Grotte Cosquer, le sanctuaire englouti de Cap Morgiou

Marseille

In the calanques of Marseille, near cap Morgiou, a cave opens under the sea. The diver Henri Cosquer discovered it in 1985, at about 35 or 37 metres depth; he declared it in 1991. To reach it, one must follow a flooded tunnel of 150 to 175 metres depending on the sources. Inside, the dry part hides the only decorated Palaeolithic cave known in south-east France, and the only one in the world whose entrance is under water. People came there in two periods: about 27,000 years ago, to which the hands are dated, then 19,000 years ago, for the other drawings. At that time the sea was at least 120 metres lower. Nearly 500 depictions are counted there, including 177 animals of 11 species: horses, bison, but also, uniquely, marine animals such as the seal, the auk and the jellyfish. According to the parc national des Calanques, it was not a dwelling place but a sacred site; Futura-Sciences does not commit on this point, and it is an interpretation. The sea is rising by about 2.5 to 3 millimetres a year, which threatens the cave. It has been listed as a historic monument since 1992 and can now be seen in a replica in the city.

Getting there: Forbidden: the original cave is closed for safety and conservation reasons, and its entrance is under water. A replica, Cosquer Méditerranée, open since June 2022 near the Vieux-Port of Marseille, can be visited by reservation. Coordinates: entrance of the cave in OpenStreetMap, identical to the national park page. The photo shows the replica (panel of horses), not the cave itself.

Opening times and access details are given as a guide only: check before you set out.

Ambient sound