torla & Broto are the highest towns up the road. We parked on the latter and in no time we were in the Waterfall of Sorrosal. Total 120m high.

If you are experienced enough you can bring your own gear or rent it in shops around and via ferrata it all.

Guided outings available too. In our case, we just checked the waterfall from below and enjoyed the stream a bit lower around the town. Cool cool water.

Senda de los cazadores y Cola de Caballo

The Hunters Path and the Horse Tail are an easy longish route perfect to start checking the Valley of Ordesa. Leave the car in the free parking, get our bus tickets (in summer time you can’t drive up the winding narrow road), and start the hike from the valley parking. In our case, steep initial path. Approx 3km where you gain most of the altitude of the day. Total hike of 1,100m and a bit more than 22km.

It was an easy fun day for us, spending tons of time taking pics and enjoying all the waterfalls en route. The water was extremely cold in the Horse Tail waterfall.

Swimming is forbidden in all the park, but just putting our feet in the water was enough to feel the cold pain. We could still see snow patches in the peaks around from where it melts down to the streams.

See full screen & the Garmin track.

Faja de las Flores

A bit of Spanish. Faja means Belt and refers to a clear hiking path that you can see from afar like a belt on the hill. This is called Flowers Belt because it is common to see quite some of them, including the famous but sometimes difficult to find Edelweiss. Clavijas means Pegs and are metal big ones used to help in short climbs/scrambles. The most hiked route includes some pegs scrambling up and a short via ferrata with pegs down. A video with the full outing.

We were going to hike it but there were strong storms forecasted for the day and we decided to play safe and do something else (zip line and start driving further West).

Faja de las Flores can be done without passing any via ferrata the longer way, including Cotatuero Cirque, Fraucataca, Goriz shelter, Soaso pegs, Pelay belt, and down the Path of the Hunters. Video with a few kids conquering the 30+ km route.

Wikiloc with the full route information (in Spanish).

Faja Racon & Canarellos would be the easier and still really nice option on the Northern side of the valley.

It is less hiked, but nevertheless very pretty. Seeing the big walls from below.

Monte Perdido

I was planning all a bit late (Summer got her holidays approved just a few weeks before departure), we wanted to keep our gear amount minimal and be flexible with the weather. Therefore multi-day routes were not an option I considered. If it is for you, check well beforehand hut/shelter availability. The aforementioned Goriz one at 2,200m altitude is a good option to try the various 3k+ mountains above. Monte Perdido (the Lost Mountain 3,355 m) among them.

You can “camp” in the National Park area, but currently only from sunset to sunrise and above 2,500m altitude. Which would require almost year-long very decent shelter and sleeping system (explained in the camping post and very different to HK conditions). Unless you have solid cold camping experience abroad, I would avoid it.

You can do Monte Perdido in one day, but it will be a long one. One way is over 17km and 2000 elevation gain, with some scrambling. Up and down therefore x2. A nice video in English.

Up till 9m28sec is the path that we did downhill next to the waterfalls. The pegs just after do not require any proper via ferrata gear. As he mentions you can avoid this exposed section with a longer switchbacks path on the Southern part.

On my own, on a good weather day with an early start, I would go for this option, in semi-trail running mode. Jogging the flats and easy descents, similar to my Sierra Nevada visit long years ago. Mulhacén is technically easier though.

La Brecha de Rolando

If you are able to secure beds in the various shelters you could connect Ordesa with this. For one day outing the best starting point might be Refugio de Bujaruelo. Video showing the hike up to the very peculiar rock formation in the peak.

Significantly shorter route from the French side, as you can park a lot higher the car. On the French side, you also have the Cirque de Gavarnier.

In the video above, visiting the area in the easiest way possible. Very very “civilized” path. But you can watch that looks pretty similar to Ordesa Valley, with an even higher waterfall (?)

One reminder for those new to Europe, just a few kilometers North or South can make a huge difference language and price wise. The first time there Summer could not really understand why with no border or anything suddenly all the signs looked different and in general France is significantly more expensive than Spain.

More routes

There are hundreds of routes that you could hike. From short ones to multi-day adventures. Example of the latter.

Five days of full disconnection in nature, looking for open shelters and sleeping under tarps.  You need to have a very solid background for that. I would not attempt it without a guide (more info in that Youtube video) or a friend who had done similar things before. Shorter options only on our own. Below are those recommended by friends and that I liked as per my initial checking. The closest recommended accommodation or car parking is marked on the map too. From East to West.

Pedraforca

Significantly lower than others mentioned later but very pretty. Nice video with most of what you will see + spectacular drone footage.

Helmet is recommended for the last scrambling with loose rocks before arriving at the peak

Aneto

Aneto is the highest mountain in the Pyrenees with 3,404 meters. You can do it in one day, but frequently, people spend the night in the Renclusa refuge. Crampons or mini spikes and piolet are required, to cross a small glacier. There is a spicy very high scramble just before the peak called Paso de Mahoma = Mahoma’s Walkway or Bridge. The name comes from the Muslim belief that the entry to paradise is as narrow as the cutting edge of a scimitar.

A Wikiloc record of the many available and a full video guide in English.

Vignemale

A video showing several of the peaks around and also the kind of adventures that hikers attempt there.

2 days and 1 night camping in a cave. Full-geared hike and scrambles with tons of 3000s.

Garmo Negro

If you want to climb a 3k but easier than all the previously mentioned, this might be it. Way less technical.

Anayet

The perfect example of the “Ibones”.

Which would translate as small mountain lakes of glacial origin in the Pyrenees. There are a lot, but the one in Anayet is particularly photogenic. Additional fun scramble up to the peak itself.

The parking of the Formigal ski spot is the best starting point.

Collarada

OK hiking but with a very impressive peak, as very separated from others around.

The video ending is a really good reminder of why you better not test the bad weather forecasts. Thunderstorm and hail, luckily mostly when they were already in the car.

Hiru Errege Mai

The Table of the Three Kings in Basque language (my other mother tongue) is one of the highest mountains of the old Basque kingdom. 2440m high. Frontier with France and old Aragón. Supposedly this was the ground for the three kings to meet. Relatively easy to hike, with just a short scrambling area atop.

High on my list just because I remember reading about it in my early years.

Pamplona

As mentioned, the weather was not helping and it was early July, alternative plan: San Fermín! Tons of people partying and the world-famous bull runs (encierros).

Not my thing, but if you want to try it be extremely careful. Proper runners would not party the night before and try to be race-day-like ready. Selfies and any other behavior that can be dangerous for the rest of participants is completely forbidden and the fines can be astronomical.