DORDOGNE - France 2014 - page 652

PaddlepastLaRoque-Gageac'swoodendocks(wherethetourboatsnormallytieup)
to the stone ramp at the town. Do a 180-degree turn and beach thyself, dragging the boat
high and dry. From there you're in La Roque-Gageac's tiny town center, with a TI and
plenty of restaurants nearby. Enjoy the town (described on here ) before heading back to
your canoe and into the water.
When leaving La Roque-Gageac, float backward to enjoy the village view. About
15 minutes farther downstream, you'll approach views of the feudal village and castle
of Castelnaud. Look for the castle's huge model of a medieval catapult silhouetted men-
acingly against the sky (it's a steep but worthwhile climb to tour this castle—see here ) .
About 15 minutes after you first spot the castle, you'll find two grassy pullouts flanking
the bridge below the castle, and the bridge arches make terrific frames for castle views.
Just past the grass there's a small market and charcuterie with all you need for a picnic,
and a café/restaurant.
Another 15 minutes downstream brings views of Château de Fayrac on your left.
The lords of Castelnaud built this to better spy on Beynac during the Hundred Years'
War (1336-1453). It's another 15 minutes to your last stop: Beynac. The awesome Beynac
castle—looming high above the town—gets better and better as you approach. Slow down
and enjoy the ride (sometimes there's a snack stand with the same views at the bridge on
the right). Keep to the right as you approach the Copeyre Canoë depot at the downstream
end of town. You'll see the ramp just before the parking lot and wooden dock (where the
tour boats generally tie up). Do another 180-degree turn, and beach yourself hard. The of-
fice is right there. Return your boat, and explore Beynac (described on here ) .
Other Canoe Options: All along the river you'll see canoe companies, each with
stacks of plastic canoes. Depending on their location and relations with places to pull out,
each one works best on a particular stretch of the river. All have essentially the same
policies. Below Domme in Cénac, Dordogne Randonnées has canoes and kayaks for the
scenic two-hour stretch to a pullout just past Beynac (to reach their office coming from
Sarlat or Beynac, take the first left after crossing the bridge to Cénac, tel. [phone]
01, [e-mail] ) . In La Roque-Gageac, Canoe-Dordogne rents canoes
for the worthwhile two-hour float to Château des Milandes, allowing canoers to stop in
Beynac before the pullout (tel. [phone]). For a lazier no-paddle alternative, try a
boat cruise on the river to Castelnaud and back, either from Beynac or La Roque-Gageac
(€7.50,50-60minutes,bothoptionsaregreatforlandlubbersanddescribedinthenextsec-
tion).