Other activities in the Pyrenees

Allant provides the perfect location for a whole range of different holidays, including, walking, cycling, winter sports, sight-seeing, adventure, golf, rugby horse racing, painting, fishing, team building or simply relaxing. We can provide you with recommendations and suggestions for days out or provide a fully planned itinerary. Or stay with us for bed and breakfast and make your own holiday in a quiet and peaceful location.

"What a splendiferous week...with all the types of entertainment we could possibly imagine", C.W., Cambridge A family picnic at Gavarnie

The Pyrenees are ideal for walkers and ramblers of all abilities

We can suggest day-long excursions on your own or with a qualified guide. The Pyrenees National Park provides beautiful scenery all year round or simply take a stroll from the house through the country lanes and villages that surround us. We can provide car transfers and picnics if you want to start further away and of course hearty breakfasts and an evening meal are available if you are planning a full day's excursion. We have enjoyed fabulous walks with our two small children at the Cirque de Gavarnie (you can hire horses, ponies or donkeys here too), around castle ruins at Luz St Saveur, or by the beautiful lakes at Cap du Long.

Our house is well located for sight-seeing, day trips and short excursions

cite de l'espace in Toulouse Within easy driving distance for a half-day visit are numerous prehistoric caves, the fabulous Pyrenees animal park, eagle centres and zoos, castles and abbeys, adventure parks, aquariums and the local towns of Tarbes, Saint-Lary or the famous pilgrimage spot of Lourdes. Further afield are the large cities of Pau for shopping; or Toulouse to visit its safari park or space city; a drive through the tunnel into the very different scenery and culture of Spain; the historic walled town of Carcassonne; or the Altantic and Mediterranean coasts.

Adventurous holidays for thrill-seekers

For those who want to try something a bit different during their stay with us, the mountains provide the ideal opportunity to try out a few adventurous sports. During the summer, there is paragliding, white-water rafting, canoeing, mountain climbing, canyoning, horse riding, a summer luge or tree climbing parks. In winter, there are a range of nearby skiing and snow boarding resorts, as well as sledging with dogs, cross-country skiing, driving snow-mobiles, raquette walks or, of course, a simple snowball fight. We can book the events for you, provide transfers to the destinations or simply recommend local guides or centres for the various sports.

Playing golf in the Pyrenees

The Pyrenees has recently emerged as a top place for golfing holidays thanks to its large number of courses and very favourable prices (of around 30 euros for an 18-hole course). Our local course, only 15 minutes drive away, provides a driving range, 18 or 9-hole courses and a golf school, all set in beautiful surroundings. There are also courses at Tarbes (approximately 30 minutes drive away), Lourdes, Montrejeau, three courses in Toulouse, including the gigantic complex of Golf de Toulouse-Seilh, the dramatic Golf Country Club de Bigorre or Pau, which was the first golf course in continental Europe. You can hire your own car to visit all the different courses or use our transfer service to be delivered and collected each day with your clubs.

Horse racing in the Pyrenees

Pau racecourse features 154 hurdle races and 55 flat races during the winter months plus three steeplechase meetings during April. Of particular note is the Grand Prix de Pau in mid-January. We can provide transfers to and from the meetings and organise other activities during your stay - perhaps some skiing or horse riding of your own.

Rugby in the Pyrenees

With top league clubs like Toulouse and Pau not far away, rugby is taken very seriously in this part of France. Local clubs at Lannemezan and Tarbes regularly hold tournaments that are well worth watching for rugby enthusiasts.

The Pyrenees provides the perfect location for a painting holiday

Locally we have beautiful rural scenes - sit up on our sun terrace to see acres of farmers' fields with church spires of the tiny villages nestled on the hills. Use our land to sketch the mountains in the distance, with white peaks adding extra contrast from around October to April. Or take a drive, or our transfer service, into the mountains to sketch, paint or water-colour some of the most breathtaking scenery in Europe. (You will find two paintings hanging around the house, of our gardens, painted by previous guests).

The Pyrenees has a diverse range of fishing waters

The lac du cap du long There are small mountain streams to fast-flowing rivers to high-altitude lakes. Some waters are stocked, a lot of places have wild brown trout, whilst salmon are also common towards the east. There are nearby lakes and streams, which are also good for family fishing. Special tourist licences are available between June and September for a two-week period, costing 30€. And, as lots of locals fish for food, we would be pleased to cook any catches for you.

A real team-building experience: tackle our Tourmalet challenge

This is the perfect challenge for bringing companies, groups or clubs closer together. Tourmalet Challenge for team building After a few days coaching from Steve (who is British Cycling qualified), you will set out as a team to set a best time from Sainte Marie de Campan to the top of the mountain. This is a climb that scares even the pros, but with the right mental attitude and a steady pace almost anyone can do it. The clock stops when your last team-mate reaches the top. Certificates, team photos and a trophy will be awarded on successful completion of the challenge and together you will have achieved something truly impressive.

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