Sun-cream, warm clothing, sunglasses… These are some of the items you will need when you come to one of the winter sports resorts in Aquitaine, where snow and sun combine to give you pleasurable holidays, superlative landscapes to look at, and wonderful memories to take away.

There is something for every taste and every level – cross-country skiers, snowboarders, beginners or experts, not to forget hikers or luge fans.

Around three hours from Bordeaux or Toulouse, and sixty kilometres from the train station and airport of Pau, the villages of La Pierre Saint Martin and Gourette have respectively 20 and 25 "Pyrenean" ski-slopes and cross-country ski routes set in grandiose landscapes at altitudes of up to 2450 metres!

 

To offer an even better welcome, these resorts are constantly modernising their facilities, starting with snow guns and removable chair lifts. La Pierre Saint Martin proposes skiing for the handicapped, and Gourette extended its beginners area in 2005. And to wind down after all that effort, the spa resort of Eaux-Bonnes is only 8 km away…

Iraty, Issarbe and Le Somport in the Pyrenees National Park, meanwhile, invite you to make the most of nature in winter with hikes on foot, on snowshoes or even in dog-drawn sleds, through the forests and snow fields.

>> Further info in our special feature “Winter delights”.