An Adventure within an underground chasm - Gouffre de Padirac

It was hot during our week spent in Saint-Cyprien, in the department of the Dordogne. With temperatures over 40 degrees Celsius almost every day, after a few days of cycling, we were exhausted and ready for a break. Our host had suggested some interesting local places to visit and Gouffre de Padirac was on the list.

Ici commence la vraie mervielle!(Here, the real wonder begins!)

We headed off in the car, driving through the town of Martel and onto to Padirac, we were now in the department of the Lot. We arrived at the visitors centre and after purchasing our tickets, we ate lunch before heading out to begin our visit.

Looking down into Gouffre de Padirac from the surface. Watch the video end at the of the post for drone footage of the hole in comparison to the visitors centre.

The Gouffre is a huge hole in the ground caused by the subterranean river’s erosion of the rock and collapse of the surface. On arrival, you descend 103 metres via elevator or stairs. We opted for the stairs, which were a little scary at first.

Chris descending the many stairs to the base

View from part way down the stairs

At the base of the hole, the view back to the surface was spectacular. Lush greenery, dripping with water, surrounds you as you gaze up to the patch of sky. It was beautifully cool, offering immediate relief on such a hot day.

The two photos above show the staircase used to descend to the base

Pausing briefly to admire the view and take photos, it was time to continue our descent underground.

View back to the surface

We were fortunate to be visiting when there were fewer people, as it was easier to manage the stairs without a crowd.

C’est moi making the descent to the boat landing stage

After a short walk along a passage, we arrived at a landing stage where we ushered into a boat and a guide punted us along the river. It was a like a subterranean gondola ride as we glided quietly through caverns admiring the limestone structures, sculptured by drops of water. No photography was allowed in this section.

Underground river

Reflection

Arriving at the end of the boat journey, we were met by a different guide met and commenced a 20-minute walking tour.

Spectacular formations

We were led through a few different caves and then into the Salle du Grand Dôme (Hall of the Great Dome). This was an enormous chasm with a towering ceiling and lake. We were dwarfed in this amazing natural structure.

Underground lake

Views to the lower lake and other pockets created an enchanting and complex scene.

Complex views within Salle du Grand Dôme

One of the enchanting scenes you will see

Édouard-Alfred Martel a speleologist, geologist and archaeologist, was the first to descend into the Gouffre in 1889. Less than a year later, it was opened to tourists. It’s hard to imagine that they explored this underground world with only lamps and candles. More than 25 million people have now visited the site.

Édouard-Alfred Martel, a speleologist, geologist, and archaeologist, was the first to descend to the caves

No man has gone before us in these depths, no one knows where we go nor what we see, nothing so strangely beautiful was ever presented to us, and spontaneously we ask each other the same question: are we not dreaming?— É.-A. Martel

This formation reminds me of a church organ pipes

The underground river continues for many more kilometres, which are not open to the public.

All too soon, it was time for us to head back to the surface and head home to our holiday accommodation. We thoroughly enjoyed our adventure within an underground chasm.

Fascinating formations

The journey from Saint-Cyprien was approximately 1.5 hours each way. The Gouffre de Padirac is one of many places to experience in this area of France. Check out the tourism links for the departments of the Dordogne and Lot below.

https://www.visit-dordogne-valley.co.uk

https://www.tourisme-lot.com/en/ 

Next time we take a visit to a beautiful village on the Lot River. À bientôt!