On the Dordogne River

October 7, 2022

Pedal, paddle, hike, repeat

The plan for today is to ride to Cenac to rent a canoe, then paddle 12k on the Dordogne River to see two medieval fortresses - La Roque-Gageac and Chateau de Beynac. At breakfast we chat with some people on a Rick Steves tour and learn that they also have a canoe trip lined up this afternoon after a cave tour. I suppose it would be nice to have someone figure out the logistics for this paddle instead of going it alone but we’d much rather get there on the bikes than climb into a van, and we'll pass on the cave tour.

It’s a beautiful day to be back on the bike, misty to start with but clearing up nicely as we pedal down to the river .

Like most towns we've been to in France, Sarlat has enough bike infrastructure to make riding in a strange place comfortable.

Distant view of the 1882 Pontet railroad viaduct

We get a better sense of scale riding underneath the viaduct

Lovely farm landscape along the road to the river

I haven't been able to call anyone in France with my Verizon international plan on this trip. We just take it on faith that the outfitter in Cenac will be open. So of course when we get to Cenac we find that they are closed for the season. Our independence has a price – today it's a detour 5k upriver to Vitrac to another outfitter. I’m sure the Rick Steves tour guide wouldn't have made such a bush league error.

We wheel back upstream to Canoe Loisirs (Butterfly Canoes) in Vitrac in short order. The paddle trip from here will be longer - 16k or about 10 miles, but we should be able to cover it inside of three hours and have time for lunch and a visit to the fortresses.

Checking out the put-in point at Canoe Loisirs

Canoe Loisirs has a tandem kayak that we'll be able to move along in pretty well. The agent makes a point of telling us, en Francais, that we'll pass under five bridges to get to the takeout point. Handing me a map that shows the bridges she quizzes me to be sure I understand. Cinq ponts! I answer with conviction, holding up five fingers. She still seems concerned, perhaps doubtful that I can count to five in French.

We had planned to stop at the market in Cenac for a sandwich to take along but forgot about it in the flurry of figuring out where to rent a boat and there are no markets open in Vitrac this morning. Checking the bikes for provisions, Barry finds one energy bar, I got zilch. We'll be fine; I'm sure we'll find some place for lunch on the way. Grabbing our water bottles we get on the water at 11 am just above the first bridge.

Pont numéro un, four more of these beautiful arched bridges to go

The river is calm, wide and beautiful. It's low in spots and we drag the bottom a bit but not enough to get out and walk. The kayak's flatter bottom probably does better in the shallow water than a canoe. Good thing, I only have my one pair of biking/walking shoes and would like to keep them dry. We've lucked out on the weather, enjoying this sunny early October morning.

I like this tandem kayak. It's quick and tracks well with both of us paddling.

Approaching pont numero deux at Cenac where we originally planned to put in. It took less than an hour to cover the added distance from Vitrac. Worth it to see this segment of the Dordogne.

At noon the church bells of Our Lady of the Assumption in Domme ring out and I'm thinking about lunch again / still. We split the energy bar and paddle assiduously towards La Roque-Gageac. As the rock comes into view I think surely there must be some commerce there, although Google maps doesn't know anything about it. At 7k, close to the halfway point on the paddle, we pull up to the landing at La Roque.

First time we've heard church bells on a paddle. They sound wonderful bouncing off the cliffs.

A tour boat paddles up river past us. We can hear the guide talking on the loudspeaker, en Francais so it's lost on us.

Indeed there is commerce here. It's a pretty village with a souvenir shop full of an overwhelming amount of stuff and a riverside cafe with open seating, yay! We settle in with the menu and order a Moustache - a manly take on a mimosa with grapefruit and orange juice, beer and prosecco. Service is the slowest we've experienced yet on this trip but the food is delicious and its a pretty spot to watch the sunlight dancing on the water.

Village of La Roque-Gageac at the base of the cliff

Nursing le Moustache while we wait, and wait, and wait for lunch

By the time I scrape the bowl of every trace of my strawberry sundae, two hours have passed since we landed. The original plan of picking up a sandwich for lunch would have saved us a lot of time and money, but we have no regrets as we waddle up the hill in our post-prandial fog to the Fort de La Roque.

The climb on these stone steps is getting meaningful. I imagine that a month ago it would be a lot hotter and sweatier, but today the wash of warm sunshine is lovely.

Our efforts earn us a fabulous 180 degree view of the river from the terrace of the fort. A metal curtain hangs at the entrance to a cave. Inside the cave a film about the fort's history is playing. We stay to watch a bit of it before starting back down.

View of the Dordogne valley from the terrace of the fort

Viewing spot at the terrace; 18 of these columns support the roof

Back at the boat, I see the Rick Steves group pulling up to the landing as we paddle off downstream towards Beynac, the next fortress on our river tour. Mindful of our 6 pm shuttle pickup time, we dig in and are moving along at a pretty good clip as we pass under the next bridge.

Always a thrill to watch these graceful creatures take flight from the water.

It's past 4 pm when Chateau de Beynac comes into view at the top of a cliff. Are we really walking all the way up there, Barry asks? Maybe there's an elevator? Seems unlikely but I nurse the fantasy.

Gaining respect for the climb as we pull up to the landing

We scramble up the bank and start up the cobbled street, giving up on the silly elevator notion. It's a steep but entertaining walk up to the castle on narrow lanes past handsome centuries-old stone walls and houses. The homes and gardens look well cared for but we don't see any people; its deserted today. Does anyone live here?

Good to be out of the boat, warming up those hamstrings

Quick look back at the river before we disappear into the maze

Narrow streets and high walls hide much of the surrounding landscape

Rough paving makes a good workout for the ankles

After just about 20 minutes of walking we arrive at the castle, an imposing fortress that was held by the French during the Hundred Years War. Perched on the cliff with its high vertical walls and watchtowers, it must have been a formidable stronghold.

I would dearly love to see the inside but its after 5 and we still have to paddle to the takeout by 6. If I'd followed through on the sandwich plan there would be time to tour this magnificent castle. The two-hour lunch was our tradeoff, but we did enjoy it and its been a wonderful day on the river. I count the chateau as another reason to come back here.

We pass under pont numéro 5 and beach the boat at the takeout point with 20 minutes to spare before our shuttle pickup.

The shuttle driver is prompt and we’re back in the saddle before 6:30 for the 8k ride up the river valley. Since the light is fading we don’t stop for pictures, but it’s a pretty trip through farm fields and orchards with no car traffic. By the time we get back to Sarlat we’ve made it a 40k day between the biking, the kayak and hiking up the cliffs. Here's our route collection with the saddle and paddle legs. Just a wonderful day.

There's one more decision to make today... what to do about dinner? We would put our pajamas on and raid the fridge if there was something more than a bottle of Perrier and a little cheese in there. Marina, our host at the Hotel Montaigne (maître d'hôtel?), took such good care of us yesterday, getting us to the farm and back, so we seek her advice again. She recommends a personal favorite place in town, La Petite Borie.

At the restaurant we are the only people seated upstairs for much of the evening and the quiet setting is perfect. Our charming server is attentive and quick to punch up Google Translate on his phone to communicate.

Toasting a fun day on the river while we wait for dinner.

Then our meal comes. Barry’s pork is delicious, my duck breast is practically raw. What is it with the French and everything tartare? I figure that’s how it’s supposed to be and don’t feel like making an issue of it. We're enjoying the ambiance, the local wine and the rest of the meal and I'm excited about the yummy looking desserts.

Later when the cashier at the bar rings up our bill she asks me a question in French a few times but I’m too tired to parse it. She whips out her phone on Google Translate and asks “the duck wasn't cooked?” “Oui,” I say. Apparently they noticed that it was mostly untouched. She apologizes and takes one of the desserts off our bill. I guess I should have sent the duck back to be cooked more, but I honestly don't think I would have liked it more.

No matter, we're full and happy to get back to the hotel to crash early. Tomorrow is a travel day, to a stopover in Bordeaux for a ride on the Garonne River before we continue to Arles. We're excited to move on to la cuisine de Provence and the ancient Roman ruins in southern France.

Today's ride: 24 km (15 miles)
Total: 452 km (281 miles)

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Mike AylingWhat a busy day!
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1 year ago

Janice BranhamYou've zeroed in on my tendency to pile on Mike. Feeling good about passing on the cave tour.
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1 year ago

Scott AndersonWhat an epic day! We took that ride (by canoe back then) 25 years ago and still think back on how amazing it was to look up the cliffs at the castles. The idea of stopping along the way for a meal or exploration never occurred to us though.
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1 year ago

Rich FrasierWow, a great day!! What energy you have! Sorry about the duck. :)
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1 year ago

Janice BranhamTo Scott AndersonI guess I've watched too many Rick Steves videos Scott. I have a hard time passing up all the things.
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1 year ago

Janice BranhamTo Rich FrasierNot sure if I'm not a duck person, Rich, or just need some education in waterfowl appreciation. Hmm, sounds like another reason to go back.
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1 year ago

Rich FrasierTo Janice BranhamHaha - the French do eat a lot of duck - especially here in the south. I'm surprised they didn't ask you how you wanted it cooked. For both steak and duck, the French really seem to like it barely cooked. I usually ask for "bien cuit" or, if I'm feeling adventurous, "a point". It sounds like you got a "sanglant" or "bleu". I can't eat it that way, either.
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1 year ago

Steve Miller/GrampiesTo Rich FrasierWe learned, the hard way, to only ask for tres bien cuit, pas de rouge du tout, in order to get adequately cooked meat in France.
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1 year ago

Janice BranhamTo Rich FrasierAppreciate the French lesson Rich and Steve, this is useful vocabulary
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1 year ago

Rachael AndersonAs Scott mentioned we canoed down this in the past but this year when we were in Saracen I hiked to La Roque-Gagaec and back. The fort was amazing!
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1 year ago

Bob KoreisWould you recommend the Moustache as a good beverage?
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1 year ago

Janice BranhamTo Rachael AndersonAgree Rachel, it was amazing. You were there the day before we were! I just watched your wonderful slideshow from that hike; it brought back a lot of scenes I'd forgotten. Thanks for that.
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1 year ago

Janice BranhamTo Bob KoreisMost definitely Bob, thanks for asking. With the added citrus flavors it is very refreshing.
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1 year ago

Rachael AndersonTo Janice BranhamI’m glad you liked it.
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1 year ago