For experienced cavers, there are thousands of caves to discover in Ariège.
For the less experienced, Horizon Vertical offers numerous visits where everyone can find the underground experience to suit them.
And for those who don't want to get tired, here are the caves already set up for the visit:
One of the most beautiful in the region, just 50 km from the house. The bison engravings are particularly famous. Don't forget to book as places are limited. Tel: 05 61 05 88 37
PLEASE NOTE: The cave is neither equipped nor lit, the route (2.5km in total) is uneven and must be completed within a limited time, which is why the visit is impossible for disabled people and young children.
The visit to the cave is guided and lasts approximately 1h45/
Near the cave a museum, forges, a spinning mill to visit. And for lunch a good meal at “La petite Auberge de Niaux”. (tel: 05 61 05 09 09)
Mas d'Azil is 47 km from the house. To visit by car. On the way to Mirepoix or Carcassonne, take the detour.
Accessible by a natural tunnel crossed today by a road which runs along the Arize river, it was for a long time used as an asylum for animals: rhinos, bears, mammoths... and for men (from the Magdalenians to the Huguenots). https://www.sites-touristiques-ariege.fr/en/grotte-du-mas-dazil-2/
60 km from the house. It is the longest navigable underground river in Europe. Call to reserve at 05 61 65 04 11
The visit is guided and commented 60 m underground. It will especially interest children because the visit is done comfortably seated in a boat for 12 people.
The 1h, 1h30, 2h, 2h30, 3h circuits take you in the footsteps of the mysteries, stories and legends that surround the site.
You will follow the underground river for almost 1.5 km. The route, exceptionally long and varied, takes you from rooms to galleries, decorated with a multitude of concretions and gours, passing by the Salette waterfall. https://www.ariegepyrenees.com/en/decouvrir/incontournables/grottes-prehistoire/la-riviere-souterraine-de-labouiche/
The Lombrives cave is one of the largest and most fascinating caves in Europe. Located in Ussat, near Tarascon-sur-Ariège. The cave impresses travelers with its immense galleries, its giant stalactites and stalagmites and its incomparably colored lake. Access via a path that winds through a hill with Mediterranean vegetation on foot or by small tourist train. (small train ticket on sale on site €2/person) Admire the view overlooking the valley. Arrival under the porch a guide welcomes you and accompanies you for a most impressive walk into the depths of the earth
Niaux
Niaux
Niaux
Lombrive
Lombrive
Lombrive
Lombrive
Mas d'Azil
Mas d'Azil
Mas d'Azil
Mas d'Azil
Labouiche
Labouiche