Pyrenees Mountains

Between France and Spain lie the Pyrenees Mountains. This 305 mile (491km) mountain range stretching from the Bay of Biscay at Cap Higuer to the Mediterranean Sea at Cap de Creus forms a natural border between the two countries.

The Spanish regions of Navarre in the north and Catalonia in the south extend on both sides of the mountain range but mostly lie within Spain. In between the two is the small independent country of Andorra, the sixth smallest nation in Europe with a population of 85,000 and a size of just 181 square miles (468 square kilometers).

The Pyrenees are well-loved for their lakes, hot springs, alpine-skiing, mountaineering, hiking, cross-country running and cycling. Challenging stages of the Tour de France pass through the Pyrenees.

Sections of the mountain range are national parks: Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici National Park (Spain)  - a wild mountainous area with 200 lakes; Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park (Spain) - high arid peaks and densely forested lower slopes; and the Pyrénées National Park (France) - the southernmost area, known for its scenery, skiing and hiking.

The mountains can be explored on a great day trip from Pamplona in the north or Barcelona in the south of Spain, or from Lourdes or Perpignan in France, or take a few days out to hike the Pyrenees and really explore.