A Cauterets Hike Standout
- michaelvenckus
- Aug 2
- 2 min read
July 31 2026
While most Cauterets tourists looking for a beautiful lake hike head fifteen minutes south to Pont d'Espagne for the walk to Lac Gaube there is a lake right in town that the locals love, Lac d'Ilheou. The owner of my Airbnb duplex, Xavier, couldn't stop raving about it and said it only takes him an hour from the starting point in Cambasque to get to the lake.
We made our way to the out & back hike from Cambasque the next day at Xavier's recommendation. This hike is a grinder, making its way up the valley with switchbacks through the higher elevation rocky terrain.
One hour and thirty five minutes later we made it to the lake and refuge (quite a bit longer for us compared to Xavier's one hour trek!). With the summer sun beating down and close to 2,200 feet of elevation gain it is a cause for celebration when you get to the refuge. We witnessed several folks high fiving each other when they reached the lake.
The reward for one of the tougher lake hikes is a beautiful view shared only by a few. A much more peaceful place to enjoy nature at its best. This is a great hike to enjoy on the weekend, the tourists will all be at Lake Gaube!
The starting point for the hike from Cambasque to Lac d'Ilheou is a short eight minute drive up the mountain from Cauterets. The out & back hike is about 7.4 miles with approximately 2,200 feet of elevation gain on the first three miles of the hike.
