Cauterets
A food shop, a school and somewhere to eat or drink.
Served 71.5/100 · confidence: medium· Better served than 100 % of the {n|commune|communes} of a similar size.
Identity
Cauterets (INSEE 65138) is in Hautes-Pyrénées (65), part of CC Pyrénées Vallées des Gaves. Population 829 (2023). [1]
INSEE density class: Rural à habitat dispersé (level 6). [2]
Data vintages: INSEE BPE 2025 · INSEE SIRENE 2026-09 · INSEE census (RP) 2023 · INSEE COG 2026 · INSEE density grid 2026.
Permanent link: https://vivantrural.com/en/fr/65138-cauterets
Vitality score
Vitality score 71.5/100 — Served (model fr-v0.2).
Confidence: medium (sources disagree on Grocery (épicerie / supérette)).
Better served than 100 % of the 15,427 communes of a similar size.
Compare this with communes of a similar size. The score measures how well a place is served relative to its own size band, and larger communes score higher as a rule — so it reads meaningfully against another village, and misleadingly against a town.
Measured but not scored in this model: Market. See the methodology for why.
| Component | Value (0–1) | Weight | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily food | 0.86 | 25 | 21.5 |
| Social | 1 | 20 | 20 |
| Education | 0.63 | 10 | 6.32 |
| Health | 0.79 | 10 | 7.91 |
| Public & culture | 0.63 | 5 | 3.16 |
| Population trend | 0.19 | 10 | 1.9 |
| Housing mix | 0 | 5 | 0 |
Services
What is here, at a glance
A food shop, a school and somewhere to eat or drink. [3,4]
6 × Bakery (boulangerie) (BOULANGERIE LES ARCADES · SARL D'EXPLOITATION DE LA PATISSERIE LAFON GILLES · LA TABLE DU BOULANGER · EURL DUQUESNE 2 · MONT LEVAIN). [3,4]
3 × Butcher (boucherie) (SUCRE SALE · PEIO). [3,4]
1 × Grocery (épicerie / supérette) (PETIT CASINO). [3,4]
1 × Supermarket (CARREFOUR MONTAGNE). [3,4]
36 × Restaurant (HOSTELLERIE DE LA REINE HORTENSE · PIZZERIA TITUS · LA CASCADE · SARL ROYALTY). [3,4]
9 × Café / bar (CAFE DU COMMERCE · LA CHAUMIERE · LE BISTROT DU BOULEVARD · LE CHALET DES PYRENEES). [4]
1 × Nursery school (maternelle) (ECOLE MATERNELLE PUBLIQUE ALFRED MEILLON). [3]
1 × Primary school (élémentaire) (ECOLE ELEMENTAIRE ALPHONSE MEILLON). [3]
3 × GP (médecin généraliste) (GUILLAUME MESSINA, MÉDECIN · BLANDINE ANDRÉ-BOUTHORS, MÉDECIN · DOMINIQUE CARLIER, MÉDECIN). [3]
1 × Pharmacy (PHARMACIE THERMALE). [3,4]
1 × Post office / agence postale (LA POSTE). [3]
1 × Library (MÉDIATHÈQUE MUNICIPALE). [3]
1 × Cinema (CASINO). [3]
1 × Hairdresser (LE SALON). [3,4]
1 × Fuel station (STATION SERVICE). [3,4]
6 × Hotel (HOTEL RESTAURANT EDELWEISS · HOTEL CHRISTIAN · HOTEL DU LION D'OR - MAISON LASSERRE · LA FRUITIERE · HOTELLERIE DU PONT D'ESPAGNE). [3,4]
7 × Campsite (CAMPING LE VIGNEMALE · CAMPING LE CABALIROS · CAMPING LE SAILLET · LE GR 10 · CAMPING LES GLERES). [3,4]
Not counted, because the business register records them as closed: 1 × Bakery (boulangerie), 2 × Grocery (épicerie / supérette), 1 × Supermarket, 8 × Restaurant, 2 × Hotel.
All 25 service types, with per-source counts
| Type | Count | Names | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bakery (boulangerie) | 6 | BOULANGERIE LES ARCADES · SARL D'EXPLOITATION DE LA PATISSERIE LAFON GILLES · LA TABLE DU BOULANGER · EURL DUQUESNE 2 · MONT LEVAIN | INSEE BPE 6 / INSEE SIRENE 8 [3,4] |
| Butcher (boucherie) | 3 | SUCRE SALE · PEIO | INSEE BPE 3 / INSEE SIRENE 2 [3,4] |
| Grocery (épicerie / supérette) | 1 | PETIT CASINO | INSEE BPE 1 / INSEE SIRENE 6 [3,4] |
| Supermarket | 1 | CARREFOUR MONTAGNE | INSEE BPE 1 / INSEE SIRENE 3 [3,4] |
| Cheese shop (fromagerie) | 0 | INSEE SIRENE 0 [4] | |
| Fishmonger | 0 | INSEE BPE 0 / INSEE SIRENE 0 [3,4] | |
| Restaurant | 36 | HOSTELLERIE DE LA REINE HORTENSE · PIZZERIA TITUS · LA CASCADE · SARL ROYALTY | INSEE BPE 36 / INSEE SIRENE 45 [3,4] |
| Café / bar | 9 | CAFE DU COMMERCE · LA CHAUMIERE · LE BISTROT DU BOULEVARD · LE CHALET DES PYRENEES | INSEE SIRENE 9 [4] |
| Nursery school (maternelle) | 1 | ECOLE MATERNELLE PUBLIQUE ALFRED MEILLON | INSEE BPE 1 [3] |
| Primary school (élémentaire) | 1 | ECOLE ELEMENTAIRE ALPHONSE MEILLON | INSEE BPE 1 [3] |
| Collège | 0 | INSEE BPE 0 [3] | |
| GP (médecin généraliste) | 3 | GUILLAUME MESSINA, MÉDECIN · BLANDINE ANDRÉ-BOUTHORS, MÉDECIN · DOMINIQUE CARLIER, MÉDECIN | INSEE BPE 3 [3] |
| Pharmacy | 1 | PHARMACIE THERMALE | INSEE BPE 1 / INSEE SIRENE 1 [3,4] |
| Nurse | 0 | INSEE BPE 0 [3] | |
| Dentist | 0 | INSEE BPE 0 [3] | |
| Post office / agence postale | 1 | LA POSTE | INSEE BPE 1 [3] |
| Library | 1 | MÉDIATHÈQUE MUNICIPALE | INSEE BPE 1 [3] |
| Cinema | 1 | CASINO | INSEE BPE 1 [3] |
| Gym / sports hall | 0 | INSEE BPE 0 [3] | |
| Swimming pool | 0 | INSEE BPE 0 [3] | |
| Bank | 0 | INSEE BPE 0 [3] | |
| Hairdresser | 1 | LE SALON | INSEE BPE 1 / INSEE SIRENE 1 [3,4] |
| Fuel station | 1 | STATION SERVICE | INSEE BPE 1 / INSEE SIRENE 1 [3,4] |
| Hotel | 6 | HOTEL RESTAURANT EDELWEISS · HOTEL CHRISTIAN · HOTEL DU LION D'OR - MAISON LASSERRE · LA FRUITIERE · HOTELLERIE DU PONT D'ESPAGNE | INSEE BPE 6 / INSEE SIRENE 15 [3,4] |
| Campsite | 7 | CAMPING LE VIGNEMALE · CAMPING LE CABALIROS · CAMPING LE SAILLET · LE GR 10 · CAMPING LES GLERES | INSEE BPE 7 / INSEE SIRENE 7 [3,4] |
Market and village life
Market day: unknown — nothing found in the datasets or on the commune website.
Trajectory
Population 1,063 (2012) → 829 (2023): -22 % over 10 years. [5,1]
Population 1,201 (1990) → 829 (2023): -31 % over 30 years. [6,1]
Dwellings (2023): 5,295, of which 91 % second homes and 0.2 % vacant. [7]
Access and surroundings
Which way the everyday services lie
Bakery (Cauterets): 0.1 km to the west (straight line). [8]
Food shop (Cauterets): 0 km to the north (straight line). [8]
GP (Cauterets): 0.1 km to the east (straight line). [8]
Pharmacy (Cauterets): 0.1 km to the north-west (straight line). [8]
Primary school (Cauterets): 0.1 km to the north-west (straight line). [8]
Climate
Where this sits nationally
An average of 6 days a year at or above 30 °C and 71 days at or below 0 °C, over 21 complete years in 1995–2024. [9]
Measured at the CAUTERETS - CENTRE VILLE weather station, 0.4 km away at 911 m; the village itself is at 921 m. [9]
An average of 1,258 mm of rain a year, spread over 133 days — about 9.5 mm on a day it rains. [9]
Rainfall measured at CAUTERETS - CENTRE VILLE, 0.4 km away at 911 m. Rainfall is not adjusted for altitude: unlike temperature it has no simple gradient to correct by. [9]
Uncertainties
sources disagree on Grocery (épicerie / supérette)
References
- INSEE census (RP) 2023 — 65138/2023
- INSEE density grid 2026
- INSEE BPE 2025
- INSEE SIRENE 2026-09
- INSEE census (RP) 2023 — 65138/2012
- INSEE census (RP) 2023 — 65138/1990
- INSEE census (RP) 2023 — 65138/logement/2023
- INSEE BPE 2025 — 65138
- Météo-France daily climatology 1995-2024
Villages like this one
Matched on size, density, second homes and which everyday shops and services are present — not on the score, so a village of the same kind that is doing better or worse shows up rather than being hidden.
| Commune | Dept | Distance | Population | Score | Band | Climate vs here |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saint-Lary-Soulan | 65 | 36 km E | 837 | 73.7 | Served | Warmer summers, similar winters.summer 67 % · winter 85 % |
| Risoul | 05 | 576 km E | 664 | 80.7 | Well served | Warmer summers and colder winters.summer 69 % · winter 0 % |
| Allos | 04 | 564 km E | 812 | 67.3 | Served | Similar summers, colder winters.summer 92 % · winter 4 % |
| Vars | 05 | 578 km E | 588 | 70.7 | Served | Similar summers, colder winters.summer 87 % · winter 0 % |
| Hauteluce | 73 | 621 km NE | 734 | 74.7 | Served | Similar summers, colder winters.summer 87 % · winter 42 % |
| Montvalezan | 73 | 631 km NE | 734 | 75.5 | Served | Warmer summers and colder winters.summer 85 % · winter 27 % |
Order by distance instead
| Commune | Dept | Distance | Population | Score | Band | Climate vs here |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saint-Lary-Soulan | 65 | 36 km E | 837 | 73.7 | Served | Warmer summers, similar winters.summer 67 % · winter 85 % |
| Allos | 04 | 564 km E | 812 | 67.3 | Served | Similar summers, colder winters.summer 92 % · winter 4 % |
| Risoul | 05 | 576 km E | 664 | 80.7 | Well served | Warmer summers and colder winters.summer 69 % · winter 0 % |
| Vars | 05 | 578 km E | 588 | 70.7 | Served | Similar summers, colder winters.summer 87 % · winter 0 % |
| Hauteluce | 73 | 621 km NE | 734 | 74.7 | Served | Similar summers, colder winters.summer 87 % · winter 42 % |
| Montvalezan | 73 | 631 km NE | 734 | 75.5 | Served | Warmer summers and colder winters.summer 85 % · winter 27 % |
Elsewhere
Commune website · Wikipedia (en) ·Wikipedia (fr) · INSEE dossier complet · OpenStreetMap · Web search · Map
Permanent link: https://vivantrural.com/en/fr/65138-cauterets