Cauterets, French Pyrenees

Cauterets

Ski the Cirque du Lys plateau by day, soak in the Belle Époque thermal baths by evening. Cauterets is the gateway to the Pyrenees National Park, a spa town that wears its nineteenth-century grandeur lightly.

Find a hotelSnow reportBelle Époque spanational parkfamily
Altitude
1850 - 2415 m
Vertical drop
565 m
Pistes
36 km
Lifts
14
Snow score
80/100
Season
Dec 14 → Apr 7

Cauterets is a ski resort in France, in the French Pyrenees. The village sits at 1850 m and the lifts top out at 2415 m, with 36 km of pistes and 14 lifts. Its BestSnowHotels snow score is 80/100, and the season usually runs Dec 14 → Apr 7.

How we score and classify resorts

Pistes and lifts

What you can ski here
AlpineSnowboardSnowpark
23 marked runs
Green
6
Blue
9
Red
7
Black
1
Average snow by month
105cm
Dec
155cm
Jan
195cm
Feb
185cm
Mar
115cm
Apr

Run counts and piste kilometres are indicative. Green runs only exist in France, Spain, Andorra, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Japan, the United States, Morocco, Algeria, Lesotho, South Africa, Egypt, Canada, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand and Chile; Italy, Austria, Switzerland and Germany start at blue. Indicative average snow depth near the top of the resort, in cm.

Where to stay

A handful of well-rated hotels in and around the resort. Pick one, then compare live prices across Booking, Expedia and Hotels.com.

Hôtel le Lion d'Or
4.8308 reviews
145
Top pick

Hôtel le Lion d'Or

Excellent · 308 reviews

Why we like it

One of the highest-rated places to stay in Cauterets, with guests singling out the service and comfort.

Guests rate this hotel as excellent (4.8/5 from 308 reviews). It sits about 600 m from the slopes. A mid-range option for Cauterets, with live nightly rates shown for your exact dates so you always see the best price.

≈ 600 m to the slopesMid-range
From
145/ night
Check availability
Hôtel Le Bois Joli
4.6197 reviews
130

Hôtel Le Bois Joli

Excellent · 197 reviews

Why we like it

Strong value for Cauterets, with a high guest rating that punches above its nightly price.

≈ 600 m to the slopesMid-range
From
130/ night
Check availability

Ratings from Google, prices indicative per night. Live availability and rates via our booking partners.

Ski-in/ski-out

The slopes lie on the Cirque du Lys plateau, reached from town by gondola. Real ski-in/ski-out is restricted to a couple of high-altitude addresses.

Get to know the resort

Cauterets is a graceful Belle Époque spa town in a deep valley, with the ski area sitting on the Cirque du Lys plateau a gondola ride above. It is compact and uncrowded, ideal for families who want to mix a few easy ski days with hot springs, walks and a real town to come home to.

Good to know

  • The piste map leans gentle: 6 green and 9 blue runs against 7 red and 1 black, so beginners and early intermediates rarely run out of comfortable terrain.
  • The base sits at 1850 m and the top reaches 2415 m, a profile that holds snow well across a normal winter (score 80/100).
  • It is a compact resort, 36 km of piste on 14 lifts, best as a day trip or a relaxed short break rather than a week-long base.
  • The lifts typically turn for about 16 weeks a season, planning around late January to late February tends to land the most reliable cover.
Cauterets, French Pyrenees
Cauterets, French Pyrenees

Hotels in Cauterets

Hotels and apartments around the lifts. Compare prices on Booking, Expedia and Hotels.com.

Plan your trip

Keep exploring from here

Everything on our site connected to Cauterets: its area, the lists it makes, head-to-heads and trip guides.

Frequently asked questions

Is Cauterets good for beginners?+

Cauterets offers 36 km of pistes across 14 lifts, from 1850 m to 2415 m. Whether it suits beginners depends on the dedicated learner zones at the base of the slopes, so check the local ski-school options for green and blue run access.

When is the best time to ski Cauterets?+

The season runs from Dec 14 to Apr 7, with a snow score of 80/100. The best conditions are usually from late January through February, while spring skiing in March and April brings longer days and softer afternoons.

Where should I stay for true ski-in/ski-out?+

The slopes lie on the Cirque du Lys plateau, reached from town by gondola. Real ski-in/ski-out is restricted to a couple of high-altitude addresses.

How big is the Cauterets ski area?+

Cauterets has 36 km of marked pistes served by 14 lifts, between 1850 m and 2415 m of altitude.

Is Cauterets more for beginners or experts?+

Cauterets counts about 23 marked runs in total. The colour breakdown above shows how they split by difficulty, a good guide to whether the resort fits your level.