Canoeing on the Vézère with CanoËric

Le Bugue
Canoeing on the Vézèr ...

The Vézère is a navigable river, which flows peacefully in the Dordogne , more precisely in the Périgord Noir . A wonderful way to enjoy the natural beauties on your journey through the valley of the Vézère , is to cross it by canoe or kayak , during a few hours, a day or even several days of navigation . Follow us to Le Bugue , for a canoe trip with CanoËric !

The Vézère Valley and its thousand wonders

It is in Corrèze at an altitude of 887m that the Vézère, this river of just over 200km, arises from the accumulation of thousands of small torrents and runoffs. Its history with our department begins in Terrasson , where it already has a very respectable width, allowing it to accommodate barges and a substantial nautical stopover ! It then winds from towns to magnificent villages (such as Montignac , Saint-Léon-sur-Vézère , Le Bugue ), choosing in an almost deliberate way to familiarize itself on its winding passage, the thousand-year-old cliffs of Roque-Saint-Christophe , La Madeleine , Les Eyzies … She sometimes hides between the trees, on the shore where poplars, willows, alders, charms filter the sun's rays… She walks and carries her waters to Limeuil , where the confluence with the Dordogne .

Point of view of the coast of Jor

The Vézère which winds through Saint-Léon-sur-Vézère

sponsored content

Navigate the Vézère by Canoe, kayak or stand up paddle

The Vézère is navigable , only for boats without engines ! From the spring, if the water level allows it and the conditions are stable and safe , you can go for a canoe, kayak or even Stand Up Paddle. Many canoe bases are available, in Terrasson, Montignac, Saint-Léon-sur-Vézère, Les Eyzies, Le Bugue and Limeuil. Today, we are going to Bugue, at CanoËric , located in the car park upstream of the bridge, not far from the Périgord Noir Aquarium and the Le Bournat Park . The canoe bases on the Vézère (and on the Dordogne, the organization is similar), offer you different routes. There are two solutions :

  • Either you go by mini-bus and you return quietly to the base, at your own pace
  • Either you get off directly by boat and you reach the meeting point on time to get on a mini-bus that takes you back to the base.

Today, we have chosen a short course , because Hugo, 6 years old, is accompanying me. Small courses of maximum 2 hours are recommended for children: they do n't have time to get tired or get bored. If I was a little frustrated to arrive, Hugo was happy content and was wriggling in the boat after an hour! You can sail from 5 years old , accompanied by a parent and well equipped with a life jacket.

Canoeing on the Vézère

A shallow river

Canoeing on the Vézère

Choose a course adapted to your little acolytes

We equip ourselves and take the mini-bus to go to Campagne , next to the pretty Château de Campagne . We put our superb two-seater kayak with backrests (it's so much more comfortable!) In the water and we set off on a beautiful sunny day for a 1.5 hour river trip.

At CanoËric, you can rent canoes, kayaks or stand-up-paddle boards.
The difference between a canoe and a kayak? This is the position ! In a kayak, you are deeper in the boat, you are seated and your legs are extended . In a canoe, you are closer to a kneeling position, with your legs behind or on your side, but you are also higher because the bench is above the water, so you can paddle more easily. The paddle is also different, a simple paddle for the canoe, we alternate from side to side. A double paddle for kayaking that is straight or turned with a wrist motion. You can decide with the base team, what suits you best according to your needs and your desire for a sports ride or a discovery walk !


Canoe rescue boat Bus to go canoeing

Gear up, get on the mini-bus

Launching of canoes

Launching the kayak

Caoë on the Vézère Canoeing on the Vézère

Let's go for a 1h30 walk

The routes offered vary and you will be advised on the maximum duration and difficulty of the route. Obviously, we always descend along the current (we are still there to appreciate the landscape). You can leave for a few hours, for a half day, a whole day or even several days! CanoËric offers hikes , you are on the water, without a car, without traffic jams and with the possibility of stopping on the beaches of the Vézère to visit , eat or relax . To spend the night, you can bivouac (with respect for the environment!) Or organize a night in a campsite (good addresses are available). CanoËric also offers courses and hikes on the Dordogne river.


Vézère beach

Small beaches on the Vézère, to play Robinson Crusoe

sponsored content

Canoeing on the Vézère

It's easy ! The Vézère is a safe river , it is not very wide , made up of banks and beaches , shallow . In summer, there is little bottom and sometimes, towards the end of the season, you have to push your boat if the path taken is not well planned… It's fun the water is never very cold! It is a clean river , you will see fishermen teasing fish such as carp , perch or roach (also catfish…), it is a second category river .


Canoeing on the Vézère

The Vézère is a calm and easy to navigate river

Canoeing on the Vézère Canoeing on the Vézère
On both sides, the banks are welcoming

Canoeing on the Vézère

Sometimes you have to push!

Canoeing on the Vézère Canoeing on the Vézère

The water is clean and clear

Canoeing on the Vézère

The landscape is diverse

Canoeing on the Vézère

The pretty houses by the water, near Le Bugue

I advise you to take a picnic to enjoy the magnificent cliffs , the small beaches. On the course we have taken, we pass through two points, a long straight line with a beautiful perspective and the navigation route is dotted with high cliffs. It's pretty ! If you continue instead of returning to the base as we did, you can go to Sors , then you cross Le Bugue , then you arrive at the confluence with the Dordogne at Limeuil and you end up on a beautiful pleasant beach . You can continue to Trémolat and go through the cingle on the Dordogne. On the contrary, you can also ask to be taken up by mini-bus further upstream from Bugue. For example from Le Moustier , just in front of La Roque Saint-Christophe and have a very nice day of 6 hours of navigation (for sportsmen, the course is 26km, you have to start at 9 am) and enjoy going through Tursac, Les Eyzies ...


Limeuil

The confluence of the Vézère on the left with the Dordogne on the right, in Limeuil


Canoeing in Périgord is a must, there are more than 150km of waterways! It is one of the first departments, acclaimed for this sporting and tourist practice in France. If summer is the most obvious season to practice, during the holidays, know that in September and October the lights are the prettiest and the orange landscapes of nature, breathtaking!

sponsored content

Learn more

Canoeing on the Vézère

The railway bridge

Canoeing on the Vézère

Canoeing will put your mind back in place;)

Did you like our article? Find others in the BLOG! Join us on the Facebook page of the Guide du Périgord , we are also on Instagram @guideduperigord


Back to "Sport"

You will also like

The Château de Campagne and the national forest of Campagne

The Château de Campagne and the national forest of Campagne
The Château de Campagne and the national fores ...

Le Bugue

Foie Gras Grolière: in Périgord or online, authentic and delicious products!

Foie Gras Grolière: in Périgord or online, authentic and delicious products!
Foie Gras Grolière: in Périgord or online, aut ...

Le Bugue

The nocturnal village of Bournat

The nocturnal village of Bournat
The nocturnal village of Bournat

Le Bugue

The wheels on the bus!

The wheels on the bus!
The wheels on the bus!

Le Bugue

Visit the Gouffre de Proumeyssac and its park

Visit the Gouffre de Proumeyssac and its park
Visit the Gouffre de Proumeyssac and its park

4,5 km - Audrix

Events nearby

Stage de Qi Gong et de Taichi Chuan

Stage de Qi Gong et de Taichi Chuan
Stage de Qi Gong et de Taichi Chuan

25/04/2023 to 28/04/2023

Le Bugue

Divers

Grande chasse aux oeufs au Bugue

Grande chasse aux oeufs au Bugue
Grande chasse aux oeufs au Bugue

10/04/2023

248 m - Le Bugue

Fêtes populaires

Racontez-nous des histoires !

Racontez-nous des histoires !
Racontez-nous des histoires !

05/04/2023

278 m - Le Bugue

Fêtes populaires

Exposition - Petite histoire des jardins du monde

Exposition - Petite histoire des jardins du monde
Exposition - Petite histoire des jardins du monde

22/03/2023 to 20/04/2023

282 m - Le Bugue

Expositions

L'Aquarium du Périgord noir fête Pâques !

L'Aquarium du Périgord noir fête Pâques !
L'Aquarium du Périgord noir fête Pâques !

08/04/2023 to 08/05/2023

504 m - Le Bugue

Fêtes populaires

Falstaff - Retransmission du Metropolitan Opera New York

Falstaff - Retransmission du Metropolitan Opera New York
Falstaff - Retransmission du Metropolitan Oper ...

01/04/2023

956 m - Le Bugue

Musique

Stage Qi Gong - Taichi Chuan

Stage Qi Gong - Taichi Chuan
Stage Qi Gong - Taichi Chuan

27/04/2023

992 m - Le Bugue

Evènements sportifs

Concentration moto

Concentration moto
Concentration moto

22/04/2023 to 23/04/2023

999 m - Le Bugue

Evènements sportifs

Journées européennes des métiers d'art "le jeu sublime le quotidien"

Journées européennes des métiers d'art "le jeu sublime le quotidien"
Journées européennes des métiers d'art "le jeu ...

31/03/2023 to 02/04/2023

3,1 km - Audrix

Culture

Châteaux en fête - Parc du château de Campagne

Châteaux en fête - Parc du château de Campagne
Châteaux en fête - Parc du château de Campagne

17/04/2023 to 01/05/2023

3,2 km - Campagne

Festivals

You will like also

Le Bugue

Le Bugue
Le Bugue

An essential tourist crossroads in Périgord, the Bugue sur Vézère as you discover it today dates essentially from ...

5 m - Le Bugue

Parc le Bournat

Parc le Bournat
Parc le Bournat

Discover with your family an 8-hectare park full of attractions, animals, crafts and the sweetness of life. ...

571 m - Le Bugue

Grotte de Bara Bahau

Grotte de Bara Bahau
Grotte de Bara Bahau

The Bara-Bahau cave is a decorated cave from the Upper Palaeolithic. Located along the Vézère valley in the ...

809 m - Le Bugue

The Proumeyssac chasm - Crystal Cathedral

The Proumeyssac chasm - Crystal Cathedral
The Proumeyssac chasm - Crystal Cathedral

Bâpté “Cathedral de cristal”, Proumeyssac is today the largest developed cave in Périgord. 2 NEW SOUNDS AND ...

3,1 km - Le Bugue

Grotte du Sorcier

Grotte du Sorcier
Grotte du Sorcier

The Sorcerer's Cave also called Saint-Cirq is a prehistoric cave, decorated and adorned with engravings by men of ...

3,1 km - Saint Cirq

Ride around

Dans les pas des Hommes de Lascaux Etape 6: Le Bugue-Limeuil

Dans les pas des Hommes de Lascaux Etape 6: Le Bugue-Limeuil
Dans les pas des Hommes de Lascaux Etape 6: Le ...

146 m - Le Bugue

Walking

Boucle VTT Le Bugue-Audrix-Campagne (N°3)

Boucle VTT Le Bugue-Audrix-Campagne (N°3)
Boucle VTT Le Bugue-Audrix-Campagne (N°3)

184 m - Le Bugue

Mountain bike

GuidiGO : Balade au fil de la rivière avec une lavandière

GuidiGO : Balade au fil de la rivière avec une lavandière
GuidiGO : Balade au fil de la rivière avec une ...

207 m - Montignac

Walking

Circuit vélo autour des falaises et grottes de la Vallée de la Vézère

Circuit vélo autour des falaises et grottes de la Vallée de la Vézère
Circuit vélo autour des falaises et grottes de ...

261 m - Le Bugue

Velo hybrid Bike / road

Boucle du Cingle n°6 / Le Bugue

Boucle du Cingle n°6 / Le Bugue
Boucle du Cingle n°6 / Le Bugue

428 m - Le Bugue

Walking