A Fresh Perspective on Travel Every Day
Our slow travel series explores how you can take more mindful journeys by train, boat, bus, or bike – with tips on how to reach your no-fly destination, and what to see and do along the way. Here, Christopher GJ Cooley explains how going hiking in the Pyrenees is possible by arriving on bicycle and high-altitude train.
Whether you want to blissfully ramble and discover the perfect picnic meadow or conquer majestic peaks that soar on the edge of reality, the Pyrenees won’t just satisfy your yearnings; it will inspire you to seek out more. From formidable rows of summits that surge through the clouds to sunsets that melt into hidden crevices and canyons, the Pyrenees is a hikers’ wonderland.
The Pyrenees are renowned for their spectacular sunsets, ample hiking opportunities, and unique landscapes – truly a vast, beautiful playground for lovers of the outdoors. However, don’t overlook the picturesque little towns nestled between the peaks; they are full of cherished traditions, cultural delights, and eccentric festivals.
Spain itself is a natural wonder. The Pyrenees and Picos de Europa are as beautiful as any mountain range on the continent, while the snowcapped Sierra Nevada rises improbably from the sun-baked plains of Andalucía. The wildly beautiful cliffs of Spain’s Atlantic northwest are offset by the charming coves of the Mediterranean. Here are Spain’s top natural wonders.
Trying not to look down, my father and I clambered up a steep rocky chimney to the peak of Mt Canigou, to be greeted by a view of the glittering Mediterranean, 50km in the distance. We were at the highest point of the Tour du Canigou, a little known circuit of a spectacular Catalan mountain in the east of the French Pyrenees. Behind us stretched the rest of the Pyrenees mountain range, and below were villages tucked into folds of France and Spain.
The gorgeous western Mediterranean coast begins at the resorts around Perpignan. Its many highlights include the ancient town of Collioure with its 12th-century fortress, and the long beach of Argelès-sur-Mer on the Cote Vermeille. The coastline around the Leucate peninsula is one of France’s windiest stretches, making the area the windsports capital of France. Towns and cities like Beziers and Montpellier add to the attractions of the Herault before you come to the Bouches-du-Rhone and Marseille.
Foix in the Ariège may be a small city, but it has a big personality. Surrounded by mountains and sliced with rivers, this is a true gateway to the glorious mountain range of the Pyrenees. Situated about 50 miles south of Toulouse and 40 miles from Andorra, it makes a good center for exploration of this part of southern France.