The Dordogne Itinerary

We Take to the Water On Our Way to Sarlat-la-Caneda.

This stretch of the Dordogne cuts right through the limestone causses offering spectacular gorges and cliffs. Our route criss-crosses the river using back-roads to avoid some unseemly hills, but nearly everybody misses the first stretch altogether, opting to canoe downstream to Pinsac. This stretch of the river is home to kingfishers and herons.

After lunch we follow tiny backroads from Souillac to Sarlat-la-Caneda, entering the town on a cycle path built on a disused railway. One look at the traffic queues in Sarlat will make you very happy you cycled here.

Our hotel is the Hotel Compostelle, a beautifully modernised hotel near the heart of the old town. Sarlat is so well preserved that it also rates 3*** from Michelin. During this week you could be forgiven for imagining that Michelin give 3*** away like confetti. But if you look at their guidebooks for other regions, you can see that there are hardly any sites awarded 3***. It’s just that the Dordogne valley really is that good.

Tonight we stroll into the labyrinthine old town to Les Jardins d'Harmonie for a meal that, I think, rivals even Monday’s dinner in Calés. You will have to judge for yourselves.

Distance = 36 miles / 57 Km