Gourette
Gourette is a winter sports resort in the French Pyrenees. It is located in the commune of Eaux-Bonnes in the department of Pyrénées-Atlantiques and the region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine on the D 918 road which passes through the Col d'Aubisque mountain pass. The closest air access is Pau Pyrénées Airport. The resort is at an altitude of 1,400 m (4,600 ft) with a ski area of 140 ha and 42 km (26 mi) of marked slopes. The ski area extends between 1,350 and 2,450 m above sea level. Gourette is part of the N'PY group of ski resorts.
Introduction from the English Wikipedia article (CC BY-SA).
Seven criteria rated from 1 to 5 stars, in half-stars, from this page's sourced data. A rating is a rank among the 322 French resorts we cover — 5 stars means “among the best in France on this point”, not “perfect”. Nobody types these in.
- SnowCan you count on the snow?3 / 5
Top of the ski area: 2,429 m · Bottom of the pistes: 1,351 m · Days above 30 cm, December to March, model: 53%
- Ski areaIs there enough to ski all week?3 / 5
Km of pistes at the resort: 30 km · Km of pistes across the linked area: 30 km · Lifts: 13 · Balance between piste levels: 89%
- ValueIs the lift pass reasonable for what you get?3 / 5
Adult day pass: €44 · Day pass price per km of pistes: €1.47/km · Adult 6-day pass: €238
- Families and beginnersIs it right for children and beginners?3 / 5
Share of green and blue pistes: 58% · Magic carpets: 3 · Sledging runs: 1 · Special prices out of 4 (beginner, child, family, free age): 3 · ESF ski school · Ice rink, pool, rail sledge…: 1
- AccessIs it easy to get to?2 / 5
Average drive time from 20 major cities: 7 hr 40 · Nearest railway station: 40 min · Station-to-resort shuttles per day: 0 · Nearest airport: 1 hr 11
- Atmosphere and après-skiIs there life in the evening and off the slopes?3 / 5
Bars and pubs: 4 · Nightclubs: 0 · Restaurants: 19 · Upcoming events: 0 · Collective tourist beds: 1,092 — index: what the map and the listings publish
- Luxury and comfortHow upmarket is the resort?1 / 5
5-star hotels: 0 · 4-star hotels: 0 · Share of hotel rooms in 4 and 5 stars: 0% · Spas and saunas: 0 · Jewellers, watchmakers, fashion boutiques: 0 · Adult day pass: €44 — index: what the map and the listings publish
“Atmosphere” and “Luxury” are indexes: they count what OpenStreetMap and the event listings publish within 2.5 km (bars, nightclubs, rated hotels, spas, upcoming events), not what you experience there. A zero means “nothing mapped”, not “nothing there”. Sources per criterion: snow (altitudes (OpenStreetMap, Wikidata), snow depth observed at the Météo-France station, ERA5-Land model) ; ski area (OpenStreetMap pistes and lifts, linked area (Wikidata)) ; value (the resort’s official price list) ; families and beginners (OpenStreetMap pistes, price list, ESF ski school, Famille Plus label, OpenStreetMap leisure) ; access (OSRM drive times from 20 cities, SNCF stations, GTFS shuttles, airports) ; atmosphere and après-ski (bars, nightclubs and restaurants within 2.5 km (OpenStreetMap), upcoming events (OpenAgenda), collective tourist beds (INSEE)) ; luxury and comfort (rated hotels within 2.5 km (OpenStreetMap) and by category across the commune (INSEE), spas and boutiques (OpenStreetMap), day pass price).
Open pistes and lifts will appear here during the season, as published by the resort. Out of season we show nothing rather than a misleading zero.
Avalanche danger
7-day forecast
Village 1,350 m · top 2,429 m
Forecast corrected for altitude; fresh snow = forecast total at the top; UV = peak of the day. Beyond 3 days, check the resort’s own report. Source:Open-Meteo.
Average snow depth by month
Snow cover varies from one winter to the next.
☀️ Average daily sunshine : Nov 6.3 h · Dec 5.6 h · Jan 5.7 h · Feb 7.2 h · Mar 8 h · Apr 9 h — 23 bright days in April (Open-Meteo estimate, 2015-2025).
- November—no record
- December26 cmInsufficient · 31%
- January39 cmVariable · 61%
- February43 cmVariable · 62%
- March40 cmVariable · 57%
- April39 cmVariable · 75%
- May—no record
30 cm on the ground: the benchmark for groomed-piste skiing. Bar = monthly average depth; percentage = share of time above 30 cm.
- Good skiing: 30 cm on more than 8 days in 10
- Variable: 30 cm on 5 to 8 days in 10
- Insufficient: 30 cm less than one day in two
Measured snow history: not available for this resort. No Météo-France station close enough (the 1 nearby station sits more than 300 m away from the altitude we aim for (1710 m)). We would rather show nothing than borrow a distant valley’s reading.
The ski area
Compare with another resort →64 pistes, by level — 30 km
- Skiable vertical
- 1,078 m (1,351 m → 2,429 m)
- Lifts
- 3 gondolas, 5 chairlifts, 1 drag lift, 3 magic carpets
- Without skis
- 1 sledging run
- Piste aspect
- N 89% · E 6% · S 0% · W 5% (descent direction of 48 OSM pistes, terrain model)
Pistes and lifts surveyed on OpenStreetMap within 4 km of the resort — for a resort in a linked area, the figure may include neighbouring pistes.
Lift passes (2025-2026) detail →
| Adult pass | Price |
|---|---|
| 1 day | €44 |
| 6 days | €238 |
| Child, 1 day | €39 |
| Beginner, 1 day | €23 |
| Pedestrian, 1 day | €12 |
| Free | Free under 5 · free from 75 years |
Read on the official price list, full price, excluding promotions. Official price list ↗
The ski area in figures
Measured on 9 September 2026Measured on OpenStreetMap (altitudes: IGN RGE ALTI), not taken from the brochure. The vertical above is that of one piste, not of the whole ski area. Population: INSEE municipal population via geo.api.gouv.fr.
Source: national register of mechanical lifts (STRMTG, CAIRN), fleet as of 1 January 2025 — lifts attributed to Gourette only (“GOURETTE”), magic carpets included.
Staying and hiring gear in Gourette
We compare the partners that cover this resort. Some links earn us a commission — never at the expense of the price or of the data.
Stay & accommodation
Live webcams
All webcams (4) →Official players of the resort, live image.
Piste map
Open on OpenSnowMap ↗Pistes coloured by level, lifts as lines. The resort’s official map is the reference in season.
Base map © OpenTopoMap (CC-BY-SA) · pistes © OpenSnowMap (CC-BY-SA) · data ©OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).
Getting to Gourette
From Paris: 9 hr 12 (843 km) by road.
By road
- From Pau: 1 hr 01 · 50 km
- From Toulouse: 2 hr 59 · 224 km
- From Bordeaux: 3 hr 20 · 266 km
- From Perpignan: 4 hr 49 · 420 km
- From Montpellier: 5 hr 17 · 455 km
From other major cities (15)
- From Clermont-Ferrand: 6 hr 52 · 593 km
- From Marseille: 6 hr 58 · 618 km
- From Valence: 7 hr 07 · 653 km
- From Grenoble: 8 hr 04 · 744 km
- From Lyon: 8 hr 14 · 752 km
- From Saint-Étienne: 8 hr 18 · 631 km
- From Nice: 8 hr 35 · 776 km
- From Chambéry: 8 hr 49 · 803 km
- From Paris: 9 hr 12 · 843 km
- From Annecy: 9 hr 14 · 862 km
- From Genève: 9 hr 44 · 899 km
- From Dijon: 9 hr 47 · 889 km
- From Besançon: 10 hr 23 · 947 km
- From Nancy: 11 hr 54 · 1100 km
- From Strasbourg: 12 hr 46 · 1185 km
Excluding traffic and winter conditions; passes closed in winter are avoided.
By train
Buzy en Béarn station
halt · then 40 min drive (32 km)
Nearest main station: Lourdes, 57 min by road.
No direct bus line from the station to the resort appears in the open-data timetables (checked on 13 September 2026): ask the resort about a private shuttle or a taxi.
Shuttles and buses from the station: see the resort’s official website.
By plane
- Tarbes-Lourdes-Pyrénées (LDE): 1 hr 11 by road · 59 km
- Pau-Pyrénées (PUF): 1 hr 19 by road · 64 km
Take me there
These links open the app with Gourette as the destination. Your starting point is never sent by us — the app asks you for it, if you agree.
Charging an electric car
No freely accessible charge point is declared within 2 km of the resort (checked on 9 September 2026). Covered car parks in the resort may offer chargers reserved for their customers: those are not listed here.
Freely accessible charge points read from the French national EV charging database (data.gouv.fr ↗, operators’ own declarations), checked on 9 September 2026. Check availability before you leave: the database says what is installed, not what is free tonight.
Road conditions
From 1 November to 31 March, snow chains or winter tyres are compulsory in most mountain areas (French “Loi Montagne II”).
Driving times computed on the OpenStreetMap road network (OSRM), SNCF stations (open data), airports (Wikidata). Indicative, not a timetable: allow extra time in snow.
Off-piste & ski touring
The resorts for off-piste skiing →Itineraries surveyed on OpenStreetMap within a 4 km radius (7 September 2026): “marked” means an itinerary exists on the map, not that it is open or safe on the day.
Ski touring routes described
Resorts for ski touring →12 ski touring routes documented within 10 km of Gourette — up to 2,270 m of climb.
| Summit and route | Ski grade | Climb | Altitude | Aspect | From resort |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pène Medaa · Combe E | 2.2 · E1 · PD | 1,040 m | 1,340 → 2,380 m | NE | 1.2 km |
| Pic de Ger · Traversée Gourette > Eaux-Bonnes | n/a · E1 · PD | 1,500 m | 1,346 → 2,613 m | N | 1.4 km |
| Pic Esquerra · Depuis Gourette | 4.1 · E3 · D- | 1,100 m | 1,350 → 2,473 m | NW | 1.5 km |
| Col d'Anglas · Descente par le Lac d'anglas | n/a · PD+ | 1,100 m | 1,346 → 2,441 m | E | 1.6 km |
| La Pyramide · depuis Gourette | n/a · F | 1,200 m | 1,350 → 2,496 m | NE | 1.7 km |
| Les Becottes · Le Belvédère | n/a · PD- | 1,200 m | 1,350 → 2,456 m | N | 1.8 km |
| Arre Sourins · par le Col d'Anglas | 2.2 · E1 · F | 1,000 m | 1,600 → 2,614 m | N | 1.8 km |
| Sanctus · Depuis Gourette | n/a · PD | 1,200 m | 1,350 → 2,482 m | NW | 2 km |
| Pène Blanque · Boucle Pène Blanque-Ausseilla-Sanctus depuis Gourette | n/a · AD | 2,270 m | 1,380 → 2,550 m | n/a | 2.3 km |
| Turon de Ger · Couloir NW | 4.2 · E2 | n/a | 2,480 m | NW | 2.7 km |
| Pic de Ger · Versant S - depuis Gourette | 2.2 · E2 · PD | 1,267 m | 1,346 → 2,613 m | S · E · N | 3.3 km |
| Hameau de Bages- Beost · Soum de Grum | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | 3.3 km |
Source: Camptocamp.org topo guide (CC BY-SA), routes starting within 10 km, read on 13 September 2026. Descriptions and photos are on Camptocamp; an empty cell is a field nobody has filled in. Camptocamp ski touring routes ↗
Beyond skiing at Gourette
Toboggan runs
- Station de ski de Gourette · Eaux-Bonnes · 0.1 km away
- Kids park Artouste · Laruns · 8.4 km away
Swimming pool
- Piscine Ayguebère · Laruns · 8.1 km away
Spa and thermal baths
- Détente Nordique · Eaux-Bonnes · 5.1 km away
- Spa Montagne · Laruns · 7.5 km away
- Thermes des Eaux Chaudes · Laruns · 8.4 km away
- Le cocon de Sagette · Laruns · 8.5 km away
Dog sledding
- Tracés Sauvages - Chiens de Traîneau · Eaux-Bonnes · 1.2 km away
Museum
- Maison du Parc National des Pyrénées · Laruns · 8.3 km away
Cinema
- Cinéma Louis Jouvet · Laruns · 8.3 km away
Source: DATAtourisme (open data), within 10 km of the resort; places in a large town of the valley are left out. Checked on 12 September 2026. Opening times and prices are the operator’s — check before you go.
Practical information
Collective accommodation
1,092 bed spaces in tourist residences, holiday villages and hostels
- 4 hotels · 72 rooms (3 × 2★, 1 × 1★)
- 1 holiday village or family centre · 602 bed spaces
- 2 tourist residences and apartment hotels · 490 bed spaces
- 1 campsite · 35 pitches
Commune: Eaux-Bonnes · INSEE tourist accommodation survey, 2026, read on 12 September 2026. Collective accommodation only — privately let flats and second homes are not counted. INSEE dataset ↗
Ski school
ESF Gourette
77 instructors
🇬🇧 22 English-speaking instructors — lessons in English available
🗓️ This school sells its lessons online — book ↗
Source: esf.net
Days without skiing
- Cinema · Cinéma de Gourette
In case of accident
112 — the European emergency number, free of charge, triggers mountain rescue. On the pistes, the ski patrol number is printed on the piste map and at lift ticket offices. Piste rescue is charged: check your insurance or take the option sold with the lift pass.
Nearby resorts
Frequently asked questions
How high is Gourette?
Gourette sits at 1,350 m at village level, and its ski area rises to 2,429 m.
How many kilometres of pistes does Gourette have?
Gourette has 30 km of pistes served by 13 lifts (OpenStreetMap survey).
What is the longest piste in Gourette?
The longest piste is Les Rhododendrons: 2 km (blue run), for 450 m of vertical. Measured on the OpenStreetMap map, segments of the same name and level joined end to end, altitudes from the IGN RGE ALTI terrain model — a resort sometimes advertises a longer run by chaining several pistes.
How high do the lifts go in Gourette?
The highest lift, Anglas (chairlift), tops out at 2,453 m. Source: STRMTG, French national register of mechanical lifts (CAIRN database), file dated 1 January 2025.
How many lifts does Gourette have, and what is their capacity?
The French national register of mechanical lifts records 9 installations at Gourette (2 gondolas, 4 chairlifts, 1 drag lift, 2 magic carpets), for an authorised capacity of 14,840 people per hour, of which 2,700 for Bezou alone. The fleet spans 1966 to 2022, an average age of 19 years. This count covers the resort itself, magic carpets included, not the whole linked ski area — a resort brochure often announces a different number. Source: STRMTG, French national register of mechanical lifts (CAIRN database), file dated 1 January 2025.
How much is a lift pass in Gourette?
The adult day pass costs €44 and the 6-day pass €238 (2025-2026, read on the official price list).
How do I get to Gourette?
By road, Gourette is 1 hr 01 from Pau (50 km), excluding traffic and winter conditions. By train, the nearest station is Buzy en Béarn, 40 min by road from the resort. No direct bus line from the station to the resort appears in the open-data timetables. The nearest airport is Tarbes-Lourdes-Pyrénées, 1 hr 11 away.
How long is the drive from Paris to Gourette?
9 hr 12 for 843 km from central Paris, excluding traffic and winter conditions. Computed on the real road network (OpenStreetMap): allow more on a school-holiday Saturday.
Is the snow reliable in Gourette?
It varies from one winter to the next according to twenty winters of Météo-France measurements; in season the daily report prevails.
Is Gourette good for beginners and families?
58% of the pistes are green or blue: a rather technical area.
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