Excursion to "La Gourgue d'Asque".

La petite Amazonie / Photo: ycas (Flickr)
La petite Amazonie / Photo: ycas (Flickr)

The Gourgue D'Asque is a French valley also known as the "Little Amazon of the Pyrenees", and it is not for nothing that it bears this name, as the wealth of fauna and flora on display here evokes the subtlest and wildest of nature.

The Gourgue d'Asque in Occitan is a natural area formed by gorges along the upper reaches of the Arros river, upstream from the French commune of Disgust (Hautes-Pyrénées) in the Baronies of the Pyrenees region.

This place is a wonderful paradise that should be on your visit agenda, because nature will show you from the beginning of your tour that you are surrounded by life, with giant centipedes walking, rocks and trees covered by moss, which give the feeling of being in a tropical forest far away from Europe, in addition, the great humidity of this valley carved in limestone guarantees the diversity of living beings that coexist in total harmony.

A walk through another world

Walking through Gourgue D'Asque is an otherworldly experience, as the lichens or lianas that cover and hang from the trees, and cover rocks, give the sensation of being the tentacles of rare animals, so that this atmosphere, together with the imagination, makes visitors feel that they are in a tale of adventure and magic.

On the other hand, you can also watch otters playing in the river and spotted salamanders perching among the ferns. In addition, you will come across a myriad of colourful herbs and plants, such as St. John's wort, the colourful toothwort and the night mother will make you fall in love with them.

For tree lovers, here you can find maples, chestnuts and birches. This place is also enchanting for its mysterious caves created by the force of the river water, which formed natural tunnels that shelter animals and vegetation.

Hiking route for the whole family

You should know that in order to gain access to the Gourgue d'Asque There is a route with a lot of information about the environment. This trail is easily walkable, with a route where the time is decided by you, but to do it comfortably you must wear walking shoes and warm clothes, because the weather changes quickly in the mountainous areas. The total distance is approximately 5 kilometres that can be covered in a period of 2:20 hours.

An ideal route for the whole family.

Be sure to visit this place to enjoy Europe's natural beauties and get in touch with nature in a unique way.

Huge jungle type trees

The impenetrability of the trees prevents this forest from getting too hot and, for the most part, this height serves to protect hikers in case it starts to rain, so, in short, you will be under the protection of nature thanks to the majesty of the trees that make up the Gourgue D'Asque.

As we indicated, this excursion can be done in this area thanks to the fact that the local trails are fully signposted, they are very safe and you can take advantage of the surroundings to get to know the geography and wild nature of the area.

Signs along the trails show hikers the natural wonders of the Gourgue d'Asque, informing them of the species of flora and fauna that live here, while other signs keep hikers aware of where they are and how to get back, to avoid getting lost, although park rangers can guide you.