The Caves of Bétharram: an unforgettable underground adventure!

Fancy an extraordinary trip ? Head to the Caves of Bétharram, a real hidden treasure in the heart of the Pyrenees ! On the border of the Hautes-Pyrénées and Pyrénées-Atlantiques departments, I set off to discover the Caves of Bétharram for a breathtaking sideshow.

These natural cavities, shaped by water over the millennia, are home to a multitude of stalactites, stalagmites and other limestone concretions.

The route, organized on five floors, takes you through majestic rooms, narrow galleries and an underground river. You will be able to admire unique geological formations and glimpse the history of these mysterious places.

A visit to the Bétharram Caves is an opportunity to marvel at the beauty of nature and dive into a fascinating underground world.

Preparing your visit to the Bétharram Caves

The caves are open from February until the end of October/beginning of November. At each time of year, visiting hours change. The last departures are 30 minutes before closing time.
The excursion lasts about 1 hour 20 minutes and a guide accompanies you. No need to book, except for groups of more than 20 people and people with reduced mobility.
Animals are unfortunately not allowed inside for site conservation reasons, unless they can fit in your bag during the visit.
The use of strollers is prohibited due to the many steps on your way. Think about baby carriers.
Taking pictures is allowed but without flash.
Don't forget to take a jacket, because it's only 13° inside. Also, I recommend you wear good shoes to be comfortable with the 300 steps.
Free, shaded parking awaits you to leave your car safely.
Prices : Count 17 € for adults and 12 € for children (4-12 years old). Preferential prices exist depending on your situation. Do not hesitate to contact the Bétharram caves directly for more information on this subject.

The waiting room: a suspended moment before discovery

While waiting for the shuttle to the caves to leave, I wait in the waiting room. The lighting is dimmed to put us in the mood for this fascinating universe. A large model represents the site and its various features in the heart of the room. We can discover juicy details, such as the route we are going to take and get an idea of what awaits us. By reading the explanatory panels on the formation of the caves, their history and the various animal species that live there, I already know that my journey to the center of the Earth is going to be extraordinary!

The guides arrive. They are dressed in period outfits, quite traditional with a beret, canvas pants and a green jersey. These costumes are similar to the archaeologists of the 60s or the locals of the same years!

The underground route begins with the walking section

The Caves of Bétharram: the first rooms

The walking route is 2 km long, the last 900 meters are done by little train. The program is enticing, right?! There are five superimposed floors in Bétharram, we will descend them little by little, while crossing the mountain. Basically, we enter through the Pyrénées-Atlantiques, we exit through the Hautes-Pyrénées! A real underground journey!!

I admire beautiful concretions, sponge vaults, petrified waterfalls, one of which is called the bell. The imagination always works in this type of caves: the Virgin and Child, the head of a young woman with her bun, a bat… In short, the cave is so big that you can look everywhere carefully. The lighting is subdued, well distributed, it looks like oil lamps… Guaranteed atmosphere of yesteryear!

Then comes the discovery of the draperies in the chandelier room. The concretions are impressive, fascinating even. The names of the first explorers are engraved on the rock as well as the date of the first opening of the caves. The latter are constantly alive, changing over the years. They lived before us and will continue to live after us… We see the evolution of the site and I imagine all these people since 1903 who have been able to see what I have before my eyes!!

The visit is divided into two : the explanations of the guide and clarifications already recorded with a play of lights and sounds. This makes the visit very dynamic and the information given is very precise. I understand well the formation of the cave and each concretion that I have in front of me.

Little by little, we descend towards the depths of the caves

We then descend to 80 meters. We hear the sound of water, but we do not see it yet. We cross the area of the cloister and chaos with these concretions formed by ancient waterfalls, then 40 steps further, we arrive in front of several scree. The composition of this room is no longer the same, the landscape is very different. By crossing the fault , I realize that we are indeed at the center of the Earth, that these are real underground passages. There is a taste of adventure that is triggered in me! I finally cross the department (an engraving indicates it) to change it and we arrive at the boat, which looks like the drakkars, these Viking boats that impress all their enemies who find themselves in their path.

The boat trip: a new experience

Once "moored", I cross several galleries again. I see a whole spectacle of columns as well as numerous concretions. I follow the path indicated by the river and I feel totally cut off from the world, far from having my feet on the ground and happy to have them underground. It is a real magical, natural spectacle that is important to contemplate.

The reflections of light on the water and the strange shapes of the rocks line the river. Stalactites and stalagmites are reflected on the water. It gives the impression of sailing in an imaginary world, as we can from time to time dream of when we are little through stories told.

Darkness sometimes invites itself into certain parts of the river to add a mysterious side to the place. Only the beams of light from the guides' flashlights illuminate the walls of the cave to glimpse well-hidden details.

Keep your eyes peeled : small crustaceans and insects keep you company in the Bétharram Caves!

Last stop: the little cave train

I settle in, I strap myself in and the "choo-choo" indicates departure. I can tell you that it resonates!

The train tour is impressive, it feels like an amusement park. It's an original way to discover the rest of the cave and to end the adventure in style. You can guess the old mine carts that may have passed through there! The train windows offer you breathtaking views of the cave walls. You can admire the stalactites, stalagmites and columns from a different angle.

This little journey goes by really quickly, I would have liked to do more! I see the light at the end of the tunnel and I can cross it ;).

My eyes are slowly getting used to the daylight again. I didn't notice the time passing and yet I felt like I was cut off from the outside world for several hours!

After visiting the Bétharram Caves: the shop

After exploring the underground wonders of the Bétharram Caves, extend the experience by visiting its store.

I enter the pretty shop that looks like an old train station where you can have a drink and buy a variety of products. Leave with a beautiful souvenir of Bétharram : minerals, fossils, jewelry, decorative objects, books, documents, local dishes...

I really enjoyed this trip to the undergrounds of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques and the Hautes-Pyrénées. The whole visit is well constructed and discovering the caves in different ways ( on foot, by boat and by train ) is great! The sensations are not the same and each room is unique !

This is a cave that will interest the little ones, the big ones and the adults. The explanations are clear, precise and the guides very attentive to the visitors. I felt like I was somewhere else for the duration of a visit and, for that, I can say thank you to the Caves of Bétharram!!

Enjoy your stroll through the heart of the underground world!