Parc Naturel Régional des Pyrénées Ariègeoises, an exceptional territory

From the Andorra-Spain border , south of Toulouse and the Midi-Pyrénées region, to the west of the Ariège département, the Ariege Pyrenees boast a diversity of landscapes, including towns, forests, lakes and mountains. The area exudes a sense of grandeur and plenitude, with its wealth of ecology, flora and fauna. Each season offers a different perspective. Your Les Grottes campsite, near Tarascon-sur-Ariège, is right in the heart of the Parc Naturel Régional des Pyrénées Ariegoises. Your campsite invites you to come and discover this PNR, renowned for the diversity of its heritage.

Walking and visiting the sites of the Ariege Regional Nature Park

The most beautiful summits and lakes in Ariège can be conquered in the Ariège Pyrenees Regional Nature Park: Bassiès lakes, Cirque d’Araing, Mont-Valier and Montcalm… 202 km of hiking trails (GR) and 166 km of footpaths (sentiers de petite randonnée) run through forests that are home to remarkable wildlife. Many rare species live here: bearded vulture, Egyptian vulture, capercaillie, desman… Explore the villages and their heritage: Sède cathedral in Saint-Lizier, Seix and Pailhès castles, Mas-d’Azil and Niaux caves, Aulus-les-bains thermal baths… 140 communes and their 46,000 inhabitants dot the region. Meet the last shepherds. Pastoralism is still very much alive here.

History of the Ariege Pyrenees Regional Nature Park

Created in 2009, the Parc Naturel Régional des Pyrénées Ariégeoises (PNR) is renowned for the diversity of its natural, cultural and landscape heritage. From Castillon-en-Couserans to Val-de-Sos , via Saint-Girons, La Bastide de Sérou and Mas-d’Azil, it covers 40% of the Ariège region. That’s an area of 2,500 km²! It is the 4th PNR in the Midi-Pyrénées region, after the Grands Causses, Causses du Quercy and Haut Languedoc. With these four Regional Nature Parks, the Midi-Pyrénées region is the largest in France in terms of protected areas.