14 caves · down to 163 m
Cave diving in Hérault and Gard
- Caves14
- Max depth163 m
- Water temperature11–13 °C
- Dive centres3
Diving and fills
Dive here with
Fills nearby
- Fill stationLa Palanquée New'sNitrox and oxygen per a 2018 forum post; trimix and pressure: askRoute ↗
- Fill stationCAP Port-Vendres (Centre d'Activité Plongée)Air, nitrox 32/40/50, oxygen, trimix; up to 300 bar (surcharge above 230 bar); CCR fill packageRoute ↗
Why come here
Between the Cévennes and the Larzac, big, deep karst springs rise to the surface: the blue Gourneyras and the Foux de la Vis near Ganges, and the Durzon near Nant. These are springs for experienced full cave divers, with long passages and deep sections that need trimix, in water of 11–13 °C. The big springs react strongly to rain, so dive only at low water. Many well-known springs are closed because they supply drinking water or lie on private land, and others, such as the Durzon, need permission. No public trimix fill near Ganges has been confirmed: bring your own gas and booster.
Don't miss
- Exsurgence de Gourneyras: a large blue spring pool in the Vis valley, with visibility of up to 25 m reported in the far section.
- Foux de la Vis: one of France's largest springs, with a passage that roughly follows the Vis upstream in 12 °C water.
- Source du Durzon: a major Larzac spring with water at 11–13 °C, explored by scooter to 2,110 m in 2020.
On a rest day
- Grotte des Demoiselles: A show cave near Ganges with a huge chamber known as the cathedral.
- Cirque de Navacelles: Look down from the viewpoints on the plateau into the deep valley where the Vis carved a great meander.
- Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert: A medieval village around the Romanesque abbey of Gellone, by the gorges of the Hérault.
All 14 caves
4 closed not shown ·
| Site | Max depth | Type | Certification |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fontaine de NîmesPermission neededSidemount · Full cave | – | Sidemount | Full cave |
| Source du DurzonPermission neededSidemount · Full cave | 138 m | Sidemount | Full cave |
| Source du LirouBackmount · Full cave | 7 m | Backmount | Full cave |
| Exsurgence de GourneyrasBackmount · Full cave | 105 m | Backmount | Full cave |
| Exsurgence de la TuilèdeSidemount · Full cave | 50 m | Sidemount | Full cave |
| Foux de la VisSidemount · Full cave | 104 m | Sidemount | Full cave |
| Foux de LauretPermission neededSmall cylinders / no-mount · Full cave | – | Small cylinders / no-mount | Full cave |
| Grotte-exsurgence de l'AvencasSmall cylinders / no-mount · Full cave | 22 m | Small cylinders / no-mount | Full cave |
| Rivière souterraine de Laval de NizePermission neededSidemount · Full cave | 49 m | Sidemount | Full cave |
| Système des Cent FontsPermission neededSidemount · Full cave | 95 m | Sidemount | Full cave |
Certification requirements, configurations and trimix depths are estimates for planning. Always check them locally and dive within your training.
Map
Dive centres and fill stations
3 dive centres, fill stations and instructors
Fill station
La Palanquée New's
Boulevard Frédéric Fabrèges, 34250 Palavas-les-Flots
- Nitrox and oxygen per a 2018 forum post
Fill station
CAP Port-Vendres (Centre d'Activité Plongée)
Anse Gerbal (ancienne criée), 66660 Port-Vendres
- Air, nitrox 32/40/50, oxygen, trimix
Independent instructor
Frank Vasseur
Works in: Ardèche, Lot, Hérault and Gard, Roussillon and Aude (based in Vendargues near Montpellier)
- Cavern, Intro to cave, Full cave, Sidemount, CCR, Trimix · TDI · Listing at the agency ↗
- Exsurgence de Gourneyras
Order: partners first, clearly marked as partner; then dive centres by distance from Ganges and independent instructors by name. Not a recommendation: check what they offer yourself.
On this list, or should you be? Get a free partner card →Where to stay
Find a place near Ganges, Saint-Martin-de-Londres, Nant, Nîmes
Villages that work well as a base for the caves in this region. Find a place for your team:
- GangesBooking.com ↗
- Saint-Martin-de-LondresBooking.com ↗
- NantBooking.com ↗
- NîmesBooking.com ↗
The links to Booking.com are affiliate links: if you book through one, DiveTripPlanner earns a small commission. You pay the same.
Practical info: rules, fills and emergency numbers
Emergencies
- 112 (or 15 SAMU, 18 fire brigade); cave rescue runs through 112 (Spéléo Secours Français). No hyperbaric chamber in Montpellier or Nîmes on the Medsubhyp list. Nearest: Polyclinique Urbain V, 47 chemin du Pont des Deux Eaux, 84000 Avignon (24/7 on call; office 04 90 81 33 00, physicians 04 90 89 90 22; ~45 min from Nîmes, estimate); Clinique Saint-Pierre, 169 av. de Prades, 66012 Perpignan (24/7 on call; 04 68 56 26 14 / 04 68 56 28 28); CHU Sainte-Marguerite (AP-HM), 270 bd Sainte-Marguerite, 13009 Marseille (24 h: 04 91 74 49 96). 112/SAMU decides where you go. DAN Europe +39 06 4211 5685.
Access and rules
- With permission: Durzon (Nant town hall and the Larzac water syndicate; swimming banned), Cent Fonts (landowner's agreement, off-limits in the hunting season), Laval de Nize (key from the ferme de Ladournie). The track to Gourneyras belongs to EDF, which per plongeesout has never refused cavers: keep the track clear, few cars, no camping, no fires.
- Information: plongeesout.ffspeleo.fr (FFS) lists hundreds of sumps per département (Hérault, Gard, Aveyron, Pyrénées-Orientales) with access notes and rules. The caving committees CDS 34 (Maison départementale des sports, Montpellier) and CDS 30 (cds30.fr) show no separate diving commission online; the FFESSM's regional cave-diving commission sits with the Occitanie Pyrénées Méditerranée committee (Maison régionale des sports, 7 rue André Citroën, 31130 Balma, 05 31 61 53 70).
Closed or restricted
- Many springs are closed: Source du Lez (Montpellier's drinking water, no permits), Foux de la Buèges (municipal ban 23-09-2002), Mas de Banal (owner refuses), Fontanilles near Puéchabon (no permits since 2001), Font Estramar (private, municipal ban 2018).
Gas and fills
- Gas: no public trimix fill station near Ganges, Montpellier or Nîmes confirmed — bring your own gas and booster or ask locally. Nearest confirmed trimix fill: Port-Vendres (~2 h 45 from Ganges, estimate).
Water and season
- Water: Foux de la Vis 12 °C, Durzon 11–13 °C. The big springs react strongly to rain: the Vis ranges from ~1.5 m³/s to peaks of 245 m³/s, the Durzon from 1 to 20 m³/s.
News
No recent news found about the caves in this region.
Searched automatically, last on 13 Nov 2026.
Going to Hérault and Gard with your team?
Marcel finds the sites that match your team's certifications.
Plan a trip