Canoeing down the River Dordogne is, without question, one of my absolute favourite things to do in this part of France. There’s something timeless and restorative about drifting along its gentle current, and so, come July or August, I make what has become an annual pilgrimage to the Périgord Noir. I head straight for the little riverside base at Groléjac, where I rent a canoe and set off on a long, leisurely journey 22 kilometres downstream to the storybook village of Beynac.
For five blissful hours, life is distilled to its essentials: a paddle, a canoe, and the quiet rhythm of the river. The water is crystal clear, so much so that you can see fish darting among the stones below. The air is filled with birdsong, and the only sounds are the lapping of water against your canoe and the occasional soft splash of your paddle. It’s peaceful, grounding, and impossibly beautiful.
Along the way, the river winds past some of the Dordogne’s most iconic landmarks. You’ll float beneath the imposing Château de Monfort, glide past the bustling little port of Vitrac, and catch sight of the golden-stone bastide village of Domme perched high above. Further downstream, the river hugs the cliffs beneath La Roque-Gageac, a village that looks as though it has grown straight out of the rock face. You’ll also pass the enchanting Château des Milandes, once home to the glamorous and trailblazing Josephine Baker. Then come the fairytale silhouettes of Château de Castelnaud and finally, the majestic fortress of Beynac itself, standing sentinel above the river, steeped in centuries of history.
I’ve written about these unforgettable river journeys in my book, My Dordogne Life, sharing not only the scenic beauty but also the sense of stillness and wonder that canoeing here brings. If you’d like to catch a glimpse of these trips, sunlight glinting on water, castles rising through the mist, and quiet bends where fish wade in the shallows, My Dordogne Life is available on Amazon.
Janice Croizet Author 
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