The Grottes de Lacave sit tucked into a limestone cliff in the Dordogne Valley, about twenty minutes from Rocamadour. What makes this cave system different from the dozens of others scattered across the region is the little electric train that carries you deep into the hillside before you even start walking.
The ticket office sits at road level, and after purchasing your entry, you board the train that looks like it belongs in a mining museum. It’s open-sided with wooden benches, and it chugs along for about 400 meters through a narrow tunnel carved into the rock. The temperature drops noticeably as you go deeper.
The train ride itself is part of the charm. Once the train stops, you disembark onto a platform and join your guide for the walking portion. Our group was small—maybe fifteen people—and our guide spoke clear French with some English explanations. The tour lasts about an hour and covers roughly a kilometer of pathways through different chambers.
The formations here are impressive. Lacave has the usual suspects—stalactites, stalagmites, flowstone—but the scale surprised me. Some of the rooms are cathedral-sized with ceilings that disappear into shadow. There’s one chamber where the stalactites hang down like a forest of stone icicles, and another where the formations have created what looks like frozen waterfalls along the walls.
The lighting is subtle and well-done. They’ve avoided the garish colored lights you sometimes see in tourist caves and instead use white light that lets you see the natural colors in the rock—creams, grays, browns, and the occasional rusty orange from iron deposits.
The temperature inside stays around 13°C year-round, which means it’s refreshingly cool in summer and surprisingly warm in winter. I wore a light jacket and was comfortable throughout.
After the walking tour, you board the train again for the ride back out to daylight. The whole experience takes about 90 minutes from start to finish.
If you’re in the area and interested in geology or just want to escape the heat for an hour, it’s worth the stop. The train adds a delightful bit of novelty!
Practical Information:
- Parking: Free car park directly at the entrance, plenty of space
- Opening hours: Generally April to November, 10:00-18:00 (hours vary by season, check ahead in shoulder months)
- Entry price: Adults around €11, children €7 (prices as of 2024)
- Tours run every 30-45 minutes in high season, less frequently in spring and autumn
- Temperature inside: 13°C year-round, bring a light jacket
- Dogs: Not permitted inside the caves
- Mobility: Requires ability to walk approximately 1km with stairs and uneven surfaces
gascony girl 