Going on vacation in the mountains and want to try an unusual activity? Discover the best places for snowmobiling in the Pyrenees!
For an unusual activity during your winter vacations, why not opt for snowmobiling in the Pyrenees? No special driving license is required, and it’s easy to get the hang of. These machines are designed to explore the roughest terrain as well as the quietest paths. You’ll be riding in forests, on trails or on ridges in unspoilt landscapes.
Snowmobiling in the Pyrenees is a great way to get off the beaten track, and that’s exactly what you want when you set off on a nature expedition!
1. Saint-Lary-Soulan
Photo credit: Facebook – Saint Lary Motoneige
Start: Pla d’Adet
Distance: 12 km
Altitude: 1,700 metres at start
Discover the heights of Saint-Lary-Soulan by snowmobile from Pla d’Adet. You can explore the resort every evening after closing time, on snowmobile rides along the slopes. You’ll alternate between quiet and technical sections of the resort’s trails and forests.
Meet every evening at 5.30pm in front of the French Ski School. After a 10-minute briefing explaining the rules of the road, take your place behind the handlebars of your 600 cm³ machine. You must be 18 years of age to drive. Children over 1.30 m can snowmobile in the Pyrenees as passengers. You’ll also be accompanied by two professional guides who will lead the way, for a snowmobile tour lasting a total of one hour.
During your ride, you’ll enjoy beautiful views of the Pyrenees and the village of Saint-Lary below. After your motorized hike, you can enjoy regional specialities in one of the restaurants in the resort or village.
2. Grand Tourmalet
Photo credit: Facebook – Ulteam DP
Start: La Mongie Village
Distance: variable
Altitude: 1,800 to 2,115 metres
From La Mongie, you can snowmobile in the Pyrenees from an early age. For children aged 6 and over, we offer introductory snowmobiling courses, so you can progress safely under the watchful eye of instructors and parents. The snowmobiles are adapted to suit the age of the children. Sessions vary from 10 minutes for introductions to an hour for tours.
Adults can enjoy a 30-minute ride downhill or an hour-long ascent to the mythical Col du Tourmalet. Watch the resort slowly light up after the slopes close. And for a gourmet experience, head to l’Auberge d’altitude l’Étape du Berger.
After reaching the mountain by snowmobile, you’ll enjoy a mesmerizing sunset over the mountains. Then it’s time to sit down to a traditional Pyrenean meal, in a typical mountain atmosphere.
3. Barèges
Photo credit: Motoneiges Barèges
Departure point: Barèges-Tournaboup
Distance: variable
Altitude: 1,500 to 2,300 metres
You can go snowmobiling in the Pyrenees from Barèges. Accompanied by an experienced guide, you can ride alone or in pairs. It’s also possible to book a group expedition. In fact, there are many options, from a 30-minute discovery tour to a 2-hour excursion.
Several routes are available between the resort and the Tourmalet summit which dominates it. Departures take place after 5.15pm, when the pistes close. You’ll ride by headlight in the middle of the mountains, for maximum thrills. A full evening package with a meal in a mountain inn is also available. Get together with family or friends for a tasting of local produce in the middle of the mountains. It’s a great way to have a good time and leave with your mind full of images.
4. Font-Romeu
Photo credit: Facebook – Font-Romeu
Departure: Les Airelles or the golf course
Duration: 20 minutes
Altitude: 1,800 metres
There are two ways to go snowmobiling in the Pyrenees at Font-Romeu. Meet up every evening at the Font-Romeu golf course between 3pm and 7pm. You’ll take off as a passenger behind an experienced driver. For 20 minutes, he’ll introduce you to the thrill of riding an unbridled 500cm3 motorcycle. Get ready for a good dose of adrenalin!
Children can learn to snowmobile in the Pyrenees on a closed, signposted circuit at the foot of the slopes in the Airelles sector. Under the watchful eye of an experienced instructor, they’ll discover the rudiments of snow driving. The activity is open to children aged 5 to 12, and the machines are adapted to their size. They’ll be able to pretend they’re explorers of the Far North, and are sure to take away memories of their own.
Other snowmobiling destinations in the Pyrenees
Snowmobiling in Andorra
Discover the largest ski area in the Pyrenees at Granvalira. In the Grau Roig valley, you’ll move between pine forests and a half-frozen river.
Snowmobiling in Spain
From Tramacastilla, set off on a 30-kilometre excursion into the Tena Valley.
Alternatively, the Val d’Aran offers great opportunities for snowmobile rides in the Pyrenees. For example, set off from Pla de Beret towards the abandoned village of Montgarri.