📷 Quince&Medlar, CC0Gouffre de Padirac
Padirac, France
A chasm 103 m deep leading to an underground river, visited partly by boat. Book a timed ticket in summer, bring a layer for the constant 13 °C, and expect large car parks.
The Gouffre de Padirac in the Lot département is a collapse shaft about 35 m across and 103 m deep. The speleologist Édouard-Alfred Martel discovered the underground river in 1889, and the cave has been open to visitors since 1899. The river is some 20 km long in total, of which about 2.5 km is accessible to visitors. You descend by lift, then walk about 1,300 m and travel about 1,000 m by boat through the galleries, past the Grande Pendeloque and through the 94 m high Grand Dôme.
Allow around an hour and a half. The cave stays at about 13 °C all year round, so bring a warm layer. In peak season, booking ahead is advisable to avoid waiting. The cave is about 8 km from Rocamadour and is open seasonally from late March to early November (as of October 2026).
- Nearest town
- Padirac, France
- Category
- Nature & parks
- GPS
- 44.8580, 1.7500
- Editor's pick
- ★
Hours, fees and access change. Confirm with the operator or park before you go.
Good to know
Best time to go
The most pleasant months are usually May–June and September–October. Still fine, with some compromises, in April, July–August and November. (Estimate from long-term temperature averages, terrain and pass seasons)
Getting there
- France: Motorway tolls. Tolls on most autoroutes; the limit drops to 110 km/h in rain. Motorway limit for cars: 130 km/h.
Featured in these trip guides
Nearby
Campsites nearby
- Aire Camping-Car Park de TauriacMotorhome stopover6 km from Gouffre de Padirac · 67 pitchesMotorhomesElectricityDrinking waterWaste disposalDogs allowedWi-Fi
- Aire GiracMotorhome stopover8 km from Gouffre de Padirac · 27 pitchesMotorhomesElectricityDrinking waterWaste disposalDogs allowedWi-Fi
- Aire Rignac, route de RocamadourMotorhome stopover8 km from Gouffre de Padirac · 40 pitchesMotorhomesElectricityDrinking waterWaste disposalDogs allowedWi-Fi
- Camping La PalanquièreCampsite10 km from Gouffre de PadiracTentsCaravansElectricityDrinking waterShowersToiletsWi-Fi
- Camping Koawa Les CigalesCampsite11 km from Gouffre de PadiracTentsCaravansElectricityDrinking waterShowersToiletsWaste disposalWi-Fi
- Camping Les Cigales - Ciela Village - RocamadourCampsite11 km from Gouffre de PadiracTentsCaravansElectricityDrinking waterShowersToiletsWaste disposalWi-Fi
All campsites in France · Campsite data: © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL 1.0 · Updated October 3, 2026
FAQs
Where is Gouffre de Padirac?
Gouffre de Padirac is in Padirac, France, at GPS 44.8580, 1.7500. It is about 24 km from Collonges-la-Rouge.
Can you camp near Gouffre de Padirac?
Yes. The nearest campsite listed in OpenStreetMap is Roca d'Amour, about 1 km away; within 25 km there are 80 campsites and motorhome stopovers.
Which road trips pass Gouffre de Padirac?
Gouffre de Padirac is a stop on these CampingSpirit trip guides: Lot valley and the Gouffre de Padirac.
What is there to see near Gouffre de Padirac?
Places worth a stop nearby: Autoire (6 km), Carennac (7 km), Rocamadour (12 km) and Pech Merle cave (40 km).
When is the best time to visit Gouffre de Padirac?
The most pleasant months are usually May–June and September–October. Still fine, with some compromises, in April, July–August and November. (Estimate from long-term temperature averages, terrain and pass seasons)