Tourism and activities
Come and stay in the hautes Pyrenees, halfway between Lourdes and Pau, in an authentic village, Saint Pé de Bigorre, and discover its surroundings.
Saint Pé de Bigorre
Saint Pé de Bigorre is a commune in the Hautes Pyrénées bordering the Pyrénées Atlantiques. It is located on the D937 road linking Lourdes to Pau, on the northern side of the Pibeste-Aoulhet regional nature reserve. It is bordered by the Gave de Pau.
The commune enjoys an oceanic climate with rather constant temperatures throughout the year. Winter and summer, the temperatures remain mild.
To walk in Saint Pé is to walk through 10 centuries of history. In the year 1022 the Duke Sanche of Gascogne, miraculously cured during his visit to Générès (former name of Saint Pé), founded a Benedictine abbey dedicated to Saint Pierre (Saint Pé in bigourdan).
Situated on the pilgrims’ route to Santiago de Compostela on the Pyrenean footpath, the hamlet grew and became important thanks to the exploitation of raw materials from the Très Crouts forest. The charcoal burners earned the Saint Péens the nickname of eths ahumats (the smokers) and a street bears this name.
Of its history remain many vestiges scattered in the streets of the village.
The neighborhood
Saint Pé de Bigorre
If you take the time to walk through the streets, you will be surprised by the diversity of the heritage: the Place des Arcades with the Town Hall, the wash houses of Labadie and La Batmale, the Labatut and bout du pont districts, the gardens and terraced houses, the Lias and Bays houses, the Saint Pierre Abbey, the Cularque…
On the other side of the Gave you can discover a pretty hamlet: Rieulhès with its Saint Michel church and a small wash-house recently restored.
LOURDES
8 kilometres away visit Lourdes with the sanctuary of Notre Dame de Lourdes, the fortified castle, the funicular of the Pic du Jer, the wax museum, Bernadette’s birth house, the covered market, the BON AIR farm and the lake.
https://www.lourdes-infotourisme.com/
ARGELES GAZOST
Continuing on the road to Gavarnie in Lavedan, let yourself be charmed by the town of Argelès Gazost, the casino and its English-style park, the thermal baths and the animal park of the Pyrenees with marmots, otters, isards…
https://www.valleesdegavarnie.com/hiver/ma-destination/vallee-d-argeles-gazost
Bétharram caves and Pyrénées Atlantiques
On the Atlantic Pyrenees side, you can visit the most beautiful Bétharram Caves in Europe, the Asson zoo, the castle of Coarraze and the town of PAU with the castle where Henri IV was born.
PIC DU MIDI
The spectacular cable car ride takes you up to 2877 metres above sea level. The 600m2 of terraces offer a 360° view of the Pyrenees mountain range.
The three circuses : Gavarnie, Estaubé,Troumouse
Natural circuses of a rare exception. Gavarnie is the most famous with this prodigious wall and the largest waterfall in Europe.
The Pont d’Espagne and lake Gaube
Above Cauterets, by taking the GR10 or cable car and chairlift, come and discover the Gaube lake dominated by the Vignemale (3298m). On the way down, the waterfalls flow under a charming stone bridge: the Pont d’Espagne.
Refreshing activities
White water
On the banks of the Gave de Pau many white water activities are offered: rafting, mini rafting, Kayak, hydrospeed, Frenzy, air boat, canoraft, stand up paddle.
The Gave is also a beautiful trout river where you can practice fishing.
Speleology
The limestone massif where the waters flow underground (karstic) of Saint Pé de Bigorre is rich of 1500 caves, explored during 80 years by the abbot Abadie. It is thus a place of speleology accessible to all and practicable all year round (even on a rainy day!). Follow in the footsteps of prehistoric animals and hunters accompanied by instructors whose list is available at the tourist office.
Climbing
The cliff-climbing site of Le Castéra is located on the Chemin des Serres. It is a former marble quarry with a smooth wall area equipped with artificial holds and an area of natural rock 15 metres high and shaded.
Mountain biking
4 mountain bike circuits are available from Saint-Pé-de-Bigorre. Whatever your level, you will find itineraries that suit you perfectly: walks along the Gave, forest journeys, connections between villages, access to magnificent panoramas ...
As part of the V81 cycle route project from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean, a section is planned linking Saint Pé to Tarbes.
Walks and hikes
Come and hike in one of the wildest areas of the Pyrenees protected by a regional nature reserve and an integral biological reserve. There are ten marked trails ranging from 3.6 to 14 kilometres in length and from 2 to 8 hours round trip. The famous karstic path of the Abbé Abadie will make you discover the montagnon of La Pale (shaped like a baker’s shovel), the forest of Très Crouts rich in its fauna and flora, the caves of La Pale and La Bouhadère… You will also be able to see the beech grove of Pla de Bers and its cathedral-like appearance, and the Aoulhet hut restored in 2017 at 1165 metres with free access.
https://www.saintpedebigorre-tourisme.com/randonn%C3%A9es/
Children’s walks
The tourist office has set up a Randoland circuit for the youngest visitors, which, through puzzles to be solved, will help them discover the richness of the village.
A dynamic village
Many animations come to brighten up our village: flowery market, vide-grenier, big crossing of the reserve, gourmet markets, night of crepe, the hikes of the reserve, starred cutlets, return of the transhumance...
https://www.saintpedebigorre-tourisme.com
