We did have to paddle a bit in some parts, but it was very manageable. Hubby is in 71 and I'm several years trailing that, but this was a relaxing experience. I'd highly recommend this company! We found them through a Rick Steves book and they didn't disappoint. Normally they have set pickup times but they were very flexible with us. We stopped at Castelnaud and hiked up the hill to enjoy that whole area.īecause we were the only ones around, Dave told us to just give him a call when we were ready to be picked up and they'd send someone. Family friendly, outdoor swimming pool, play area and bar or club house. I'm sure the threat of rain kept everyone away which made it great for us. View Camping Les Chalets sur la Dordogne in Lot, France. We had the ENTIRE river to ourselves! It was a once in a lifetime experience. Our entire experience was fantastic! From the parking, (we parked in the private lot in Vitrac) to check-in with the owner who turned us over to Dave, who was an English chap, to our pick-up. The weather was overcast and there had been rain in the forecast, but we took a chance. My hubby and I did this canoe trip, Vitrac- Beynac, in May. Tip: Don't forget sun cream on your legs (and feet if you're wearing sandals). They offer plenty of other trips - some longer and even a shorter option - but this suited us well. Our only limitation was to be back at the base before 5pm so if we'd wanted to stop for a picnic we could have done. You pass through pretty countryside, wooded valleys, and pass by La Roque Gageac, Castelnaud and Beynac castles and can stop anywhere you like on the way. This stretch of the river is wide, with a gentle current and no really fast parts. A minibus took us a 15 minute or so drive to Cénac where we got our kayak/canoe and some basic instructions before launching into the river. We booked the first trip at 10am, which meant getting there at 9:30 and getting equipped with a life jacket and waterproof barrel. If we had booked a trip at their main base at Vitrac instead we would have needed to wait for an hourly bus back to the start. La Roque Gageac is one of Frances most beautiful villages. As we had chosen to do the Cénac - Beynac 12km 2h30 trip this seemed like the best option for us as we drove to Beynac (actually in Castelnaud-la-Chapelle) base and parked there, which meant that at the end of the trip we could just drive away whenever we arrived. Today, you can take a ride onboard the “Adèle and Clarisse” and enjoy a guided tour along the Dordogne river.We booked our canoe/kayak trip online through Canoes Butterfly, which is basically the Beynac base of Canoes Loisir. It brutally declined with the appearance of the railway, a much safer and faster means of transportation. Castelnaud-La-Chapelle (shortened to Castelnaud) is located about 10kms from Sarlat and is another one of the 10 most beautiful villages of France.
The river’s traffic reached its peak in the 1860s. They transported vineyard stakes and wood for barrel-making, and once they reached their destination, were taken apart and their wood was sold for heating purposes.
For centuries, flat-bottom gabare boats called « courpets » were made in the Correzian villages of Spontour and Argentat, and they stopped over in Beaulieu on their way down to Libourne. Until large dams were built, it was only navigable in spring and autumn. The Dordogne is a dangerous and unpredictable river.
These women were in charge of helping passengers across the river : Clarisse, then her neighbor Adèle, then Adèle’s daughter who was also called Adèle… This tradition ended when a bridge was built to repair the embankment, and to allow access to the holiday village on the left riverbank. This tradition continued in Beaulieu until the 1970s, with a long line of what was then called « passeuse d’eau ». In the Middle Ages, large wooden boats called « nau » were used to transport passengers, livestock and goods across the river. It was replaced in the 1920s by todays’ concrete road bridge, which was inaugurated in 1925. Its next bridge was built 6 centuries later, in the 19th century : it was a suspension bridge which collapsed twice. Its first stone bridge, built in the 13th century, lasted but a hundred years. Beaulieu’s bridges have a chaotic history.
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