Cycling in the Ariege-Pyrenees

With literally hundreds of historic sights, picturesque valleys and snow-capped mountain peaks around almost every turn, the quiet roads of the Ariege-Pyrenees are a 'must do' for cyclists. Apart from the obvious annual attraction of the Tour de France during July, the Ariege and neighbouring Languedoc regions of Southern France provide everything a cyclist could want for a first-rate cycling experience.

Cycling by Road

We found the following link to a touring report published in 2005 which provides a fantastic example of what we mean: Pyrenees Touring Report.

There are numerous professional bike hire locations close to La Maison de Roquefort, where multi-lingual staff will prepare you for the trip and provide advice on routes and key places of interest along the way. For those who travel to the area with your own bikes, La Maison de Roquefort has a large covered terrace area where you can store your cycling equipment or conduct any necessary maintenance.

Whilst we are close to some of the more famous cycling routes in the region, such as the Col de Port/Massat valley route (D8-D618), our rural location and quiet roads ensure that most guests simply cycle straight from our front door. A wide variety of routes can be tackled, with destinations such as Mont d'Olmes (2,368 metres), Lac Montbel and the medieval towns of Foix and Mirepoix - all less than an hour or so away. The more energetic amongst you can set your sights on the Cathar monuments of Montsegur and Roquefixade - and we mean energetic, because after plenty of serious hill riding you will need to make the final assent to the monuments on foot.

Mountain Biking

A number of trails pass directly by our chambre d'hote, including a link path to the GR du Pays d'Olmes, which joins the famous Sentier Cathare GR107 (Cathar Trail). If mountain biking is more your style you will certainly get your money's worth trying some of these routes.

Of particular note is the route from our village of Carla de Roquefort to the magnificent waterfalls at Roquefort les Cascades (20 mins) and on to the hill summit above the Cathar chateau of Roquefixade (a further 60 mins). The round trip will take 3-4 hours, for you are sure to stop at the cascades and the chateau itself to enjoy the scenery. We can even arrange a lunchtime meal for you at the Gite d'Etape in the pretty village of Roquefixade, nestled on the hillside below the chateau. If the walk to get there is enough for you, we can always arrange to collect you from the village - returning by the scenic route of course. A small fee to cover fuel costs will be charged. Try these cycling-specific sites:

Virtual Pyrenees

Climb By Bike

Steephill.TV Bike Travelogue

For maps of the Ariege-Pyrenees region visit this English site:

Best Walks France

For hundreds of photos of the Ariege visit this French website:

Photos Ariege

La Maison de Roquefort is a relaxing, friendly B&B (Chambres d'Hôtes) in the Ariège-Pyrenees region of Southern France. Your hosts, Kay & Mike will go out of their way to ensure your holiday is a successful one, helping you to settle in and get your bearings on your first day, arranging suitable drop-off and collection points, preparing packed lunches, cooking you a welcoming evening meal, or perhaps guiding you to the many picturesque and historic places of interest in the area. Their own experiences over recent years have proven invaluable when deciding what to offer their guests, so be sure of a wonderfully warm and relaxing time when you stay at La Maison de Roquefort.