Bouillouses Lakes is a registered natural site, known throughout France and Spain for its rugged landscape and many lakes. At an altitude of 2,000m, the mountain lake is the highest lake accessible by road and chairlift in the whole mountain range. Once overrun with cars, vehicle access to the area is now strictly controlled and regular shuttle buses (leaving from the Route des Bouillouses) are now the only form of motorised transport available. Alternatively, you can take a chairlift from Font-Romeu.
An impressive dam was built on Lake Bouillouses in the early twentieth century to control the flow of the river Têt and provide electric power to the mountain railway - the “Train Jaune.”
Like all high mountain sites, it is necessary to arrive on the site not too late to benefit from its best light and from all the walks it offers. Late afternoon thunderstorms are not uncommon in the middle of summer. We advise you to spend a full day with your family, picnicking in the forest, on the banks or on the edge of the small adjacent lakes, in the middle of the herds of cows and horses that summer here freely throughout the summer. Plots of land belonging to the Spanish enclave of Llivia as well as ancestral grazing rights allow French and Spanish herds to live side by side - a very rare occurrence.
Getting to Lake Bouillouses
Since the summer of 2000, measures have been taken to control the number of tourists travelling in and out of the Bouillouses area. To limit the number of cars, road access is regulated in the summer months, and visitors are invited to use either the regular shuttle bus service or the chairlift.
BY BUS
From July 1 to September 3, 2023 and the weekends of June 10-11, 17-18, 24-25, 2023, September 9-10 and 16-17, 2023, five large capacity vehicles (55 seats approximately) provide rotations 7 days a week from the Pla de Barrès to the Bouillouses Dam
Backup vehicles are scheduled to manage the peaks of attendance. The number of these vehicles varies according to the periods and can reach five additional buses during the busiest weeks of August.
Two small-capacity vehicles (approximately 24 seats) start their service, 7 days a week, at 2:00 p.m. and gradually replace the large-capacity vehicles. The last return trip is at 9pm. The implementation of small shuttles facilitates in particular the crossing with the motorists going on the site after 19:00.
Schedules :
o Regular shuttle departures from 7am to 7pm. In normal times, the rotations are done every ½ hour. Last big bus at the departure of Les Bouillouses: 18h35.
o Late returns at 19:30, 20:05 and 20:35. Additional rotations must be made in case of high attendance.
o Last return at 21h .
Fares :
o Adults: 6€.
o Children (5 to 12 years old): 3€.
o - 5 years old : free
o Family (2 adults + 2 children minimum): 16€.
o Fixed price 13 to 25 years old : 4
o Vallée de la Têt for the Borde, Rocher d'escalade and Pla des Aveillans stops: 3€.
o Têt Valley season pass (photo required): 9€.
o Season pass for adults (photo required): 18€.
o Child season pass (photo required): 9€.
o Children under 5 years old season pass (photo required): free
Reduced rate on presentation of proof of identity
Six optional stops :
o Climbing rock
o Pla des Aveillans
o La Borde
o Roc d'Aude climbing rock
o Lake of Aude
o Llivia Bridge
The users have the possibility of taking back the shuttles at these stops in the direction of the ascent on presentation of the transport ticket. The return is free in the downhill direction, from the dam as well as from the five bus stops.
Our advice :
It is a site not to be missed, plan a whole day to enjoy the panoramas and the animals in summer. Do not hesitate to push the door of the information point of the site of Bouillouses, precious advices will be given to you, and a small brochure with the various proposed routes is at your disposal. Numerous animations are organized during the summer period.
It is a site not to be missed, plan a whole day to enjoy the panoramas and the animals in summer. Do not hesitate to push the door of the information point of the site of Bouillouses, precious advices will be given to you, and a small brochure with the various proposed routes is at your disposal. Numerous animations are organized during the summer period.
