Cave
Cosquer Méditerranée

The prehistoric cave under the sea.

Cosquer Méditerranée is the interpretation center and the exhibition space for the Cosquer Cave.

The Cosquer Cave is the only known decorated Paleolithic cave to date in Provence, as well as the only known submerged decorated cave in the world. It was discovered in 1985 by a diver, who left his name to it, Henri Cosquer. Following the declaration of its discovery in September 1991, the Cosquer Cave was classified as a historical monument on September 2, 1992.

The parietal art on the walls reveals an exceptional bestiary, including horses, bison, megaloceros, saigas, auks, and seals, among others. A large numbers of hand stencils, both red and black, are also a testimony of our ancestors’ spirituality. The paleolithic artists decorated its walls between 33,000 and 19,000 years ago, an unusually long span of time.

The cave’s geology, concretions, and topography give it the character of a submerged cathedral. The presence of water makes the experience exceptional. For nearly 10,000 years, access to the cave has been closed due to rising waters initiated during the climatic warming marking the beginning of the Holocene. Nowadays, the cave is submerged in its largest part, and it is estimated that a large number of artworks have already disappeared. The ongoing and accelerating rise in sea levels endangers this bubble of memory.

Cosquer Méditerranée, preserving and sharing our heritage.

The reconstruction of the Cosquer Cave not only allows for its visit but also ensures the preservation of this exceptional heritage. The visit follows a scripted tour, including an introduction to the world of underwater diving, a tour of the reconstructed cave on exploration modules, and an interpretation center presenting to visitors the paleoenvironments of the Cosquer Cave and the phenomena of rising waters.