Villeneuve-Vallée du Lot Tourist Office

©Grotte De Lastournelle Sainte Colombe De Villeneuve Cedric Vlemmings 20 Min|Cédric Vlemmings

©Grotte De Lastournelle Sainte Colombe De Villeneuve Cedric Vlemmings 4 Min|Cédric Vlemmings

©Grotte De Lastournelle Sainte Colombe De Villeneuve Cedric Vlemmings 12 Min|Cédric Vlemmings

Enter a fascinating underground world!

Lot-et-Garonne has just two natural caves: the Lastournelle cave in Sainte-Colombe-de-Villeneuve and the Fontirou caves in Castella.

But do you really know how caves work? Natural caves are underground cavities formed over thousands of years by geological processes. They are found in almost every region of the world and are one of nature’s most fascinating spectacles.

The interior is often decorated with stalactites (hanging from the “ceiling”) and stalagmites (rising from the floor), formed by the slow accumulation of minerals contained in the water. Caves also provide a unique habitat for species adapted to the dark, such as bats, blind insects and certain species of fish.

Caves are the silent libraries of the Earth, where every drop of water secretly writes the history of the world.

discover our natural caves

lastournelle cave SAINTE-COLOMBE-DE-VILLENEUVE

The entrance to the Lastournelle cave was found in 1878. The reason for this unexpected discovery? Farmers digging a well to find water!

Many years later, Joseph and Maria Brys (farmers originally from Pas-de-Calais) bought the Lastournelle farm in Sainte-Colombe-de-Villeneuve. One day, during bad weather, they discovered the entrance to the cave by chance and decided to start work toopen itto the public in 1957.

Today, it’s their granddaughter Sylvie who has taken over the business and is keen to help visitors discover this exceptional underground world. Lastournelle has 7 incredible chambers, numerous stalagmites, stalactites, draperies and even a small stream.

©Grotte De Lastournelle Sainte Colombe De Villeneuve Cedric Vlemmings 14 Min|Cédric Vlemmings

©Grotte De Lastournelle Sainte Colombe De Villeneuve Cedric Vlemmings 8 Min|Cédric Vlemmings

caves of fontirou CASTELLA

The Fontirou caves were first discovered in 1905. When a farmer found one of his cows stuck in a hole, he started digging and came across the entrance to the caves. Originally, the entrance was so narrow that the farmer could only reach it by rope. So he began work to open it to the public just 5 years after its discovery.

Fontirou has tree roots that go down 15 metres into the earth, stalagmites and stalactites and even a small stream.

Today, the caves are open to visitors, with the option of buying combined tickets for the Z’animoland animal park.