Circular walk around the Bois de Bas and Serre d’Abos hillsides

For directions to the car park, see the ‘Practical Information’ section. Park at the edge of the woodland on the D229.

(S/E) Head south-east, following the track for over 2 km until you reach a junction at the hamlet of Barraque.

(1) Take the steep track on the left; it becomes tarmac after a few hundred metres.
After 800 m, you’ll reach a crossroads on the ridge. Turn left onto Chemin Lapouble. Continue to the houses at Lahitte.

(2) Turn right, crossing the Ruisseau de l’Arrious. Follow the edge of the woodland until you reach a crossroads with several routes.

(3) Carry on straight ahead until you reach the Arbus-Parbayse Road, the D229. Take Rue du Château d’Abos on the left. The tarmac road then becomes a track. A little further on, pass a path on the right that is blocked by a barrier and you’ll soon reach a Fork in the road.

(4) Leave the mountain bike route and turn left onto the gently sloping track. When you reach a vineyard, turn left onto the track suitable for vehicles. Follow the vineyard along an almost level path. After a bend to the right, you’ll reach the end of the vineyard at the edge of a woodland.

(5) Continue straight on along the same track; the path remains largely level. After about 900 metres, you’ll reach a junction of forest tracks.

(6) Take the track leading down to the left, signposted ‘Sportez-vous bien n°2’. Continue along this track until
emerge onto a wide track suitable for vehicles, where you’ll see two signs: ‘Sportez-vous bien 1’ and ‘Sportez-vous bien 2’.

(7) Turn left, going in the opposite direction to the signs. Stay on this wide track at the foot of the hillside. Continue along the flat section.
You’ll reach the Arbus–Parbayse road, the D229. Take the path on the left that runs alongside the road to return to the car park at the edge of the woods on the D229 (S/E).

To return to the starting car park, take the D229 between Arbus and Parbayse. The car park is at the foot of the hillside in the countryside, at the start of a track suitable for vehicles.
Coming from Arbus, drive past the hillside; the car park is on the left-hand side of the road 2.5 km after Arbus.
If setting off from Parbayse, the car park is on the right, just before the hill.
Shorter alternative route:
(5) Take one of the two paths on the left to descend directly to the car park (S/E).

Before (2): a stunning view of the Pyrenees from the Chemin Lapouble, then further on, of the Gave de Pau plain.