Not a cave but a natural rock shelter, the Abri du Cap Blanc (daily: April–June, Sept & Oct 10am–noon & 2–6pm; July & Aug 10am–7pm; €5.40), lies on a steep wooded hillside about 7km east of Les Eyzies (turn left onto the D48 shortly after Les Combarelles). It contains a sculpted frieze of horses and bison dating from the Middle Magdalenian period, about 14,000 years ago. Of only ten surviving prehistoric sculptures in France, this is undoubtedly the best. The design is deliberate, with the sculptures polished and set off against a pockmarked background. But what makes this place extraordinary is not just the large scale, but the high relief of some of the sculptures. This was only possible in places where light reached in, which in turn brought the danger of destruction by exposure to the air. Cro-Magnon people actually lived in this shelter, and a female skeleton has been found that is some 2000 years younger than the frieze.If you're looking for a non-cave detour, continue a little further up the heavily wooded Beune valley from Cap Blanc, to the elegant sixteenth-century Château de Laussel (closed to the public). On the opposite side of the valley stand the romantic ruins of the Château de Commarque, now undergoing extensive restoration. Built in the thirteenth century, it was occupied by the English during the Hundred Years War, and substantial sections of the fortifications still stand. You can reach it on foot via the GR6 footpath, which leaves the D47, past the Font-de-Gaume or – much quicker – by a path that starts in the left-hand corner of the field below Cap Blanc (flooded in wet weather).
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