Cauterets – Bains du Rocher

Thermal baths in a belle époque town

The Bains du Rocher has indoor and outdoor pools with sulphurous mountain water. Cauterets is also the gateway to the Pont d'Espagne.

Alpine skiing

Height: 1,730–2,450 m
Pistes: 36 km
Runs: 5782
Lifts: 11
Season: early December–early April (planned 6 Dec 2026–6 Apr 2027)
Lift pass: €46 adult/day, €41 child/day (2026/27, standard price); with the No Souci card €32.20 on weekdays outside school holidays
Level: all levels
Snowmaking: Snow cannons on approx. 12 km of pistes
Snow park: Freestyle park in the Cirque du Lys (between the Crêtes and Grand Barbat chairlifts), three freestyle zones
Cross-country skiing: Pont d'Espagne in the national park: cross-country trails (approx. 36 km according to Wikipedia) and snowshoe routes, plus a small beginners' slope

Cauterets is an elegant Belle Époque spa town, and the skiing takes place in the Cirque du Lys, a high mountain bowl reached by gondola straight from the village in under 12 minutes. Its position often brings a lot of snow; in the winter of 2013 more than 5 m was measured. From the summits, the Crêtes du Lys at about 2,400 m, you can see far across the western Pyrenees. The ski club was founded in 1907, and as early as 1910 the French championships were held here. Combine it with the thermal baths and cross-country skiing at Pont d'Espagne.

Highlights

Gondola from the village up to the Cirque du Lys (1,850 m)
Snowy mountain bowl with wide views
Cross-country skiing at Pont d'Espagne in the national park
Thermal baths in the village after skiing

Getting here

Flights: Lourdes-Tarbes (LDE) approx. 45 km, approx. 50 min · Pau (PUF) approx. 80 km, approx. 1 h 20 min · Toulouse (TLS) approx. 200 km, approx. 2 h 15 min
Train: Lourdes (TGV/TER), then regional bus (liO) to Cauterets bus station, approx. 50 min
Bus: liO buses Lourdes–Cauterets; the resort's ski buses from Bordeaux, Lourdes, Tarbes airport, San Sebastián and Dax; shuttle from Cauterets to Pont d'Espagne
Car: A64 exit Soumoulou or Tarbes Ouest, then the N21 towards Argelès-Gazost and the D920 up to Cauterets. Winter tyres or chains/snow socks compulsory 1 Nov–31 March. Park at Courbet by the gondola's valley station; paid car parks in the centre

Accommodation

Accommodation: Large spa town with many hotels, résidences and flats; no accommodation up in the Cirque du Lys
Places to stay nearby: The village of Cauterets is the best base, with the gondola straight up; Pierrefitte-Nestalas and Argelès-Gazost (approx. 20 km)

TipsStay in the village and take the gondola, and you can do without a car altogether. The No Souci card gives big discounts on weekdays. Check the weather and wind – the highest lifts sometimes close in storms.

Open in the interactive map Directions Places to stay nearby Things to do Affiliate link

42.8890° N, 0.1140° W

Trails passing here

GR 10 – the Pyrenees on the French sideapprox. 900 km · 50–60 days