Due to the low water level of the Dordogne, our route has been modified: instead of going downstream to the Castelnaud-la-Chapelle bridge, the barge now travels further upstream towards the Pendoilles cliffs (see below). The onboard commentary has of course been adjusted accordingly.
From La Roque Gageac, share an hour’s ride along the river on board our boats, modern and safe replicas of our ancestors’ gabarres. During the visit, pilots and guides will introduce you to the history and local customs that form the cultural identity of our river, its valley and the people who live there.
On the programme: prehistory, the Middle Ages, the life of the barges, the river, fish, fauna, flora, ecosystems and geology…
Open from 1 April to 31 October with departures 7 days a week (in October only in the afternoon). Our office is open every day between 9.30am and 6pm.
Our two boats can accommodate 48 people each. As places are limited we strongly advise you to book your tickets on our website or by phone to avoid waiting.
See the detailed conditions on the page :
A family story
For 2000 years, river transport, provided by gabarres, carried out the exchange of goods on the impetuous waters of the Dordogne River. Jean Caminade was the last bargesman of La Roque-Gageac.
Today, his descendants welcome you on board the Caminade barges, modern and safe replicas of the boats of yesteryear.
The Dordogne originates in the Massif Central as two small streams: the Dore, at an altitude of 1,680 metres, and the Dogne, at an altitude of 1,370 metres. After a journey of more than 480 kilometres, the Dordogne mixes its waters with those of the Garonne at the Bec d’Ambès, to form the Gironde estuary. Contrary to what one might think, it is not the two torrents, the Dore and the Dogne, that gave the Dordogne its name, but the other way round. The etymology of its name comes from a pre-Celtic root, meaning “tumultuous waters, unpredictable waters”, a warning that is still valid today, despite the numerous dams that regulate its course…
