Canoë et Vélo

One of the activities that we really wanted to do during our time in Souillac was to see some of the castles built into the cliffs above the Dordogne river by kayaking or canoeing along it.

There was a kayak provider right next to the campground however they were starting to wind down given the summer season was finished and they no longer offered their service along the part of the river that we wanted to see. We searched for other providers and came across one in a nearby town called Roufillac. We managed to find a local bus that went to Roufillac and decided to head there to try to book a canoe for the following day, and maybe hire bikes to ride back. We were glad to see the bus, albeit 15 minutes late (considered on time in France), as there was no live departure info and we were worried it was going to show at all.

Twenty minutes later and we had reached Roufillac. We stopped for a quick cold drink at a cafe then went to the canoe and bike hire location. There we met a very friendly French guy who told us a good canoe route for the next day and allowed us to hire some bikes. He also chatted with us about his time in New Zealand on holiday a few years back. Equipped with bikes, we rode the 15 kms back to the campsite, stopping for a swim in the river along the way to cool down.

The next morning we woke early to ride back to the canoe and bike hire place in Roufillac so we could spend the day canoeing. The ride back was much nicer in morning while it was cooler. After dropping off the bikes, we were given some quick info and told that we would be picked up at La Roque Gageac, six hours downstream, at 4.30pm. It was another beautiful day and canoeing down the river was a great way to spend it. As we made our way along the river, we crossed several bridges and eventually the grassy river banks made way for rocky cliffs. Into some of these cliffs were built castles and homes, a truly incredible sight. Although hot and tiring at times, we stopped for plenty of swimming breaks and it was really cool experience overall.

After reaching La Roque Gageac, we met the driver who loaded the canoes onto the trailer (H: after getting the location wrong once which was a little stressful when you’ve been canoeing in 30+ degree heat all day!) and drove us back to their base in Roufillac. We caught the bus back to Souillac and made our way back to the campsite. After a long day, we decided we didn’t feel like cooking and had a great meal at the restaurant located at the campsite including a pizza with local Rocamadour cheese. -VRead more