Canoe the Dordogne River

A day in a canoe drifting down the Dordogne River is one of our favourite pastimes.

You glide gently passed Beynac, La Roque-Gageac and other small villages along the Dordogne, and you see beautiful sections of the river that are not visible from elsewhere. Canoeing along the Dordogne is safe for children (lifejackets are provided) although maybe a bit difficult with small infants and babies.

The hire of the canoe and equipment only costs a few euros, so it is very good value as well.

There are plenty of places along the route where you can pull your canoe over to the river bank for a picnic, a paddle and a sunbathe.

Canoeing on the Dordogne in France

A large 'screw top' plastic tub is usually provided to help stop your picnic and camera getting splashed by over-enthusiastic children. At the start, the canoe hire company will usually drive you upstream in a minibus  - you can then canoe back downstream with the flow of the river. Alternatively you start your canoeing from the hire centre and finish at a pre-marked location downstream, where a minibus will arrive every hour or so to collect people and canoes and take them back to their cars.

The important thing to note is that you are always canoeing with the flow of the river, not against it. Most canoe hire companies also offer a choice of distance, so that you can canoe for just half a day if a whole day sounds too much or too hot (a half day is typically 14km, a full day 28km).

It is also possible to get taken much further upstream and to spend several days moving down the river, usually camping en-route.

Several canoe hire companies operate along the Dordogne River - your local tourist office will be able to help you find one that is suitable for you - several of the large ones are listed below. Canoeing on the River Dronne is also possible, usually starting from Brantome.

Unmissable!

Canoe Hire Companies operating on the Dordogne and other rivers

Canoe Dordogne

Based in La Roque Gageac

Canoes Roquegeoffre

Port d'Enveaux, 3km from Beynac and 6km from St Cyprien on the D703.

CanoeEric

Le Bugue (follow signs for the aquarium, then another 150m). With this company you can choose whether to canoe on the Dordogne, or its offshoot the Vézère.

53 Votes

Please Give Us Your Feedback

  1. Mike Minchin makes this comment

    Sunday, 06 June 2010

    We are staying in the Sarlat region a week at the end of August, is it advisable to book Canoeing in advance, and if so who would you recommend.
    Thank you

  2. Admin makes this comment

    Friday, 18 June 2010

    Hi, sorry for the delay responding. It is a good idea to book the day before but no need to book before you arrive. There are lots of companies operating canoeing on the Dordogne so just find one close to where you are staying.

  3. kim fuller makes this comment

    Friday, 19 August 2011

    We are hoping to do some conoeing in September from Baynac.

    Can you tell me please, are the people that you book with English speaking. I would not wish to misunderstand any safety aspect.

    Many thanks

  4. admin makes this comment

    Friday, 26 August 2011

    To be honest there isnt much safety advice - you just put on your lifejacket. But in anycase they usually speak some English.

  5. jeanette makes this comment

    Sunday, 02 October 2011

    Hi - we've canoe'd the Dordogne a few times now. We go to Ceynac and theres a few there but we go to the one on the left as you drive in. Get them to take you upstream then you canoe back to base (saves waiting to be picked up). We did a full day last year with a 3 year so safety is no issue (though the 3 year old didnt pull her weight with the oar!) Its a fantastic day out - take a picnic theres loads of places to pull up

  6. Margaret and Georges Norah makes this comment

    Thursday, 08 March 2012

    We stayed in Souillac last year and had a fabulous day canoeing down the Dordogne. We were taken upstream 28Km and paddled/drifted back to Souillac. The river was quite low so there was more paddling than drifting! It took us around 7 hours but we did stop alot to enjoy the scenery and birdwatch. We went with Copeyre Canoe who are part of the Quercyland Water park. As part of the price entry into the water park was included when we got back, this was wonderful as the day had been quite hot. Good organisation and good value for money - €14 each for the trip. You can also do overnight trips with tents and mattresses supplied for a different price.8-)

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