The Gouffre de Padirac

Click on the image below for a larger version.

The Gouffre de Padirac is open every day between 1 April and the 2nd Sunday in October.

The mysterious river navigation 103m underground starts after going to the lift or stairs to reach the subterranean river. The visit of the Gouffre de Padirac takes about an hour and a half; the ambient temperature is 13 degrees C. The area around the cave has free parking, picnic areas, etc.

Click on the picture below for an image of a real trip in the Gouffre. Pictures such as this are taken of every visitor and can be purchased as a souvenir.

A couple of words of warning:

1. The temperature is constant below the ground and can be a chilly surprise.

2. Leave plenty of time for the visit. You can't cut short the trip - once you're down there, you're there for a while. Although the official duration is 1 1/2 hours, in fact it takes longer than this.

3. Make sure you are there early in the morning to avoid the queues.

The Gouffre de Padirac has its own Web site under http://www.gouffre-de-padirac.com