Product Description

The Rough Guide to the Pyrenees is the only guidebook available to the entire region, covering both the French and Spanish sides of this spectacular region, from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean. A full-colour section introduces the author's pick of the attractions, from relaxing in the picturesque spa towns to watching the Tour de France wind up the mountains. There are detailed listings of the best places to eat, drink and stay, from boutique hotels in Biarritz to the most remote mountain refuges. For the outdoor enthusiast there are exhaustive accounts of the walking and climbing routes available and information on the host of other activities available, including skiing, paragliding, rafting, cycling and horse riding. There is also expansive coverage of all the cultural highlights including the prehistoric cave art at Ariege and an accesible history of the region from prehistory to the current day.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #338657 in Books
• Published on: 2004-07-29
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 656 pages

Review
"Setting the standard ... Dubin's guide is jam-packed with detail ... The Travel Online International herald Tribune "A cornucopia of advice on how to make the Web work for you."

From the Author
Rough Guide Pyrenees is indeed a general touring guide
Contrary to received opinion, the Rough Guide to the Pyrenees is indeed aimed at the mainstream tourist, though inevitably it focuses on mountain attractions. There are plenty of descriptions of easy day-walks, as well as multi-day treks. I have chosen not to provide topographic, contoured hiking maps because specialist products of this sort are easily available in France and Spain - in the front matter and "Books" sections loads of them are recommended. Also highlighted are the various opportunities for skiing, caving, river-rafting and canyoning,along with the usual Rough Guide features: a piece on wildlife, complete festival calendars for each region, a history account tailored to the mountains. For people who want a break at the nearest seaside after time in the hills, there is extensive coverage of the northern Costa Brava, French resorts in Languedoc-Roussillon, and the Basque Coast on both sides of the border, with town plans for any place of size (not usually a problem at higher altitudes). Most of the destinations covered are unique to this guide, and appear nowhere else in English. Moreover, for the upcoming edition (being researched March-July 2000, out April 2001), watch for an extra special region in Spain, well known already to French and Spanish but never before profiled in English!

About the Author
Marc Dubin first visited the Pyrenees on 1986 -- and thigh deep in snow melt, discovered why most facilities are closed in May. Since then he has returned on numerous occasions and has become hooked on the regions' attractions - from the cuisine to the wildlife.

Customer Reviews

Very useful for Pyrenees virgins planning a trek
I'm planning to walk over the Pyrenees from Catalonia to the Midi this summer, and was looking for a good resource to give me a well-informed idea of possible starting points, finishes, distances and the natural obstacles involved.

Although the Rough Guide was slagged off somewhat by previous reviewers for being a) too big to be properly useful as a hiking guide, and b) too useful specifically for hikers (there's no pleasing some people!), I'm glad to say that it's perfect for me - I'm not going to take it on the trip, but I'll be siphoning every little bit of information from it while planning.

And there's a lot of information. For instance, all the telephone numbers for refuges are there - indispensable if you're planning to use them, because you have to book ahead of time.

The guide is divided into chapters according to the valleys specific region of the Pyrenees - this allows you to get straight to only those parts which you're going to walk or visit. And like all Rough Guides, the general knowledge (history, wildlife, etc.) sections really add some colour to the subject.

In summary, I am definitely going to take the Trailblazer "Trekking in the Pyrenees" book with me - it's lighter, smaller, more specific and seems comprehensive - but this Rough Guide was an invaluable starting point.

Designed more for walkers than general tourists
A book of this scope is needed and useful, but the format is not especially easy to use, and seems to be aimed more at hikers. Yet if hiking, why not get the more easily visual 'Trekking in the Pyrenees' published by Trailblazer. The maps of towns like Jaca and Pamplona are useful.

A hefty book for distance walkers
Rough Guides are an essential part of any travellers kit. This one is quite different from the usual tourist information found in other Rough Guides. Aimed at distance and trek walking rather than the country stroll. Not much in the way of those little details found in other editions that make the contents so interesting and informative. Shame this is not pointed out before purchasing.