France
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Región: French Pyrenees
Located in the heart of the Pyrenees, the ski resort of Gourette is a popular destination for winter and mountain sports enthusiasts. At an altitude of 2,450 metres, it offers exceptional panoramic views and pistes to suit all levels, from beginner to expert. Its unique beginners’ area, the Espace Découverte Bézou, offers a safe introduction, while the Cotch and Pène Blanque sectors offer stimulating challenges for experienced skiers.
In summer, Gourette transforms itself into a mountain bike resort, offering a variety of routes for cycling enthusiasts. The resort also boasts a friendly atmosphere and a commitment to sustainable development, making it an ideal destination for holidays with family and friends.
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Gourette ski resort
The Gourette ski area, nestling in the heart of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques, covers 90 hectares, offering a variety of slopes to suit all levels of skier.
Rising between 1400 and 2400 metres above sea level, the Gourette ski area offers 30 marked runs, divided into 7 green, 9 blue, 12 red and 2 black, so there’s something for everyone. Beginners will particularly appreciate the Espace Découverte Bézou, a specially-designed area with gentle slopes and specially-adapted lifts to make learning easier and safer.
For more experienced skiers, the Cotch and Pène Blanque sectors offer varied and technical runs, guaranteeing thrills and stimulating challenges. The resort also has a freestyle area for those who love new forms of snow sports, as well as signposted snowshoeing trails that allow you to discover the mountain from a different angle. Gourette also ensures optimum maintenance of its slopes thanks to a fleet of modern snow groomers, guaranteeing impeccable snow quality all season long.
Resort activities
The resort of Gourette offers a wide range of winter activities apart from downhill skiing, to suit all tastes and ages. One of the most popular activities is snowshoe trekking, which lets you explore the snow-covered landscapes of the Pyrenees, either on your own along signposted routes or on themed outings led by local guides. These excursions, which are open to children aged 6 and over, provide an opportunity to discover the fauna, flora and secrets of the mountains in winter.
For a more original experience, visitors can also combine a snowshoe hike with a Nordic bath in the heart of nature, offering relaxation in water at 36°C after the effort.
As well as discovery activities, Gourette offers more fun and sensational experiences. Snakegliss, for example, is an activity where participants hurtle down the closed pistes at the end of the day on sledges tied together, guaranteeing thrills for the whole group.
Fans of aerial adventure can try their hand at the giant zip lines, suspended several metres above the ground and offering a unique view of the resort.
Finally, for those in search of a more unusual experience, Gourette offers the chance to spend the night in an igloo or tepee, after a sunset walk and a relaxing session in a private Nordic bath.
Sustainable development at Gourette ski resort
The Gourette resort is committed to sustainable development, illustrated by a number of concrete initiatives to minimise its environmental impact and encourage responsible tourism. First of all, the resort stands out for its use of renewable energy. In particular, charging points for electric cars are available at various locations around the resort, encouraging visitors to opt for less polluting means of transport. What’s more, the ski area adopts responsible natural resource management practices, as evidenced by the safe, signposted routes for activities such as snowshoeing and ski touring, allowing visitors to explore nature in a respectful way.
In addition, Gourette ensures rigorous waste management by providing selective sorting facilities and dedicated spaces for temporary parking, thus limiting the carbon footprint of transport-related activities. In terms of ski area maintenance, the resort encourages the use of snowmaking systems that optimise water management, which is essential for maintaining optimum conditions while reducing waste. Visitors are also made aware of the importance of preserving the environment through nature workshops and educational visits on how to make artificial snow, thus reinforcing a collective awareness of the need to protect the mountain ecosystem.
Webcams of Gourette ski resort
If you’d like to see the current state of the ski resort and its natural environment, you’ll find the Gourette webcams below in real time.
Webcam at Espace Bézou
Webcam Cotch sector
Webcam of the Pène Blanque sector
Unforgettable experiences in Gourette
The first unusual experience in Gourette is a night in an igloo or tepee, an out-of-the-ordinary adventure which begins with a snowshoe walk by the light of sunset. After exploring the snow-covered landscape, participants are invited to relax in a private Nordic bath, before enjoying a traditional Béarn meal. This total immersion in Pyrenean nature continues with a night spent in an igloo or tipi, offering an authentic and unforgettable experience under the stars. In the morning, breakfast is served to round off this exceptional adventure.
Another unique experience to discover is Snakegliss, a fun and collective activity that takes place once the slopes have closed. Participants sit on a train of sledges attached to each other, snaking down the slopes under the guidance of a guide. It’s a thrill that’s accessible to all the family. Snakegliss gives you a whole new way to enjoy the slopes, in a friendly atmosphere full of laughter.
Gourette resort in summer
Hiking trails for everyone. For a day, a weekend or longer, there’s a range of interesting itineraries for everyone to enjoy, train or simply get some fresh air. The resort offers a number of signposted crossings. You can gain altitude at the edge of the ridges and follow the tracks of the Pyrenean coyotes. What’s more, the mountain-biking timetable fits in with the resort’s main activities.
With company or on your own, they can offer you a day of pure fun! Equipped with neoprenes, harnesses and helmets, you’ll be ready for an undeniable experience. Canyoning is great fun, even for the less adventurous.
If you like heights, there are a variety of activities on offer, including climbing, via ferrata and even zip-lining. All the adrenalin you’re looking for, you can find in the Gourette mountains.
Gourette Hotel
Iskö BaseCamp
Iskö BaseCamp & Hotel, located on the Col d’Aubisque road, just 800 metres before the resort of Gourette, welcomes you to an exceptional setting with breathtaking views of the Pic de Ger. Nestling in a vast 12-hectare estate, the establishment offers comfortable accommodation in 43 individual chalets, sleeping from 2 to 6 people, as well as two large, all-wood Tribü country houses, ideal for groups of up to 12 people. Recently renovated with Scandinavian elegance, Iskö combines comfort and authenticity to offer visitors a unique experience in the heart of nature.
Iskö BaseCamp & Hôtel offers you all the services of a hotel in a calm and exclusive environment. To complete the experience, the establishment has a bistronomic restaurant, a wellness area and reception areas, guaranteeing relaxation and conviviality. In winter, Iskö organises lively evenings with DJ sets, film screenings and après-ski moments around the fireplace. A major asset is the Iskö private shuttle, which takes guests directly to the foot of the slopes, making it easier for them to make the most of their stay in the mountains.
Hôtel Le Glacier **
Hôtel Le Glacier, a small, charming establishment, is ideally located in the heart of the Gourette resort, just 250 metres from the ski slopes and 350 metres from the start of numerous hiking trails, on the road leading to the Col d’Aubisque. This privileged location means you can make the most of mountain activities in both winter and summer.
The hotel offers 8 comfortable rooms, sleeping from 1 to 5 people, all equipped with shower or bath, toilet, TV and Wi-Fi connection. After a day outdoors, you can relax in the hotel’s cosy lounge around the fireplace. In the morning, a buffet breakfast is served to get the day off to a good start. Le Glacier is open in summer and winter, offering a friendly welcome all year round for mountain lovers.
Hôtel L’Amoulat **
Hôtel L’Amoulat, nestling on the road leading to the legendary Col d’Aubisque, is just 300 metres from the ski slopes and hiking trails, including the famous GR10. Although the pass is closed during the winter season, this charming establishment remains a haven of peace for mountain lovers, whether in summer or winter.
This small chalet-hotel with an authentic atmosphere has 12 vintage-style rooms, combining comfort and simplicity in a mountain setting that has evolved over the years. The rooms, decorated in neutral tones, offer a soothing ambience and are equipped with a wifi connection, guaranteeing guests a pleasant stay. When it comes to gastronomy, L’Amoulat appeals to gourmets with its varied and refined cuisine, perfect for savouring local specialities after a day in the great outdoors.
Hôtel Boule de Neige **
The Hotel La Boule de Neige, ideally located in Gourette, in the heart of the Ossau Valley, offers a unique experience thanks to its privileged location at the foot of the ski slopes. In winter, guests can access the ski lifts directly from the hotel, while in summer, the hotel becomes a must for hikers on the famous GR10 trail, as well as for cyclists and cycling enthusiasts on the mythical Col d’Aubisque.
The hotel boasts the warm atmosphere of a mountain chalet, with comfortable rooms, some with mezzanine floors, sleeping from 1 to 4 people. Each room is equipped with all modern comforts, including television and safe. Breakfasts are served in the hotel bar and are prepared with fresh, home-made products. For lunch, the large terrace, located directly on the slopes, offers authentic cuisine using local produce and short distribution channels. Gourmets can also enjoy snacks served at any time.
For a moment of relaxation after a day’s skiing or hiking, the hotel has a wellness area with sauna and jacuzzi. There is also a fitness area and a secure bicycle storage area, which is very popular with cyclists staying at La Boule de Neige.
Skiing in Gourette: the resort’s highlights
- A varied ski area: Gourette has a ski area with a vertical drop of over 1,000 metres, offering a variety of runs to suit all levels, including a beginners’ area which is unique in the Pyrenees.
- Cotch sector for intermediate skiers: The Cotch sector is particularly popular with intermediate skiers, with its wide blue runs offering plenty of morning sunshine.
- Pène Blanque sector: This sector, culminating at an altitude of 2,450 metres, offers runs for experienced skiers with breathtaking views of the surrounding peaks.
- Freestyle areas: The resort has three freestyle areas, including various modules (boxes, rails, bars) and an area to get some height on the Cintopark.
- Non-skiing activities: In addition to downhill skiing, Gourette offers activities such as snowshoeing on marked trails, snow groomer rides and Nordic bathing experiences.
