Gavarnie and the 3 cirques
Extraordinary landscapes
Imagine a glacial cirque at a height of 3,000 meters, at its heart one of the highest waterfalls in Europe (427 meters): you have Gavarnie Cirque!
Its two neighbours the Troumouse and Estaubé cirques are speechless when faced with so much beauty and such fantastic dimensions!
This is the trilogy of 3 natural amphitheatres in the land of glacial cirques, you can visit one, two or all three. The three cirques are less than an hour’s drive from the campsite and guarantee you each an exit where you will take full eyes, 100% nature and escape!
The Cirque of Gavarnie:
40 minutes by car from the campsite.
As soon as you arrive in the village, the cirque already dominates, the visual emotion is inevitable, grandiose. It is a true wonder of nature: 6.5 km in circumference, 1,500 m in height, peaks exceeding 3000 m and one of the largest waterfalls in Europe.
You can admire it from the village of Gavarnie, and it takes an hour, on foot or on horseback, to get there. The marked path runs along the torrent of Gavarnie and leads you to the former circus hotel, dating from the 12th century and transformed into a bar/restaurant. You will continue 40 more minutes to reach the great waterfall of Gavarnie more than 400 meters high!
In winter, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing loop of 5 kilometers from the village of Gavarnie.
The Cirque of Troumouse:
50 minutes by car from the campsite.
This natural amphitheatre is lower than its cousin in Gavarnie, less visited and wilder. Its walls rise in a single stream on a height of 450 meters, but it is larger and perfectly circular, about 11 kilometers in circumference.
The road to Troumouse is in itself a real spectacle: access by car to the Plateau du Maillet then transfer on foot or by small train towed by a tractor to reach the Cirque. A remarkable preserved mountain landscape! Walking routes of 45 minutes to 2 h 30 are offered to you, accessible to all, as well as many picnic and relaxation areas along the creek.
The Cirque d’Estaubé:
40 minutes by car from the campsite.
Smaller and more discreet than its two neighbours, the Cirque d’Estaubé is a remarkable natural site.
A mecca of the valley’s pastoralism, nearly 400 cows and 1,200 ewes graze there every summer! Along the Lac des Gloriettes and then the bucolic Ruisseau d’Estaubé, this route is an ideal place to observe marmots and take a family walk.
From the parking lot you can access it through the dam of the Lake of Gloriettes. An easy round trip of about 2 h 40, ideal to travel with the family, will take you to discover this enchanting site, favorite ground of marmots with a splendid view of the Mount Perdu.
