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- Top activities with children in Béarn
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- Top experiences
Top activities with children in Béarn
Béarn, shaped by the Gaves, between the Pyrenees and Navarre, is a country of character with a rich history. Beautiful villages, castles, rivers and forests, the decor is planted and lends itself perfectly to all kinds of family activities. Sport, nature, culture, we try to satisfy all tastes, ages and your desires!
Extraordinary enchantment in the caves of Bétharram
Immerse yourself in the wonderful world of the underground with a guided tour that will leave your children in awe.
The Grottes de Bétharram, a unique world in the heart of the mountains
The unforgettable spectacle of the depths of the earth will take your breath away. Open to the public since 1903, the Grottes de Bétharram are an astonishing succession of rooms, including the Bassin des Naïades, the Salle des Lustres, Jeanne d'Arc, the Colonne Géante and the Éléphant... where you can observe atypically shaped limestone concretions sublimated by careful lighting. Further afield, the caves invite you to take an exceptional journey aboard a boat on a magnificent underground river, before climbing aboard a small train to end the adventure with stars in your eyes.
Les Grottes de Bétharram, some information to help you enjoy the caves with your children
Imagine walking through a mountain carved out by water over the centuries... You might as well bring your camera to take some superb souvenir shots (without flash!) to share with your children. The 2.8 km cave tour is not really complicated, but you'll need good shoes to avoid slipping. A vest or jacket will also be useful for coping with the 14°C temperatures of this underground world, which is accessible to people with reduced mobility, but not to baby carriages. Last but not least, there's free parking at your disposal.
Water slides and sensations
It is nice, it's hot! This is the perfect time to cool off and have fun in an aquatic leisure base. Sliding in all forms, are you tempted? So we are starting our family holidays, in the Pays de Nay, on Lake Baudreix, at Ô Kiri... Giant slides, water ski lift, water jump, drop in, stand up paddle, canoe, kayak... Here is the menu for have fun with the kids.
What if the boat played the sailor...? fresh water of course! In Oloron-Sainte-Marie, in the Pyrenean Valleys, at Aqua-Béarn you will find what you are looking for: buffer boats, pedal boats, buoys... For a quiet swim, the lagoon area is made for you. For a sportier version, it will be the rafting river instead.
Want to vary the pleasures? Take a swim at one of Béarn's leisure centers, or get into a canoe for a fun run down the region's rivers with Pyrénées Eaux Vives.
Emotions and gentleness with animals
With the little ones, a visit to a farm will always be a great success. But this time, the Bon Air farm will also charm the older ones. Sheep with 4 horns, miniature species… you go from surprise to surprise. Observation, petting and feeding, the children will experience real moments of exchange with the animals.
Become a caretaker for a day at the Marnières farm, just a few minutes from Orthez. Spread over 3 hectares, it invites young and old alike to discover the animal world, before staying in one of the 4 rental gîtes.
Looking for a day out? Visit Asson Zoo between Lourdes and Pau, open all year round, for a fun and educational outing. Initially a botanical zoo, it now houses animals in 6 different areas, adapted to species from Asia, America, Africa and Australia.
Sensory discoveries at Ludopia
To awaken all your senses, the Ludopia space, in the beautiful Aspe valley, offers amazing courses. Whatever your age, you will share unusual sensations with your family. Mobility for the youngest or balance for the older ones, it is also a physical experience, to put yourself to the test, while having fun.
Photo: Ludopia Park
Wonder in the Caves
For an immersive experience, put on your speleologist outfit to discover the Verna cave. You enter the largest underground room in the world... Are you tempted? Come on, we'll take you on a visit… Here is our report.
Decorated with stalactites, stalagmites and other structures, the caves of Las Güixas offer you a dazzling picture and are well worth crossing the border.
La Verna cave
Climbing and vertiginous ascent
A bit of sport to gain height and, for comfort, a break with a view of the Pyrenean valleys, is it tempting? Meet at the Suspended Forest, a tree climbing park in Eaux-Bonnes, in the Gourzy beech grove.
To vary the pleasures, we leave next to Pau and the Jurançon vineyards, in a forest of hundred-year-old oaks: Les Vert-Tiges.
Located in Lacq, between Orthez and Pau, Lacq Aventure is the perfect place to spend a day with the family. On the program: picnics, tree climbing with many zip lines and original games to discover several meters above the ground, mini-golf, evening evenings... From the youngest to teenagers, everyone enjoys and adults have fun. Also !
Photo: Hanging Forest
Meet the raptors
In the heart of Béarn, it is in an environment that respects their biotope, with a team of enthusiasts that you enter the world of birds of prey. The raptor park offers three atypical shows.
Need to recharge your batteries in contact with animals, Paradis Perdu welcomes you in its wooden chalets, within an unusual park with its wild animals.
Photo: Bird of prey park
Immersion in nature
It is a very special park that we invite you to explore. Seven hectares of natural spaces which welcome many mountain species, while respecting their wild nature, the most famous of which, the brown bear: it's Parc'Ours. A course, on a treasure hunt background, which allows you to better understand the wild fauna and flora and many others! Follow our blogger in the footsteps of the bear...
Plenty of other ideas galore
- Take advantage of sports holidays in Béarn : whether it 's water sports; by bike; hiking (fr), whatever your level, from the greenway to the Ascent of the Pic d'Escurets (fr); a Pyrenean ride... You've got plenty to choose from! The Pyrenees National Park is even home to the first massif cycle route, starting from Lestelle-Betharram, up to Baliros, over 25 km long.
- If you're a canyoning enthusiast, you'll love diving alongside Ossau de l'Eau or Expérience Canyon in Laruns! Get ready for adrenalin and thrills!
- For lovers of old stones, a visit to the most beautiful villages of Béarn will delight all ages: Saliès-de-Béarn, "The Venice of Béarn", or Oloron-Sainte-Marie, the oldest town in Béarn and many still others…
- Or even a curiosity: the enclaves (fr) of the Hautes-Pyrénées.
- For the little ones, a space is prohibited for over 12s! The Youpi park will allow them to let off steam in complete safety.
We hope to have given you lots of ideas for family and fun outings. There would still be so many sites to tell you about but the list would be too long! We leave you a part of the mystery for our next articles... Did you like it? Come on, there are more on our Blog!
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