Cauterets & Pres du Pont d' Espagne

Off into the Pyrenees!

Heading out from Lourdes

This post is about our drive into the Pyrenees- one afternoon when we were visiting Lourdes.  I have been meaning to finish this post for a while now, but other posts kept sneaking in.  This little trip was actually on the day we left Lourdes.  We had to check out of our hotel, and my husband still had some meetings to attend, so I decided to take the girls on a little drive into the Mountains.  A good friend of ours had recommended the town of Cauterets as a nice place to walk around - and you can see the drive there was stunning too!

These first few photos were taken by my eldest daughter as we drove into the Mountains...This was mid-May and it was amazingly beautiful - there was still snow in the peaks!  After our long rainy Winter/Spring in Bordeaux - I'm not surprised the mountains got all snow!

Looking into the Mountains from the highway!

Another view from the highway.

The road twisted and turned and around each bend there was more beauty to behold and I loved all the little waterfalls and creeks flowing out of the mountains.

Even the small cascades coming off the sides were stunning!

We arrived in the resort town of Cauterets and it was stunning!  A beautiful little ski town nestled quaintly in the mountains.  This town is located about 20 miles (32km) Southwest of Lourdes. It is the center for many excursions, both skiing and hiking.  Cauterets is also well known for its thermal Springs, which date back to 1843 and are still functioning today.  This particular day, the town was very quiet as it was not only off season (between ski and hiking season) but also a Sunday when everything is closed.  It was nice to just walk around peacefully and take in the beauty of the area.

Cauterets

View looking from the Center of Cauterets

More Mountain views

The high peaks were stunning!

Below you can see where people in the town can take lifts up into the slopes & peaks with skis or hiking gear.  Wonderful concept!

The lift from the center of Cauterets

Some colors of Cauterets

I adored all the colors in this town - Pink buildings, yellow buildings, brightly painted shutters.  It was just so pretty and joyful.  I could definitely get a feel of how lively & vibrant this town could be during Winter and Summer seasons.

Love the colors and the style!

More colors & style of the town

Note the flower boxes with greenery ready to bloom - Spring was in full force - even though we had a long cold Winter.  My girls had fun wandering the streets - they too found the buildings very colorful.  It almost became a game to see how many different colors we could count.

Pink, yellow and the window boxes ready to bloom.

Having fun exploring the town.

Train station in Cauterets

We left Cauterets and head further into the Mountains toward the Pont d'Espagne.  This bridge is suppose to be stunning and very beautiful - with lots of hiking and snowshoeing trails around it. Pont d'Espagne is a stone-built bridge that spans the Gave de Marcadau at the point where it meets the Gave de Gaube, near one of its sources high in the French Pyrenees.
The Pont d'Espagne is at an altitude of approx 1500m. The name translates to Spanish Bridge. Unfortunately, we were running a bit short on time as we needed to head back to Lourdes and pick up my husband as he was finishing his conference.

Cascade du Lutour

We made it to the Cascade du Lutour - about 8 km from the Pont d'Espagne - this little stop has obviously become a great viewing area, as many cars had stopped here, along with a tour bus.  There were also a couple of restaurants and shops nestled on the side of the road.

More waterfalls

At Cascade du Lutour - relais Pont d'Espagne

Now of course, being the photographic mother that I am, my girls posed for some portraits - I loved how they just laugh with each other!

Sisters!

Having fun!

An ice cream was the final treat before we headed back to Lourdes - full tummies in the car are always a good thing!

Ice Cream!

A few final photos taken from the car as we drove back to Lourdes - again I give my 12 year old daughter photo credits for the next 3 shots.

Heading back to Lourdes - looking down into the valley

Up in the Mountains

Some curvy roads!

I look forward to enjoying this area again.  I would love to go back in the summer - when we can hike and walk around in the mountains.  A little spa time wouldn't be too bad either!

During this hot summer, I find it refreshing to look back through these snow-capped mountain photos.  This is such a beautiful area and truly not that far from the Bordeaux area.