Description

One of the best (and best known) GR (Grande Randonnée) routes in the Europe, this is a long hike through a wonderful mountain range.

The route is 866 kilometres long, requires 48,000 metres of ascent/descent and takes around 45 - 55 days depending on fitness and conditions.

Going from coast to coast, the hike goes from Hendaye on the Bay of Biscay to Banyuls-sur-Mer on the Mediterranean Sea, although it can easily be hiked in the opposite direction too.

It stays in France throughout but traverses the Pyrenees just to the north of the Spanish border, and there are plenty of chances to nip over the border should you wish.

The hike is extraordinarily scenic but manages to link settlements for virtually its whole length so it is possible to stay in a combination of hotels, gites and mountain refuges almost the entire way along the route.

There is, however, a section in the Ariège area that requires a few nights of camping.

Given the quality of the scenery, a night or 2 of wild camping is no chore! The exact route of the hike changes slightly every year as paths are moved and modified, but whichever line you take the hike finishes with a satisfying finality when you arrive at the Mediterranean and dip your toes into the water, 7 or 8 weeks since you did the same thing in the Atlantic!