Flora and fauna
Opening :Rentals from 10/02/2024 to 15/10/2024
Campsite from 01/05/2024 to 15/10/2024

The fauna and flora of the High Pyrenees

Hiking in the mountains of the Hautes-Pyrénées gives you the chance to get close to wild animals in their natural environment, but also to discover rare and protected plants.

The wild fauna of the Pyrenees

Here is a small bestiary of the "fantastic" animals that you can photograph or film if you spend your next holiday in camping in the Hautes-Pyrénées.

  • The marmot : introduced in the Pyrenees in the 1950s, the marmot is the real mascot of our mountains. It can be found in all the valleys and can be seen from a distance, adopting a Sioux-like discretion.
  • The isard: do not confuse it with its cousin the chamois! It is smaller and much more agile! It measures about 70 cm at the withers and is about 1 m long. In summer, the isard has a reddish coat, whereas in winter it is more colourful.
  • The Griffon Vulture: this is one of the largest birds of prey in the Pyrenees, easily recognisable by its slow and majestic gliding flight, often concentric. Despite its bad reputation, the vulture plays an essential role in the ecosystem of our mountains, just like its alter ego, the Bearded Vulture, also very present in the Pyrenees.
  • The golden eagle: a fragile and threatened species, the king of raptors is present in the Pyrenees and has around 80 pairs, of which thirty are in the Pyrenees National Park. Reputedly discreet, it remains relatively difficult to observe.
  • The Pyrenean bear: in thirty years, there have only been 255 "encounters" between humans and bears in the Pyrenees. In other words, seeing a brown bear at the bend in the road is a miracle. In 2021, the population will be around 70 bears on both sides of the Pyrenees, mainly in the central Pyrenees.

Idea for a family outing: the Pyrenees Wildlife Park, formerly the Marmot Hill, invites you to discover the emblematic animals of the Pyrenean massif.

To read on the campsite blog: All about the Pyrenees National Park

The flora of the Pyrenees

In the heart of the massif, the Pyrenees National Park has more than 2,500 plant species, i.e. more than 40% of the floristic diversity of metropolitan France. Among the plants and wild flowers that can be observed are

  • Edelweiss: now the symbol of mountain flora, edelweiss (also known as lion's foot, silver star or glacier star) is a rare plant, recognisable by its downy silver-grey foliage and small, velvety white star-shaped leaves.
  • The Iron Rhododendron: this hermaphroditic summer-flowering plant owes its name to the rusty colour of the underside of its leaves. It can be found on mountain slopes, between 1500 and 2500 metres in altitude.
  • The Pyrenean Ramonde: similar to the primrose, the Ramonde is distinguished by its large oval rosette-shaped leaves and its large purple flowers with orange stamens.
  • Pyrenean Willow: a species endemic to the Pyrenees, this dwarf tree measures between 20 and 50 cm and forms a miniature forest, generally on the edge of the stony alluviums of the Gave valleys.
  • The Pyrenean lily: a typical plant of the Pyrenean massif, this lily grows in mountain meadows and along rocky paths. It can be recognised by the yellow-orange colour of its petals. Not to be confused with the Martagon Lily which is purple.
  • The Pyrenean Aster: a rare and protected species in the Pyrenees, this plant, endemic to our mountains, grows on steep slopes, in pastoral environments, most often at the foot of limestone cliffs.
  • The Pyrenean Iris: this endemic species of the Pyrenees is distinguished by its large blue-violet flowers. It blooms between July and August in well exposed mountain meadows.
  • Amethyst hyacinth: this small herbaceous plant of 10 to 30 cm is the miniature version of the Spanish hyacinth. It grows in calcareous soil in scree and subalpine meadows up to 1,500 m in altitude.
  • Pyrenean Cranesbill: This variety of native cranesbill grows at an altitude of between 300 and 2,000 metres. From May to October, its flowers are purple to bluish purple.

> CAUTION, touch with your eyes! In order to preserve biodiversity, it is forbidden to pick wild plants and flowers.

For your holidays, get some altitude!

Take advantage of the beauty of the surroundings to go for a walk! The Hautes Pyrénées department is an ideal destination for holidaymakers looking for sun, greenery and fresh air.

Staying at Le Hounta, just a few kilometres from Luz Saint Sauveur, you will be within easy reach of the department's essential points of interest.

All destinations