Grotte des Canalettes

The Grotte des Canalettes, or Canalettes caves, are a network of caves that were formed more than 400 million years ago in the limestone massif of the Fuilla region. The entrance is in Villefranche-de-Conflent, along the road to Casteil. If you come to visit the Pyrenees Park, a visit to the Grotte des Canalettes is a must.

A magical accident

The Grotte des Canalette, discovered in 1951, by Dr Motte accidentally while walking in the area, was introduced to Henry Salvayre, hydrogeologist and specialist of the underground world, in 1957.

Whoever visits this magical place, enters with a vision of the world and leaves with another, they say that only the one who visits the Grotte des Canalettes, knows the secrets of the world. Entering where the sun cannot, where day or night is the same, will undoubtedly fill your soul with freedom.

Visited by more than a million people

Walking from the town of Villefranche-de-Conflent, a few hundred metres away, the site is fully signposted for you to visit the Grotte des Canalettes, either with a guide or on your own.

Today, more than a million visitors consider the Grotte des Canalettes or les Grandes Canalettes as one of the most beautiful caves in France, for the beauty of its concretions and its crystalline buildings perfectly carved by the years.

One of the last caves open to the public in France

The Grotte des Canalettes can be visited every day, uninterrupted and free, this walk is full of luminous explanatory signs in different languages, as it is visited by hundreds of tourists from all countries, photos and videos are allowed on its circuit. You can also find an exhibition and projection room called the Water Drop Journey, which results in a musical light and sound show in the final hall of the Angkor temple, a real underground cathedral with 220 seats, where the echo of this place gives a sound and experience that you won't find anywhere else. Every evening between July and August at 19:00, people can access a special show on presentation of a ticket.

Visit the park of the Pyrenees, visit the Grotte des Canalettes

The wonderful Canalettes cave is probably the best known of the Pyrénées-Orientales caves. This stop in Villefranche-de-Conflent, not to be missed on your itinerary, fill yourself with energy and disappear into the depths of the limestone mountains to where day and night are one and the same. The set of caves des Canalettes is very deep, so one part of the caves you can visit on your own and the other, if you must visit it in a special way with a guide, this special route is called safari and is guided by specialists knowledgeable about the whole area. You cannot miss this splendid place full of magic and energy.