Les Granges, Le Bourg, 64570 Ance, Pyrénées-Atlantiques. info@explore64.co.uk

walking...

This is ‘Tour de France’ country, you can try out the famous Cols de Tourmalet, Aubisque, Ischere, La Pierre St Martin and Marie Blanque. Bike hire is available locally. Click here for more information

Riding in the Pyrenees is a unique experience. The riding centre at nearby Lanne en Baretous offers something for riders of all abilities.

Department 64 is a haven for walking. The main past time of the area, there are many available routes and we have some route maps here. The village has many signposted routes to take, that can take from 90 mins to 6 hrs. Or further afield the Cirque de Lescun is stunning with its circle of mountains, waterfalls and wild horses, you could be gone for days!

road and mountain biking...

horse riding...

The famous Gaves d’Oloron , d’Ossau and d’Aspe are all close by, offering good trout and salmon fishing. Licenses are available locally.

fishing...

canoeing and kayaking. Local companies offer something for everyone, see our links page.

white water rafting...

The nearest ski station of La Pierre St Martin is situated 30 minutes drive away, a bus is available at weekends and French school holidays. Ski hire is available locally. Other accessible ski stations are Gourette, Artouste, Somport and a little further a field in Spain, Astun. Check out our links page for details of the ski stations, piste plans, etc.

skiing...

Climb through the trees in one of the nearby adventure parks, one is situated just minutes from your door. The local water park, Aquabearn, is an ideal family park, good for young and old. you can slide the slides, dodge the donuts, tackle the wave pool, ride on the lake in a pedalo, or just relax in the beautiful surroundings.

adventure and water parks...

The renowned Pau Golf Club is less than an hour’s drive away and boasts to be the oldest Golf Club in mainland Europe. Like a museum, it is situated in this glorious city with amazing views of the mountains and Gave de Pau running through it. Artiguelouve, the newer course, offers a challenging, flat course and also has stunning views of the mountains. Salies de Bearn, about 45 minutes drive away offers a 12 hole course.

golf...

Biarritz beach is a stunning coved beach, popular with surfers situated just an hour and a half, or try out the beaches at the chic St Jean de Luz – a great day out.

Atlantic coast and beaches...

Situated in the foothills of the Pyrénées in the Béarn region of South West France, 10 km from the market town of Oloron Ste Marie. Famous for it's local produce of 'brebis' cheese, Madiran and Jurançon wines, garbure (soup) and of course the mountains, the area is rural France at its best. The climate is very hot during the summer and mild during winter. It is very lush and green with a wealth of trees and forests and waterfalls. There are lots of nature walks and gorges to visit and Les Grottes (ancient caves with stalagmites and stalagtites). Biarrritz and St Jean de Luz is about an hour and a half away and Spain is about an hour. Oloron Ste Marie is 10km from Ance and has an array of shops and restaurants and during the summer has many shows in the local park, from live bands, jazz festivals, gospel choirs to soup festivals, bike races and night markets. Many of the local villages and towns have markets, so you could visit a different one everyday and take their Menu du Jour, prices start from as little as 10€ per person for 3 courses including wine.

the Jurançon vineyards are situated at the foothills south of Pau, where you can visit their cellars and try their increasingly popular whites and rosés. Their sweet white wine is especially popular as an apératif, being offered at most of the local restaurants. It can also be bought directly from the 'cave' 'en vrac', so take your old empty water bottles and fill them up! Prices start from as little as 0.60 cents per litre. Click the map below.

wine tasting...

A bird lovers paradise! Eagles, kestrels, kites, ospreys and vultures are a common sight in the Pyrénées and to see them soar the skies in their natural habitat is quite spectacular. You can relax by the sundeck in the garden with your binoculars and see many birds of prey in flight, or go further afield to les Donjon des Aigles and you will find one of the most spectacular aerial displays in Europe. AWESOME!

bird watching...