The town of Rocamadour in the Dordogne Valley might be best known for its church complex that hangs, seemingly suspended, from a limestone cliff overlooking the valley and the river Alzou. The Sanctuary, composed of seven chapels and churches, has been an important religious site along the St James’ Way pilgrimage route for centuries and its mind boggling architecture still draws crowds today.
But there are other sights in the commune of Rocamadour that are equally captivating particularly if you are travelling, as I was, with an inquisitive nine-year-old.
The Foret des Singes Monkey Forest was the first stop on our road trip in the Dordogne Valley, one of the best places to visit in France with kids, and it quickly became one of our favourites.
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La Forêt des Singes
La Forêt des Singes – the Monkey Forest – celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2024 and while its unsure whether or not the 150 resident Barbary Macaques took part in the celebrations, it’s a remarkable milestone for a project that started in the 1960s.
Sixty odd years ago two friends travelled to Morocco and returned with some monkeys. The duo established their first monkey forest in Alsace, in eastern France, and it was so successful that in 1974 they opened the nature reserve in Rocamadour.
Today the company has two additional parks, one in Germany (La Montagne des Singes) and the other, Trentham Monkey Forest, near Birmingham in the UK.
All four parks are conservation facilities, dedicated to the conservation of Barbarby Macaques, today considered one of the most endangered populations in the world.
The parks aim to raise public awareness, contribute to behavioural studies and actively work to protect the species. Previously, they had successfully reintroduced groups of monkeys back into the wild but the destruction of their natural habitats means that this is no longer possible.
La forêt des Singes is a unique opportunity to see this wonderful – and often comical – creatures in a natural environment.
The Rocamadour Monkey Forest
Three troops of Barbary Macaques live in complete freedom in this 20-hectare reserve in the Dordogne Valley. Much like when we visited the Snow Monkeys in Japan, there are no cages or bars. Rather, the park mimics their natural habitat in the mountains of North Africa, Morocco and Algeria with forest, gorges and rocky ridges and the monkeys have complete freedom to roam, living outside throughout the year.
There are various ways to experience the Foret des Singes. The most straightforward is on a general visit: park your car in the parking lot, pay your admission and explore the park, following the marked paths around the reserve.
Visitors are given instructions upon entering about what you can and can’t do (don’t chase the monkeys, stay a safe distance away from the monkeys and do not feed any monkeys with small babies / young monkeys on their backs).
You are also given a handful of popcorn that you can feed to the monkeys if they approach you (and they will approach you, we quickly discovered how greedy they are!).
The trails are well signposted and you can easily wander at your own pace, observing the monkeys playing, feeding and caring for their young. You’ll spot guides along the way who are there to answer any questions you might have.
Feeding talks also take place regularly throughout the day where you can learn more about these curious creatures.
Breakfast with the Monkeys
The best way to explore this the Monkey Forest, however, is to have breakfast with them. Two years ago, la Forêt des Singes introduced their private “Breakfast with the monkeys” experience and we were lucky enough to try it out.
We arrived just before 9am, an hour before the park officially opens at 10am, and met our guide. Julian has been working at the park for some 10 years and is both hugely passionate and knowledgeable about the Barbary Macaques, sharing lots of information about the species as well as stories from his time working at the park.
We donned our branded waistcoats, grabbed our buckets filled with breakfast – a selection of bananas, chestnuts and walnuts – and headed off into the reserve.
Barbary Macaques are not an aggressive species (if you see their teeth “chattering” this is actually a sign of them being friendly), which means that you can feed them by hand. Obviously if provoked, they will respond in as any animal will but Julian was on hand to guide us and explaining how we should not feed babies, or young monkeys, being cared for by their parent.
As we walked through the park, Julian explained how there are three different troops living within the monkey enclosure. He detailed the hierarchy in each one, introducing the monkeys by name and explaining how they are matriarchal, with their hierarchy determined by lineage to the female leader.
Unlike other macaques, Barbary Macaque males help to look after the young – even if the baby does not biologically belong to them. Apparently, males can sometimes be seen showing off their baby to other male as a sign of friendship.
Along the way we met Stacey – the dominant female in troop number one – and her mother Steffi, who tugged politely at my trouser leg asking for breakfast.
We met Titus, one of the dominant males and Tolkien, the head male in troop number three who was particularly greedy. We also saw Dracula, the oldest male at 27 years old (which equates to nearly 100 human years) and White Back, the Grande Dame of the reserve at 31.
Along the way we also saw some of the youngest members of the reserve, including a baby monkey that had been born in July. Julian explained that they only named the monkeys once they reached their first birthday.
The experience lasts around 90 minutes and, for the most part, you have the park entirely to yourselves.
At the end of the experience, once you have exited the reserve, you are given your own breakfast of pastries and a drink at the park cafe. We were also presented with a goodie bag, that included a photo of Sam and myself with a monkey. Your guide takes photos throughout the experience, which are then emailed for you to download.
The park really is a great place to learn more about this endangered species and a unique experience to enjoy with or without kids.
La Forêt des Singes – know before you go
We loved our time at the Foret des Singes. If you are inspired to visit, then here is everything you need to know about visiting.
Location
La Forêt des Singes is located in Rocamadour in the Dordogne Valley, France. The closest airport if flying from London in the UK is Brive-Souillac followed by Bergerac. You can also catch the train from Toulouse.
The address is: La Forêt des Singes – 442 route de Gramat – 46500 Rocamadour
Monkey forest – opening hours
Opening times vary throughout the year but during peak season the park is open from 9.30am – 6pm. During shoulder seasons, the park opens at 10am and closes at 5.30/6pm. The park closes annually from mid November to mid April.
Monkey forest – prices
Adults / Children aged 5 – 14 11 / 7. Children under 5 years old are free.
Breakfast with the Monkeys
The two-hour “Breakfast with the Monkeys” experience costs €85 per person. They are planning to introduce a children’s tariff starting in 2025.
The price includes access to the park for the day, a private visit with a guide, feeding the monkeys, and your own breakfast post-visit.
