There are very few places where you can ski and surf on
the same day but both are available from Lahon at the
right time of the year. There is an enormous range of
places to visit including zoos, museums, the vulture
cliff, bird sanctuary as well as castles and chateaux.
You can take part in a wide range of activities including
wine tasting, horse riding, parachuting and go-karting.
pau is 20 minutes away, a city full of Renaissance splendour, style and medieval charm. It is known as the "English City" where the first European golf course was established. It has it's own château - birthplace of King Henri IV. The Boulevard des Pyrenees provides many bars where you can relax and view the mountains through the palm trees. Pau is the centre for the arts in the region with galleries, live music and celebrations throughout the year. There are a large number throughout the year of events reflecting the regions rich cultural heritage. Cinema Melies screens films in VO - voice original - with French subtitles. (Garlin has it's own cinema which also sometimes shows films in VO).
the city hosts it's own car racing events - just like Monaco but cheaper - on the last weekend of May you can watch historic cars racing round the streets and wander round the pits. The following week sees various modern formula car races. (There is a karting just to the west of Pau and a large track at Nogaro 60kms north.)
Pau is a world centre for equestrian events and there is flat racing during the season.
jazz fans flock to the small town of Marciac (an hour from us) for the festival in August. Big names such as Jamie Cullum, Wynton Marsalis and Madeline Peyroux take part. It's not all jazz though - Joe Cocker performed last year - plus plenty of world music and blues artists. In the central square live music is for free! Wander round dozens of stalls selling amazing clothes, jewellery, vintage vinyl records, wine and food. About 150,000 people visit but there always seems to be a table available in the bars and restaurants. Book for the concerts early to avoid disappointment!
www.jazzinmarciac.com
the pyrenees are about an hour and a quarter away and a haven for outdoor pursuits. Two valleys – d’Ossau and d’Aspe – offer walking/hiking, mountain biking and white-water rafting. Parasailing, rock-climbing, horse-riding and fishing are also available. The nearest ski resort is at Gourette - another 20 minutes. Ski buses run from Pau during the season (November to April). During the summer you can walk the GR10 long distance footpath (or just a small bit of it) in the Pyrenees National Park.
You can get to the top at www.picdumidi.com at 2,877 metres reached by cable car from Gourette. Allow about two hours to drive there via Lourdes.
You can pay a visit to the highest railway line in Europe at Artouste. The 10kms line goes round Pic d'Annie to Lac Bleu.
spain can be reached via Col d'Portalet, Somport tunnel or on the coast at St. Jean de Luz. Day trips to Pamplona, San Sebastian or Bilbao are possible.
beaches are an hour and a half via the peage and motorway. Miles of great beaches for swimming and surfing on the Côte Basque stretch from Biarritz via Hossegor and Cap Breton to the largest sand dune in Europe at Archajon, backed by the pine forest of the Landes. Great Atlantic breakers mean that surfing is a available all year round.
on the beach at St. Jean de Luz
other towns and cities to visit are Bordeaux and Toulouse, both 2 hours, and Bayonne, about one and a half hours. St. Jean de Luz is a pretty small town and harbour on the border with Spain.
Nearer is the bastide town of Navarrenx and the small town of Salies de Bearn. Up in the mountains is the village of Laruns on the edge of the Parc National des Pyrénées and further on the lakes at Artouste and Gabas.
other places to visit
West and north is the Landes with acres of pine forest and lakes.
A day exploring les grottes (caves) at Betharam and d'Ococelhaya.
Wine-tasting in the vineyards of Jurançon, Madiran and Béarn.
Lourdes is about one and a half hours.
More photographs on the gallery page.
There more links on the contact page.
pau is 20 minutes away, a city full of Renaissance splendour, style and medieval charm. It is known as the "English City" where the first European golf course was established. It has it's own château - birthplace of King Henri IV. The Boulevard des Pyrenees provides many bars where you can relax and view the mountains through the palm trees. Pau is the centre for the arts in the region with galleries, live music and celebrations throughout the year. There are a large number throughout the year of events reflecting the regions rich cultural heritage. Cinema Melies screens films in VO - voice original - with French subtitles. (Garlin has it's own cinema which also sometimes shows films in VO).
the city hosts it's own car racing events - just like Monaco but cheaper - on the last weekend of May you can watch historic cars racing round the streets and wander round the pits. The following week sees various modern formula car races. (There is a karting just to the west of Pau and a large track at Nogaro 60kms north.)
Pau is a world centre for equestrian events and there is flat racing during the season.
jazz fans flock to the small town of Marciac (an hour from us) for the festival in August. Big names such as Jamie Cullum, Wynton Marsalis and Madeline Peyroux take part. It's not all jazz though - Joe Cocker performed last year - plus plenty of world music and blues artists. In the central square live music is for free! Wander round dozens of stalls selling amazing clothes, jewellery, vintage vinyl records, wine and food. About 150,000 people visit but there always seems to be a table available in the bars and restaurants. Book for the concerts early to avoid disappointment!
www.jazzinmarciac.com
the pyrenees are about an hour and a quarter away and a haven for outdoor pursuits. Two valleys – d’Ossau and d’Aspe – offer walking/hiking, mountain biking and white-water rafting. Parasailing, rock-climbing, horse-riding and fishing are also available. The nearest ski resort is at Gourette - another 20 minutes. Ski buses run from Pau during the season (November to April). During the summer you can walk the GR10 long distance footpath (or just a small bit of it) in the Pyrenees National Park.
You can get to the top at www.picdumidi.com at 2,877 metres reached by cable car from Gourette. Allow about two hours to drive there via Lourdes.
You can pay a visit to the highest railway line in Europe at Artouste. The 10kms line goes round Pic d'Annie to Lac Bleu.
spain can be reached via Col d'Portalet, Somport tunnel or on the coast at St. Jean de Luz. Day trips to Pamplona, San Sebastian or Bilbao are possible.
beaches are an hour and a half via the peage and motorway. Miles of great beaches for swimming and surfing on the Côte Basque stretch from Biarritz via Hossegor and Cap Breton to the largest sand dune in Europe at Archajon, backed by the pine forest of the Landes. Great Atlantic breakers mean that surfing is a available all year round.
on the beach at St. Jean de Luz
other towns and cities to visit are Bordeaux and Toulouse, both 2 hours, and Bayonne, about one and a half hours. St. Jean de Luz is a pretty small town and harbour on the border with Spain.
Nearer is the bastide town of Navarrenx and the small town of Salies de Bearn. Up in the mountains is the village of Laruns on the edge of the Parc National des Pyrénées and further on the lakes at Artouste and Gabas.
other places to visit
West and north is the Landes with acres of pine forest and lakes.
A day exploring les grottes (caves) at Betharam and d'Ococelhaya.
Wine-tasting in the vineyards of Jurançon, Madiran and Béarn.
Lourdes is about one and a half hours.
More photographs on the gallery page.
There more links on the contact page.