Cirque de Gavarnie

• Height~1,500 m walls
• Waterfall400+ m
• Walk~1 h 30 each way
• UNESCO1997

The Cirque de Gavarnie is a semicircle of limestone cliffs about 1,500 metres high and several kilometres wide, carved by glaciers. It forms part of the Pyrénées–Mont Perdu UNESCO World Heritage Site, inscribed in 1997 for both its landscapes and its pastoral culture.

The walk

From Gavarnie village, an easy, wide path climbs gently along the Gave to the Hôtellerie du Cirque in about 1 h 15 to 1 h 30. From there, a rockier path leads closer to the foot of the Grande Cascade, which plunges more than 400 metres.

Higher routes

• The Plateau de Bellevue and the Pailla path give classic views from above.
• The Brèche de Roland (2,807 m) is a serious high-mountain hike, best done with experience or a guide.

Tips

• Come early or late in summer to avoid the midday crowds.
• Snow and ice cover the path near the waterfall until early summer; take care.
• The Gavarnie Festival stages open-air theatre against the cirque in July.

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