For a first trip with a tent, book a pitch at an equipped campsite and use it as a base for day walks. The four options below are in the valleys; check that each accepts your tent on your chosen dates. For an overnight trek, identify the exact protected area and sector before choosing where to sleep. This page covers six protected areas, not the whole Pyrenees. Sources were reviewed on 27 October 2026; check temporary restrictions and availability before travelling. The photograph shows Lac Gentau and Pic du Midi d’Ossau, not a campsite pitch.
How to plan
When booking, give the campsite your tent dimensions and ask about the ground, shade, toilets, drinking water and arrival times. Check minimum stays and cancellation terms. Ask where cooking is allowed and whether you may use your stove: fire restrictions can change what is permitted.
An equipped campsite pitch, a tent used for one night in the mountains and a bivouac without a tent are different arrangements. Legal definitions vary: the French national park permits a small tent under its bivouac rules, while Sorteny treats tents separately. Sleeping in a vehicle has its own rules and is outside this guide.
Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici: camping, bivouacking and overnight stays outside huts are prohibited in both the national park and its peripheral protection zone, including car parks. The park FAQ identifies only designated areas in the special Estallos and Riumalo zones as exceptions. Check their boundaries and availability with the park before relying on them; leaving the core area is not enough.
Ordesa sector: tents and bivouacs are prohibited at every altitude. The exception is the designated Góriz area when the hut is full, with advance booking and a limit of 50 people. A place is assigned on arrival. The old 2500 m threshold does not permit an overnight stay in this sector.
Other sectors of Ordesa y Monte Perdido: above 1650 m in Añisclo (Fuenblanca), above 1800 m in Escuaín (La Ralla), and above 2550 m in Pineta, above Balcón de Pineta. These are thresholds for bivouacs and overnight tents, not suggestions for easy walks. Reserve zones and access restrictions still apply.
Permitted overnight stays in Ordesa y Monte Perdido, including Góriz, are limited to three nights per sector. Tents must be no taller than 1.50 m; larger tents cannot even be carried outside vehicles. Set up and unpack overnight equipment no earlier than one hour before sunset; pack it away by one hour after sunrise. Avoid springs and wet ground, and do not dig trenches or build stone walls.
Parc national des Pyrénées, France: in the protected core, a bivouac with a small tent is permitted from 19:00 to 09:00, more than an hour’s walk from any motor access or the core boundary. Camping is prohibited there, including in car parks. Some huts have designated bivouac areas; ask the warden before using them. This rule does not apply to every part of the French Pyrenees.
Sorteny, Andorra: tents are allowed only in the fenced area behind Borda de Sorteny when livestock are absent. Ask the park whether it is available. A bivouac without a tent is permitted above 2200 m outside reserve zones, from 18:00 to 08:00, for one night only. These hours apply to the bivouac, so do not assume they also govern the tent area.
Comapedrosa, Andorra: the 2026 management plan allows up to three tents at night only, outside reserve and restricted-use zones. A bivouac without a tent is limited to one night at the same spot and remains subject to access restrictions. The plan gives no numerical hours for tents. Check your chosen spot with the park; permission for a larger group is not guaranteed.
Madriu-Perafita-Claror, Andorra: contact the Comú responsible for your intended overnight spot. The valley’s management page identifies exceptions in Andorra la Vella and Escaldes-Engordany and prohibits tents in the Sant Julià de Lòria part. It gives no equivalent permission for Encamp or clear separate regime for bivouacs without a tent. Until your spot is clarified, use a hut or campsite and check its conditions.
Before an overnight trek, save the rule and the manager’s contact details for your intended stop. Check access notices, fire restrictions and the weather; book your hut or pitch and plan an alternative if you cannot reach it. Official territory sources are listed at the end of this page. The equipment guide helps distinguish campsite kit from what you will carry on the trail.
Terraces among beech trees provide a base in Bujaruelo, with a separate day available for Ordesa. The operator describes grass pitches, washrooms and a covered cooking area. This is an equipped campsite, not permission to camp freely beside the river.
Things to consider
On 27 October 2026, the operator announces closure until spring 2027. Exact reopening dates still need confirmation. Pitches vary in shape, so discuss your tent size. The campsite prohibits barbecues. Booking conditions vary by month; arrange access to Pradera de Ordesa separately.
Espot works as a multi-day base near the eastern access to Aigüestortes. La Torre has a grass tent area; visit Sant Maurici during the day and return to the valley in the evening. Decide where to start walking after checking transport.
Things to consider
Tent pitches are seasonal; bungalows follow a different schedule. The page retains a 2025 banner, so confirm current dates directly. Sleeping beside the lake is not an automatic alternative to the campsite.
Laruns combines village services with outings into the Ossau valley. The operator offers pitches for tents, caravans and motorhomes. Consider Bious-Artigues for a shorter outing; a prepared group can devote a separate full day to the Ayous circuit.
Things to consider
The campsite is down in the valley, so mountain trailheads require a separate journey. The full Ayous circuit is a long, demanding route in our directory. Check Bious-Artigues access and parking.
An Andorran base for combining a tent stay, walks and a cycling day. The complex offers pitches alongside bungalows and apartments, so specify the format when enquiring. A Sorteny walk requires a separate trip through the Ordino valley.
Things to consider
Confirm that your tent is accepted, along with dates and pitch facilities. Motorhome and tent overnight rules differ. Check Andorran park restrictions separately.
