Cougnac is actually two caves, one with very nice geological formations and the other with prehistoric drawings. Both caves are included in the tour. The majority of the art is 20,000-25,000 years old, making these some of the oldest cave drawings that are open to the public, along with Pech Merle, a nearby cave (about 1 hour by car) that is from the same era. It is possible to see both caves in one day. Cougnac is a 45 minute drive from Les Eyzies.
The red drawings are of megaloceros (a huge extinct deer), ibex, mammoths and 2 strange humanoid figures that have lines emanating from them (there is a nearly identical one in Pech Merle.) The presentation of these pictures must have been very important because some cave concretions were broken by Paleolithic people in order to better frame some of the drawings.
The ceilings of the caves have thousands of tiny stalactites
Guided tours only, tours are in French with little information available in other languages. You must walk up some stairs to reach the ticket office, then walk about 1200 meters over flat ground to the cave. Once inside, the walk is fairly easy. Photos are allowed in the cave with no artwork.
Address: road D17, 46300 Payrignac, France
Services: Free parking, gift shop, toilets, cold drinks, picnic area
