AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |
Back to Blog
Dordogne river underwater9/4/2023 ![]() We were all given life-jackets (though most people removed them soon enough). There are some simple rapids and a few big rocks you'd rather miss but it seems pretty safe. The depth of the river varies quite a lot - very shallow at times. ![]() ![]() The weather was perfect (not too warm - it might not be so enjoyable on a very hot day) and the scenery an amazing mixture of wonderful scenery and picturesque chateaux. It was great fun, with the younger members able to enjoy the day their way, and the rest of us taking it a bit easier. The trip took about 2.5 hours of paddling, with time for a picnic at roughly half way. In total 10 of us went in 4 canoes - 5 "d'un certain âge" and 5 young adults - paddling between Vitrac and Beynac (say 5 to 7 km). In the height of the summer we'd suggest you get there early enough to ensure you have a good view.Ī French friend who lives in Brive wanted to mark her 50th birthday with a trip on the Dordogne (about an hour away by car). We were there in September when there were generally fewer tourists but it was still busy (and you need to park your car a little distance away and walk). It's natural, it's free and it's amazing to watch. The mascaret at the Equinoxes are meant to be the highest. You need to check the timetable to get the right day and time. Many of the surfers had fallen off by the time it reached us, but there were still many on the wave. We could see it in the distance coming towards us like a mini tsunami and watched the surfers ride the wave for 20 minutes as it worked its way towards us. A schedule for the mascaret is published and the wave came right on time. There were so many people to watch it was like a carnival. We counted 130 surfers and canoeists go into the water and others entered from the other side. ![]() However, we enjoyed it so much we went back the next day and went to St. We could see the wave but although we saw surfers in the distance, they had stopped surfing by the time the wave got to us. When we went to see it we stopped at Vayres on the south bank of the Dordogne. In itself, this is really interesting but the best bit is the surfers and canoeists who ride the wave. Because of the shape of the mouth of the river an enormous wave is created which travels upstream. This is a Tidal Bore - a phenomenon which happens for two short periods of a few days each month and is caused when the tide stops going out and starts coming in. We saw a small article in one of the tourist leaflets and investigated further - we were so glad we did. ![]()
0 Comments
Read More
Leave a Reply. |