Things to do
In addition to your daily yoga, the local mountains and foothills provide an ideal environment to enjoy walking, cycling, horse-riding, fishing, etc., in un-spoilt and un-crowded surroundings.
Walking
The Ariege provides an enormous range of well signposted walks; gentle strolls along local footpaths; day walks to spectacular waterfalls and mountain lakes; adventurous hikes to local peaks.
There are several walks starting just outside the estate. In fact, one of the medieval pilgrim routes to St. Jacques de Compostella goes right past us.
Mountain Biking
We provide mountain bikes so our guests can pop down to the local shop, or visit the famous Grotte de Mas d'Azil or explore the many local footpaths.
For the enthusiast, you can hire a bike in Ax-les-Thermes and spend the day taking the telecabin up the mountain and whizzing down through forest trails.
Horse Riding
There are several riding centres in the foothills and mountain valleys that offer guided rides on the local breed of mountain horses You can try it for just an hour, or go for half-day or full-day excursions.
Try your French for more information on this site.
Swimming
There are a couple of attractive lakes just half an hour away. Lac de Mondeley has a sand beach for swimming, a snack bar, and a picnic area. A life guard is on duty in the summer. The lake is also good for fishing and bird watching.
Lac de Carla-Bayle also has a picnic area, and you can swim, sailboard, canoe and fish
Golf
The nearest golf course is less than half an hour's drive away, situated in the Piedmont foothills facing the Pyrenees. It is an 18 hole course, par 71 and 6,000 meters long. Green fees for a full round are between £30 and £35, depending on the season and weekday. You can hire clubs, trolley and golf-cart.
Fishing
The Ariege is one of the best areas in France for trout fishing with 130 mountain lakes and 2,000 km of first class waters. The fishing season is from mid-March to mid-September, and our nearest first class river is the Arize, just 3 miles away.
Rafting, Kayaking & Canoeing
In spring time, when the snows are melting, the mountain rivers are in full spate and offer very exciting white-water thrills. Local experts offer rafting excursions and kayak lessons on the Salat and Ariege rivers. Later in the year, when the rivers have abated, you can enjoy a leisurely paddle downstream from St. Girons and watch kingfishers, ospreys and herons.
Paragliding
During summer and early autumn, the warm calm weather makes for excellent paragliding conditions. The expert can either go to one of the local ski resorts, take the ski lift and float down the valleys. For the novice, there are several paragliding schools located in the area.
Thermal Spas
The French take their thermal cures very seriously, and the Ariege is blessed with three hot mineral water spas. Usually clients stay for a week or so, but you can also spend just a day relaxing and luxuriating.
The waters at Aulus-les-Bains are particularly beneficial in the treatment of stress, anxiety, migraines and insomnia.