Cycling Col du Tourmalet region, French Pyrenees

Why choose a Pyrenees cycling holiday?

One of the things that surprised us most was how peaceful the riding could feel. These are some of the most famous roads in cycling, yet away from the busiest Tour de France days, it is still possible to find long stretches where you see few other cyclists.

The atmosphere also feels distinctly local. Small villages, rivers and densely forested valleys sit between the major climbs; this feels like authentic France rather than a purpose-built cycling resort.

The scenery around Gavarnie is particularly dramatic. Towering walls of rock rise above the valley, creating a natural amphitheatre and a very different feel from the more open slopes and larger ski resorts found in some other European mountain regions.

Despite the Tour de France history, parts of the region can feel remarkably secluded. On quieter climbs, it is possible to feel deep in the mountains without being far from your base.

Our article comparing the Alps and Pyrenees may also be useful (coming soon!).

Pyrenees cycling climbs

Here’s a quick overview of some of the key climbs in the area:

Col du Tourmalet

The Col du Tourmalet can be approached from either side, and each offers a different experience. From Sainte-Marie-de-Campan, the opening kilometres are relatively easy, but after Gripp the gradient rises to around 8% and stays demanding for the final 12 kilometres to the summit.

Barèges provides a useful place to stop for food or water, while the landscape becomes increasingly exposed as you approach the summit. The final kilometres can feel very different from the warmer valley below.

Do not underestimate the descent. It is long, temperatures can drop quickly and damp conditions can make the road feel slippery. Carry a waterproof layer and gloves, even when the weather in Argelès-Gazost looks settled.

Col d’Aubisque

From the Col du Soulor, there are around 10 kilometres to the Col d’Aubisque. The road initially descends for around two kilometres before climbing again, with the final four kilometres averaging 7%.

The Col d’Aubisque has a more open feel than the forested Spandelles. Expect wide views across the mountains, grazing livestock and oversized bicycle sculptures painted in Tour de France jersey colours near the summit.

It is the kind of climb where the scenery encourages you to look up and take in your surroundings, rather than spending the entire ride focused on the gradient.

Col de Spandelles

From Ferrières, the Col de Spandelles climbs for 8 kilometres at an average gradient of 8%, with quite a few sections around 9%.

The Col de Spandelles is one of the best choices if you want to escape the better-known roads. Much of the climb runs through dense forest, creating a cooler and more enclosed feel than the open slopes of the Aubisque.

When we rode it in July, it felt remarkably quiet. That sense of solitude is a big part of its appeal and makes it an excellent contrast to the Tourmalet and the other headline climbs.

Col d’Aspin

From Arreau, the Col d’Aspin is around 12 kilometres at an average gradient of 6.5%. It is gentler than the Tourmalet, although the final five kilometres are tougher and the last few kilometres average around 8%.

The eastern side of the climb is open, with wide views across the Pyrenees towards peaks including the Pic du Midi de Bigorre. Pastures surround the road and you are also likely to encounter cows or horses on the climb and around the pass.

Take care around the livestock and on the descent towards Sainte-Marie-de-Campan. The descent is fast, with wide mountain views.

Hautacam

Hautacam is one of the toughest climbs around Argelès-Gazost. It is around 16 kilometres long, gains 1,190 metres and averages 7.5%, but those figures do not tell the whole story.

The gradient changes frequently, making it difficult to settle into a rhythm. There are ramps of up to 16% and some long sections reaching 15%. We found the 1.5 kilometres after the four-kilometres-to-go marker particularly difficult.

Towards the top, the gradient eases and the views open out. If you still have something left in the legs, you can continue another 1.3 kilometres to the Col de Tramassel for views across the Vallée du Lavedan and towards Luz Ardiden, the Col du Soulor and Col d’Aubisque.

Luz Ardiden

Luz Ardiden climbs for around 1,000 metres from Luz-Saint-Sauveur at an average gradient of 6.9%. The first couple of kilometres are relatively easy, but after Sazos the road ramps up to around 8% and barely eases until the final few kilometres.

Higher up, the trees disappear and the landscape opens onto grassy slopes, sheep, rocks, waterfalls and high Pyrenean peaks. The final three kilometres are particularly memorable, with hairpin after hairpin winding across the mountainside.

At the summit, head to the large car park behind the café for the classic view back over the switchbacks. The descent is packed with hairpins, and we found it a great ride down.

Pyrenees cycle routes: Argelès-Gazost and Tourmalet region of the Pyrenees

When planning our trip to this area of the western Pyrenees, it took us ages to decide on the best base: should we stay in Argelès-Gazost, Bagnères de Luchon or Foix to access the best Pyrenees roads?

After much thought, we decided on Argelès-Gazost for our first trip to the Pyrenees. This allows you to be close to the most famous Pyrenees cols, mountain passes and Tour de France climbs (particularly if you want to attempt the Col du Tourmalet bike climb and the other climbs in this guide). We think it was the right choice (but have since been back to cover the cycling routes of Bagnerès de Luchon including Col du Peyresourde and friends)!

Argelès-Gazost also works well for the practical side of a cycling holiday. It has more accommodation, restaurants and bike-hire options than many of the smaller settlements farther up the valley. The town’s market and wider choice of places to eat are also useful on rest days or after a long ride.

Its position can make the end of a hard ride more manageable too. Depending on the route, a number of rides finish with descending or flatter kilometres back towards town, rather than a final climb to your accommodation.

Luz-Saint-Sauveur puts you closer to the Col du Tourmalet and Luz Ardiden, while Gavarnie offers a quieter base surrounded by dramatic mountain scenery. For a first trip, however, we think Argelès-Gazost offers an excellent balance of access, facilities and route choice.

Read this for more information on how we decided which town to stay in for cycling the Pyrenees and this for an overview of the different cycling regions within the Pyrenees.

All of the Pyrenees cycling routes in this guide use Argelès Gazost as a base town. If you use them, you’ll find yourself on loops that take in some of the greatest road climbs of the Pyrenees. We’ve put these routes together ourselves and we hope you love them as much as we did. Do let us know once you’ve experienced cycling in the Col du Tourmalet region, especially if you tried our routes!

Rides

Col d'Aubisque, French Pyrenees

88km 3000m

Col du Tourmalet and Col d’Aspin

160km 3360m

Little known climbs: Col de Couraduque, Bordères and Lac d’Estaing

57km 1530m

TdF finishes: cols Hautacam, Luz Ardiden (and Cauterets)

102km 2820m

A big thank you to local resident, Simon Smart, for his insights that helped us plan many of these routes. 

Also make sure you read our tips for cycling in the Pyrenees, before you go.

Easy cycling in the Pyrenees

You don’t come cycling in the Col de Tourmalet and Pyrenees area for flat roads and easy riding. In general, roads like that are in the valleys and you’ll be sharing the road with a lot of cars, especially in summer.  But – happily – there are a few exceptions:

Lourdes – Argelès-Gazost – Pierrefitte-Netsalas Voie Verte/greenway

An 18 km Voie Vertes (or greenway) stretches between Lourdes and Pierrefitte-Netsalas. It’s got a good, asphalt road surface that’s suitable for road bikes. It’s practically flat and is totally separate to the main road. So it’s a great option if you’re with kids or are just trying to get north or south from Argelès-Gazost and want to avoid the main roads.

After Pierrefitte-Netsalas, the Voie Verte becomes steep and gravelled for the last 10 km to Cauterets. This is a good choice if you’re tackling the Pyrenees by mountain bike rather than road bike.

North and east of Lourdes

If you’re seeking flattish terrain, Lourdes cycling could be your best bet: go in the opposite direction to the high mountains. Head towards Lourdes, then Tarbes and villages such as Vic-en-Boigorre, Mauborguet and Tostat in the plains of Gascony.

Alternatively, a middle ground exists in the foothills of the Pyrenees: the Col de Lingous, Col de la Croix Blanche and Bois de Mouret, all of which lie east of Lourdes.

Cycle events in the Pyrenees

Sadly, events such as the Haute Route Pyrenees have ceased in recent years. However, there is still plenty of opportunities to take on the region’s famous climbs as part of an organised event.

Raid Pyrénéen

The Raid Pyrénéen is a long-distance cycling challenge that crosses the Pyrenees from Hendaye on the Atlantic coast to Cerbère on the Mediterranean. The classic Randonneur route covers 720 kilometres, crosses 18 cols and includes around 11,000 metres of climbing. Riders have a maximum of 100 hours to complete it.

Rather than taking place on a single event date, the challenge can be ridden during its summer opening period. There is also a longer Touriste version for cyclists who want to tackle the crossing at a less intense pace.

More information in this article on the Raid Pyrenees.

La Pyrénéenne

La Pyrénéenne is a long-running cyclosportive in the Hautes-Pyrénées, with routes that take riders over roads associated with the Tour de France. The event continues to run annually, with the next edition due to take place in Saint-Lary-Soulan in 2027.

GFNY Lourdes Tourmalet

GFNY Lourdes Tourmalet brings an international field of cyclists to the region. In 2026, the long route covered 157 kilometres and included 4,064 metres of climbing, with the Col du Tourmalet among its headline challenges.

Pyrénées Cycl’n Trip

For something less competitive, Pyrénées Cycl’n Trip gives cyclists the chance to ride a selection of famous Pyrenean climbs on roads temporarily closed to motor traffic.

The 2026 programme included the Col du Tourmalet, Luz Ardiden, Hautacam, Col d’Aspin, Col de Spandelles and Col du Soulor. There is no timing or fixed start time, so cyclists can tackle the climbs at their own pace.

Pyrenees cycling accommodation

This part of the Pyrenees is characterised by small towns and villages with cycling accommodation that is family-run and relatively basic. So staying at the likes of a bed and breakfast with your bike in the Pyrenees is realistic.

The quieter atmosphere does not necessarily mean it is safe to book at the last minute. Many of the best cycling-friendly properties are small, and availability can disappear quickly during the main summer season.

It is worth arranging accommodation and bike hire well in advance, particularly for June and September.

We based ourselves in Argelès-Gazost as we wanted easy access to the most famous Tour de France climbs (within 15 km there are over thirty categorised climbs including Col du Tourmalet, Col d’Aubisque and Hautacam).

For our view on other great places to stay in the Pyrenees, take a look at our guide to the best towns for cyclists. It describes each of the main towns you could stay in, talks about the cycling options from each and gives our opinion on them.

Our choice: Le Miramont, Argelès-Gazost

The Miramont hotel is a family-run, Art Deco hotel is located in the heart of Argelès-Gazost, between the park and spa and the centre of the village. We received a warm welcome and service was extremely hospitable throughout. Well-presented, delicious food was another big highlight.

What we loved

Delicious food. We ate breakfast and dinner here; both were excellent. The continental breakfast comprised a well-presented selection of artisanal yoghurts, fresh fruit salad, cold meat and cheese, different breads and pastries. Boiled eggs were also available. Coffee was from a self-service machine, but it was surprisingly good.  Dinner was tasty and also superb value for money.

Great service. Dominique spoke excellent English and gave us an exceptionally friendly welcome to the hotel and our room.

Good bike storage facilities. A separate building with permanently shuttered windows is tucked away behind the hotel and is home to a spacious bike storage facility. It comprises three small rooms including a workbench with a few tools and track pumps, sink and bike racks. There are also lockable bike storage cupboards you can lock your bike into. The walls are adorned with cycling memorabilia from guests that have stayed in the past, including Chris Boardman, Alberto Contador and Lance Armstrong. Whether you bring your own or opt for bike rental in the Pyrenees, there’s somewhere safe and convenient to store your cycle.

Pretty garden. There are various seating areas that looked like the ideal place for a relaxing post-ride beer.

Things to know

The hotel is on the main road through Argelès-Gazost. There was no air-con in our room, so we needed the window open. As a result, traffic noise was mildly disturbing, but if that’s an issue it could probably be resolved with earplugs.

A lot of effort has clearly gone into turning this Art Deco hotel into a contemporary, chic space. This has been done very successfully in the dining room; the moody greys and reds plus over-size downlighters wouldn’t be amiss in a four-star hotel. While not unexpected in a three-star hotel, we felt the bathroom, with its pink-lino floor, was due an upgrade. The same goes for the small bedroom: while the bed was very comfortable, some of the other fixtures looked a little tired.

There is no clothes washing service, but the hotel has a drying room and the owners are happy to dry your clothes there.

Conclusion

Mountain villages are not known for their over-supply of luxury accommodation and Argelès-Gazost is no exception. For a three star hotel, we think Hotel Le Miramont does very well indeed.

Other accommodation options for cyclists

If Hotel Miramont is full, we’d consider the Argelès Gazost accommodation options listed in our article on where to stay in the Pyrenees (for cyclists).

Bike hire Pyrenees (Argelès-Gazost region)

If you’re looking for bike hire in Argelès Gazost, you’re in luck. The town is a cycling mecca, and as such there are a number of good options.

As a side note, it’s worth knowing that in small towns, a shop that seems to be mainly selling lawn mowers and scooters could be able to help you if you have a mechanical issue. They often have on-site mechanics that are very handy with a range of machines, including bikes! So you can look beyond Argelès Gazost bike hire shops should you need technical support.

Bike rental Argelès-Gazost, Pyrenees

Bike rental Luz Saint Saveur, Pyrenees

Luz Ardiden bikes

Other Pyrenees bike rental options

Tips:

• Book your bike in advance, particularly in peak season.
• Many rental businesses are small and may have limited availability in popular sizes. Booking your accommodation and bike hire at the same time can help avoid problems later.
• Remember to bring your own pedals, shoes and helmet. This packing list may help!
• Check which way around your brakes are set before you ride away (i.e. whether the front brakes are on the right hand (as is usual in the UK) or on the left (as is usual elsewhere in Europe)). Also take a look at our list of things to check before hiring a bike.

Undecided on whether to hire a bike or bring your own? Read this now.

Best time to go to the Pyrenees

One of our first comments on heading into the Pyrenees was, wow, isn’t it green. Yes. There’s a reason for that – the Col du Tourmalet weather.

The lush green meadows of the French side of the Pyrenees are testament to the fact that this area gets a lot of rain. The weather can be unpredictable, even in summer; afternoon thunderstorms are not uncommon.

The area is busiest when the Tour de France comes through in July, but in weather terms, Paddy Sweeney at Velo Peloton advised us that the months either side of the Tour are better times to visit as the weather is more settled and it’s less busy.

So when does Col du Tourmalet open to riders? The cycling season is short-lived in this mountainous area. The Col du Tourmalet weather often means that it and Col du Aubisque often don’t open until early June. Paddy also advised that sometimes cols open in late May and then immediately shut for a few weeks while repairs are carried out to weather-worn asphalt.

So, the message is, if you want to ride the biggest cols, don’t come too early – and don’t leave it too late!

Tips

How long should you spend in the Pyrenees?

A week is a good amount of time for a first cycling trip to the Col du Tourmalet region. There are enough climbs around Argelès-Gazost to ride a different route each day without changing accommodation.

Do not judge the week only by distance. Many rides are relatively compact in kilometres but include a significant amount of climbing, so recovery time matters.

For a longer trip, consider combining two bases. Spending part of the week around Argelès-Gazost and the remainder in another valley opens up climbs such as the Col du Peyresourde without creating excessively long transfer rides.

A stay of around ten days also leaves time for hiking, a rest day or a more relaxed visit to Gavarnie.

Local food to try

The Pyrenees offer a few regional specialities that make a welcome change from standard cycling snacks.

• Tourte des Pyrénées: a light, ring-shaped cake. Some versions include blueberries, and a slice can work well as a mid-ride treat.
• Gâteau à la broche: made by slowly layering batter over a rotating spit. The finished cake has a distinctive ridged shape and a slightly crisp exterior.

Both are worth looking out for in local bakeries and markets.

Road conditions

We found the road surfaces better than expected on many of the main climbs and several quieter roads. Conditions can change after winter, however, so check current local information before relying on a particular route or descent.

Books

If you like hard copy route cards, there’s a booklet called Topoguide – Velo de route, with 20 individual sheets, one for each road bike route. It show the routes in detail and the topography of the ride. We understand these can be bought from the Offices de Tourisme within the department. Chris Sidwell’s Tour Climbs, the complete guide to every mountain stage on the Tour de France features the Pyrenees climbing greats: Tourmalet, Aspin, Aubisque, Tourmalet, Luz Ardiden and other Tour de France mountains in the Hautes-Pyrénées.

Ride a Stage of the Tour De France: The Legendary Climbs and How to Ride Them by Kristian Bauer has a slightly more detailed look at the Col d’Aubisque, Luz-Ardiden, Hautacam, Tourmalet and Aspin.

Mapping Le Tour by Ellis Bacon has a page for each edition of the Tour de France and a section at the back that focuses on many of the climbs of the Hautes-Pyrenees.

Friebe and Goding’s Mountain High takes a less practical, more historical and personal look at the Tourmalet, Cirque du Gavernie, Aubisque and Hautacam.

Cycle maps

This free Pyrenees cycling map is quite useful for basic orientation.

Other options for a French Pyrenees map for cyclists also exist. IGN has a Hautes-Pyrenees map at 1:200,000. Michelin offers a Midi-Pyrénées map.

Getting there

While the closest airport to the region is Tarbes, it’s most likely you’ll fly into Toulouse. There are daily flights from the UK all year around and lots of car hire options too.

Another option is to travel by train from Toulouse towards Lourdes before arranging an onward transfer into the mountains. This can work particularly well if you do not want to hire a car for the whole trip.

Shop opening times

Bear in mind that nearly all bike shops in the region close on Sundays and Mondays (though if you speak to them in advance, they’ll probably be able to arrange for bike collection/delivery on these days). The exception to this is in July and August when many shops have extended opening; but check before you assume they’ll be open!

Enjoyed our guide?

Are you planning on cycling the Tourmalet? Have you already bagged the Tourmalet climb? We’d love to hear from you – comment below or drop us a line.

Want more? Don’t miss our guides to the best Tourmalet cycling route – plus Aubisque, Aspin, Hautacam, Luz Ardiden and more below. Once you’ve done these climbs, we’d also suggest basing yourself in Bagnéres de Luchon for a few days to discover the amazing riding from there – including Col de Peyresourde, Col du Portillon and many more famous climbs (check out our guide to that area here)!

Love cycling in France? Discover more best bike rides in France here.

Considering riding the Tourmalet to train at altitude? Don’t miss this useful, in-depth guide on altitude training for cyclists.

Want to check out some other destinations? Search by the month you want to travel or cycling destination you want to visit, here.

Clare Dewey is a cyclist with a passion for travel. She set up epicroadrides.com in 2018 to help make it easy for cyclists to explore the world by bike. Today her mission is still inspiring cyclists to discover new places on two wheels - and doing what she can to make sure they have the best possible time while they're there. Clare has visited 50+ destinations around the world, many of them by bike.

Want to connect with Clare? Find her over on LinkedIn.