Discovered in 1889, the spectacular Gouffre de Padirac features some of France’s spangliest underground caverns. The cave’s navigable river, 103m below ground level, is reached through a 75m-deep, 33m-wide chasm. Boat pilots ferry visitors along 1km of subterranean waterways, visiting a series of glorious floodlit caverns, including the soaring Salle de Grand Dôme and the Lac des Grands Gours, a 27m-wide subterranean lake. You can book online – except for same-day tickets, which must be purchased at the cave.
The caverns are 15km northeast of Rocamadour.
