Off the Beaten Path in France - Amazing Cave

Sometimes when you travel, it is often easy to overlook great opportunities. During our visit to France this year, we were 2 km from the Gouffre de Padirac Caves and almost missed going!

Yeah, I know, the “most famous caves in Europe,” so how did we not know? Well, outside of Europe, the caves aren’t well known. And, unlike the US, there aren’t billboards every mile announcing your approach (thank goodness).

Why? Our expectations were low, and we didn’t investigate going to the caves until we had a rainy day to deal with. Looking on the internet, we happened to discover the Gouffre de Padirac Caves, almost walking distance from our Airbnb! The cave is close to Gramat, where there is camping for tents and camper vans nearby. We stayed near Miers, France.

We were expecting (at first) that the caves would be shallow, crowded (claustrophobic) and quite possibly featuring hieroglyphics, something we had already seen in other French caves on a previous trip.

No, the Gouffre de Padirac Caves are anything but claustrophobic. They are huge! The entrance is a gigantic hole 338 feet deep, below the surface. You have to either take an elevator ride down 35 meters or walk the stairs (we opted for the stairs, just to take our time and gather in the views).

We were there in early June, off season, and just after a bank holiday, so the crowds were reasonably small. You can purchase your tickets online for a specific start time, which we did.

It is known through history that the large cavern existed in the third century and was actually inhabited in the 15th and 16th centuries. The site has been open to tourism since 1899! According to local tourist information, more than 350,000 visitors are welcomed to the caves each year (Another good reason to go off-season).

If you decide to go in the caves, you may want to wear a hat, as there are some spots where you may have water drips falling on you. No big deal, it isn’t throughout the caves, and only in just in a few spots.

Allow for about two hours for the your time in the cave. Some of your time will be self guided (just walking around, at your own pace) and a portion of your time is on a boat, which is guided. The guide will talk about the caves and pole the shallow boat through the narrow waterway, a very lovely experience. There will be a line for the boat ride, which shouldn’t be long.

The cave has a subterranean river system which is partly navigable by boat. Each boat is sized to carry about 8 passengers, plus the guide. Most guides will speak English, but if not, you can wait for a boat that has an English-speaking guide.

There are several nice restaurants and cafes near the Gouffre de Padirac caves, (walking distance) most with indoor and outdoor seating. Of course, you can always bring a picnic lunch and lounge on the grounds nearby, too!

The colors of the stone in the cave are stunning and beautiful. The immense size of the caves is also breathtaking. In some areas of the cave, the ceiling is 100 feet high or higher. There is the “Grande Pendeloque,” a gigantic stalactite of about 60 meters high, which appears to be hanging by a thread. Or the other “rooms,” such as the Salle du Grand Dome, with its 94 meter high vault.

You will likely need a car to get to Gouffre de Padirac, unless you find one of the bus tours that drops you off at the caves. However you decide to get there, enjoy! Kids will really enjoy the adventure, too. The caves are worth the visit.