Gouffre de Padirac
Spectacular Cave in the Dordogne, South West France
Visitors to the Padirac cave, one of the most popular underground attractions in France, enjoy an excellent guided tour, including a boat trip on an underground river.
Guided tour of the Cave
The one and a half hour tour begins at the entrance to the cave, a 33 metre wide deep chasm, which truly gives the impression of descending into a mystical underworld. The 75 metre descent is either via elevators, or for the more athletic, many, many flights of stairs comprising 455 steps in total! After the heat of the Dordogne sunshine, the cool of the cave is a welcome contrast.
After the descent, your meet your guide who begins the guided tour with a gentle 700 metre boat trip. The river is 103 m underground and the river cave varies from intimate and delicate limestone formations just inches from visitors to a high gallery, 78m above visitors’ heads at its highest point.
The tour continues on foot covering a distance of 1300 metres, including stairs and walkways with handrails, past beautiful and fascinating pools, caverns, stalactites and waterfalls, all beautifully lit to give an otherworldly atmosphere. You guide will give you an animated commentary in French with the appealing local accent, though some guides do some speak English. Accompanying explanatory notes are available in English. The walking tour takes you past dramatic limestone formations, and around the spectacular pools. The most beautiful pool is a clear blue-green and is contained only by a naturally formed thin limestone rim in the Salle du grand Dôme. The Salle du grand Dôme is on an enormous scale, awe-inspiring to behold; it is difficult to judge the true dimensions of the cavern.
Discovery and Development of Padirac Cave
The Padirac cave was discovered by the famous speleologist Édouard Alfred Martel in 1889. He made a further nine trips during the following eleven years, and facilities giving access to visitors were added very shortly after this, however the first elevators were not installed until the 1930s.
Practical information
The Gouffre de Padirac official site gives practical information such as up to date information on admission costs, opening times and an access plan. Please note that the cave is usually closed in the winter and early Spring.
It is a very popular attraction, you may wish to avoid the busy periods such as the weekend in high season to avoid long queues.
Bring warm clothing with you as the temperature in the cave is a constant 13°C (54°F) even in high summer, and a waterproof jacket as the cave is rather damp.
The Gouffre de Padirac is close to of other popular sites in the Dordogne; 10 km to the south of the medieval village of Carennac, and only 20 km east of the popular visitor attraction of the sacred cliffside village of Rocamadour .
