Castelette cave
Les Salles-sur-Verdon · beginner levelAn underground river cave with galleries and a 25 m shaft, plus a petrified waterfall. Guided outing with Les Guides du Verdon: from age 14, around 5 h, €80 (group/family rates on request).
Caving
Caving in the Gorges du Verdon
Beneath the limestone of the Verdon lies a little-known network of caves and sinkholes. From introductory abseiling from age 8 to committed outings down to 100 metres deep, four operators guide the discovery of this underground world, mostly around Les Salles-sur-Verdon and Aups.
4 operators identified run guided caving outings across the Verdon area (Var and 04)
-100 m the depth of Aven de l’Olivier Les Salles-sur-Verdon, sporty level
from age 8 the lowest minimum age Grotte de Plérimond (Aups), introductory abseiling
2009 Esparron cave closed biotope protection order, bat colonies
An underground world beneath the limestone
The limestone plateau that carries the Gorges du Verdon is also riddled with cavities: river caves, fossil sinkholes, concreted chambers. Unlike canyoning or hiking, caving here is almost always practised guided by a professional operator, with helmet and technical gear provided.
The best-documented cavities
Aven de l’Olivier
Les Salles-sur-Verdon · sporty levelA fossil cave with no river, linked to the underground experiments of Michel Siffre: a 10 m shaft followed by a 25 m one, large heavily-concreted chambers, down to about 100 m deep. Guided by Les Guides du Verdon: from age 14, around 6 h, €90.
Aven de Plérimond
Aups (Var) · introductionA small entrance (0.70 m in diameter) leading to a large concreted chamber of about 35 x 15 m, accessible only by abseiling. Also a known archaeological site (an Iron Age ossuary). At least three operators run introductory outings here, from age 8 at Rocksiders.
The Esparron cave is closed to access
Since 2009, a prefectural biotope protection order has barred access to the flooded cave at Esparron, in the lower gorges of the Verdon: it hosts several thousand bat births each year (Capaccini’s bat, lesser mouse-eared bat, greater mouse-eared bat, Schreiber’s bent-winged bat) and serves as a wintering site for a significant share of the French population of some species. A protective grille has barred access since 1996.
Go with a guide
Caving isn’t something to improvise: technical gear, knowledge of the network and managing a group underground call for professional guidance. Four operators cover the area, from introductory to sporty level.
The operators
Les Guides du Verdon
Les Salles-sur-Verdon (83) · lesguides.netThe largest catalogue of outings: Castelette, Aven de l’Olivier, and other cavities (St Eucher, Les Rampins, Plérimond, Ragaïe de Néoules), graded across three levels (discovery, beginner, sporty).
Les Verdoniens
La Palud-sur-Verdon (04)Progressive caving outings, including the Aven de Plérimond. The official site publishes no prices or minimum age online — confirm directly with the operator.
Rocksiders
Riez / La Palud-sur-VerdonIntroduction at the Grotte de Plérimond (Aups), from age 8, half-day, €55.
Karst Rider
Colmars-les-Alpes (Haut-Verdon)Nine outings graded by level (green to black), from age 8, from 2 h (€50) to the most committed outings of 7 h, from age 16 (€90). Cave names not detailed by the operator.
Frequently asked questions
Where can you go caving in the Verdon?
The two best-documented caves are at Les Salles-sur-Verdon (Var): the Castelette cave (underground river, beginner level, from age 14) and the Aven de l’Olivier (a fossil cave down to about 100 m deep, sporty level, from age 14), both guided by Les Guides du Verdon. For a more accessible introduction, the Aven de Plérimond at Aups can be done from age 8 with Rocksiders. The Haut-Verdon has its own operator, Karst Rider, based in Colmars-les-Alpes.
Do you need experience to go caving in the Verdon?
No: local operators grade their outings by level. Introductory outings (Grotte de Plérimond at Rocksiders, or Karst Rider’s “discovery” trips) suit beginners from age 8. “Beginner” outings (Castelette) require a minimum level of fitness from age 14. “Sporty” outings (Aven de l’Olivier) are more demanding: successive shafts, several hours underground.
How much does a caving outing in the Verdon cost?
With Les Guides du Verdon, expect €80 for the Castelette cave (around 5 h) and €90 for the Aven de l’Olivier (around 6 h), with group/family rates on request. At Rocksiders, the introductory half-day at the Grotte de Plérimond is €55. At Karst Rider, prices range from €50 (a 2-hour outing) to €90 (a 7-hour outing, reserved for over-16s).
Are all caves in the Verdon accessible?
No. The flooded cave at Esparron, in the lower gorges of the Verdon, has been closed to access since 2009 by a prefectural biotope protection order: it hosts several thousand bat births each year (Capaccini’s bat, lesser mouse-eared bat, greater mouse-eared bat, Schreiber’s bent-winged bat) and serves as a wintering site for a significant share of the French population of some species. A protective grille has barred access since 1996. Beyond this documented case, always respect the marked routes and the instructions of operators.
Check for yourself
The external sources this page relies on, one click away.We would rather you be able to contradict us than ask you to take our word for it.
- Les Guides du Verdon — spéléologie (site officiel)lesguides.net
L'opérateur lui-même : catalogue des sorties spéléologie encadrées (Castelette, Aven de l'Olivier, Plérimond, etc.), basé aux Salles-sur-Verdon.
- Les Guides du Verdon — grotte de la Castelettelesguides.net
Fiche officielle de la sortie : niveau, âge minimum, durée, tarif de la grotte de la Castelette (Les Salles-sur-Verdon).
- Les Guides du Verdon — Aven de l'Olivierlesguides.net
Fiche officielle de la sortie : profondeur, niveau, âge minimum, durée, tarif de l'Aven de l'Olivier (Les Salles-sur-Verdon).
- Les Verdoniens — spéléologie (site officiel)lesverdoniens.com
L'opérateur lui-même (La Palud-sur-Verdon) : sorties spéléologie progressives proposées.
- Rocksiders — grotte de Plérimondrocksiders.com
L'opérateur lui-même (Riez / La Palud-sur-Verdon) : niveau, âge minimum, durée, tarif de la sortie à la grotte de Plérimond (Aups).
- Karst Rider — spéléologie Haut-Verdon (site officiel)canyon-verdon.com
L'opérateur lui-même (Colmars-les-Alpes) : sorties graduées par niveau, âges minimums, durées et tarifs.
- Parc naturel régional du Verdon — protection des chauves-sourisparcduverdon.fr
L'autorité de gestion du territoire : interdiction d'accès de la grotte d'Esparron depuis 2009 (arrêté de protection de biotope, colonies de chauves-souris).
7 of these 7 links responded during our last automated check, on 2026-09-05. A broken link is removed, never left in place.