If you read last week’s blog, you’ll know that we fell in love with the Dordogne region when we visited in 2022 and decided to spend two weeks visiting some of the area’s ‘plus beaux villages’ in France. This blog is week two, and the concluding part to our trip, but we’ll be back in September to find some new gems. Today I’ll be covering our amazing canoe trip, and a bike ride that nearly killed me so read on for some top tips with a bit of humour thrown in!
Where We Stayed
We continued our journey south from Perigueux, arriving at Camping La Bouysse de Caudon, on the outskirts of Vitrac, close to Sarlat-la-Caneda. The weather was scorching so we lazed by the pool for a couple of hours then had a mooch along the river. The campsite is in an excellent position for canoeing on the river as there is direct access across from the gates, and canoe hire if you don’t have your own. There is not much else around other than another campsite next door, but you can walk or cycle into Vitrac, it is uphill going and quite steep, much better on the return!
The campsite has good flat pitches which are hedged on three sides and well maintained. We were there in May when it was very quiet, so the bottom section of the site was closed off nearest to the river, and the shop and restaurant were closed but the site next door had a good shop and daily fresh bread/croissants available, only a 2-minute walk. The pool was very welcome in the heat and had a great view over to the gorge, we used it most days and there were comfy sunbeds. The water was a bit chilly, but we needed it in the random heatwave we were encountering.
The staff were really friendly and helpful in giving advice on the local area, canoe hire and cycle trails, so we didn’t have to take the motorhome out all week. The toilets and showers were cleaned twice daily even though there were only 6 pitches taken. They were partially outdoor as the exterior door was a large shutter which remained open but there was a roof over the inside. They were standard shower cubicles, good flow and hot water was plentiful.
It is a site I would recommend to others, and one we would return to if we wanted to stay in that specific area again. It was very reasonably priced out of season, only 18 euros a night including electric. The site next door looked nice (Camping Marvilla Parks Domaine de Soleil Plage), it was 5-star but had a price tag to match and we couldn’t really see what extras you were gaining for the money, other than the restaurant and shop were open out of season.
Sarlat-la-Caneda
A dull day was forecast so we decided to cycle into Sarlat-la-Caneda. On the map it was 6 miles each way, no problem I thought, I can do that on my non-electric bike any day. What I didn’t realise was that most of these miles were cycled as if we were riding a giant rollercoaster, 1 mile up and 1 mile down with only a small section along the riverside on the flat. My fitness level is more appropriate to level cycle paths. Luckily for me it had a downpour just as we arrived because I already looked like I’d had a bucket of water thrown over me from the sweat of the bike ride!
However, that ride was soon forgotten because Sarlat is definitely a place to have pinned on your map for a visit. It is the most famous medieval town in the region and possibly one of the most attractive, it felt a bit like we’d entered a Disney film set in parts and it was clear money had been spent on making this place special. I will just add here though, that for me, yes, the architecture was stunningly perfect and steeped in history, however I prefer to see the traditional worn in façade similar to that in Brantome, rather than a cosmetically improved version, so I felt it was a little spoiled in that sense, but it was still stunning as you can see from my photographs. It was the busiest place we visited, so I can’t imagine what it would be like in the height of season.
The town has a beautiful cathedral, Saint-Sacerdos de Sarlat, which is worth a visit and the central church is home to an indoor food market and glass lift to the bell tower. A novel tourist attraction but we didn’t partake as my head for heights is very limited! You won’t go hungry in this town, with an array of amazing restaurants. We sampled the regional cassoulet once again; it was quickly becoming a favourite of mine and I had worked up an appetite on the ride there.
We spent the whole day wandering around the alleyways and squares, at every turn there was something new to see. It really is a special place to visit and there is a large car park almost in the centre but not suitable for motorhomes, although there was limited parking up the hill just out of the town in the direction of Vitrac.
That just left us with the killer rollercoaster ride back to our campsite. Hubby decided there was an easier route along some quiet back lanes, with what looked like just one very steep hill to climb, we went for it. I always trust his map reading skills, let’s face it I’ve got none, but he has led me up a metaphorical garden path on many occasions in the last 25 years so I should know better by now haha. All I will say on this matter is that I spent a long time on that journey home pushing my bike up more than one very steep incline and collapsed in a heap on arrival at our van needing a large glass of vino. A decision was made that I would be purchasing an e-bike on my return, however, I held out another 2 years before that happened!
Canoeing on the River
The weather went back to heatwave mode, and we’d been told you can’t visit the Dordogne and not have a day on a canoe. So, with our best proverbial paddle forward, we rented a two-man canoe, life jackets and waterproof bag included, from the guys at the shack just outside our campsite (it belongs to Camping Soleil Plage) and they gave us a map of the river and we set off downstream. They arranged to collect us approximately 4 hours later at the Pont de Fayrac, four bridges away and some amazing scenery along the way.
We took a picnic as advised by the hirers off-season as lots of the food stands only open in peak times. We pulled in on one of the many man-made pebbled beaches around half-way to recharge and relax. It wasn’t a hard paddle and would be suitable for all levels of fitness as the current takes you at a gentle pace with you just guiding the canoe for most of the journey. There are a couple of points where you have to paddle hard to avoid the current near the bridges. I did most of this on my own while the hubby was busy taking photos, not something I found out until we were nearly back at the pick-up point and I turned to see why we’d nearly hit the bridge and ended up grounding the canoe, he was lucky not to get my paddle round his head!
One of the most amazing places we passed was La Roque-Gageac. We were able to stop on the opposite side to take photos but unfortunately you couldn’t pull in on the town side to explore it, but it is worth a stop if you are passing on the road, and there is a campsite, separate aire and large car park that takes motorhomes for short stay parking.
We arrived at our meeting point on the river where we had time for a cool beer before the canoe company collected us and returned us back to our start point in their minibus. It is a great way to see the gorge in its beauty on a sunny day, and the guys were fantastic hosts with everything running like clockwork. Well worth the money for a great day out, and it wasn’t overly expensive at 40 euros for us both.
Summary
The southern part of the Dordogne was equally as breathtaking as the northern part was, and we once again only scratched the surface in that week, but it gave us a reason to return and see more of this understated but awesome area.
I can honestly say that out of all the experiences I’ve had across France in over 10 years, and there have been many fabulous ones, the canoe trip is by far the most amazing and memorable experience I’ve had so please make sure you try it at least once. I’m looking forward to doing it again on a different part of the river when we visit later this year.
Enough waffle for this week, I hope this helps some fellow campers on future trips. If you have been to the Dordogne, please drop me a comment letting me know what you thought of it.
If you enjoyed reading this blog, please like and subscribe to my website so you get notified when the next blog is published. It’s completely free, I don’t fill your inbox with unwanted spam, and it really means the world to me to know my experience has helped someone else.
Happy Travels
Comments