Swimming

Our closest swimming beach is in Marmande, just 20 minutes from Labarthe, swimming is allowed all year but only supervised in July and August. The same applies to the municipal beach of Clairac (45mins) on the Lot river, access to the beach is free all year round. Swimming is supervised in the afternoons in July and August where a lifeguard, holder of the BNSSA, watches over the safety of all bathers. Animals are not allowed.

Another lake on the river Lot located at the bridge of Castelmoron-sur-Lot offers a swimming area, supervised in July and August, in conformity with the European standards.

North of Labarthe in Port Ste Foy, at the edge of the Dordogne, the beach of Bardoulets is supervised in July and August, from Tuesday to Sunday every afternoon. It has many leisure facilities including slide, swing, beach-volleyball court, shaded picnic area with tables.

Over in Bergerac the Pombonne lake is located in a natural public park of 55 hectares, ideal for walking and discovering the natural environment. Swimming (free of charge) is authorised and supervised from mid-June to late August. Animals are not allowed in the swimming area. Dogs must be kept on a lead.

You’ll find a map of all the swimming lacs here Aquitaine Swimming Lakes Alternatively, your local tourist office will be pleased to help you.

Fun on the Water

Just over the border in the Gironde, you’ll find kayak, paddle boarding, on the Dordogne river at Pessac sur Dordogne. Or if you prefer to keep your feet dry then high a bike, standard or electric, from half a day to à weeks rental. Website

Ten minutes East of Labarthe is the Village of Allemans-sur-Dropt. Here you’ll find the Canoe Kayak Club of the Dropt Valley offering a rental of canoes, kayaks and stand-up paddle for a nautical trip on the Dropt.

Twenty minutes North in Port Ste Foy you can take a Grand Canoe trip on the Dordogne in the Rabaska, a real Indian-style canot - an authentic 30-foot Canadian cargo canoe. Make a day of it and view Chateaux form a completely different angle. You can read more about hiring or joining a tour here.

Going east down the Dordogne there are a number of centres offering different levels of canoe and kayak experiences. Bergerac Tourisme website will give you more information on each site, or visit google for ratings.

Boat Trips

Let’s take our feet off firm ground and spend some time on the water. As you know from our previous posts, Labarthe is located between the Garonne and Dordogne River, and from April through to October it gives us plenty of options to view the scenery from a different angle and also allows us to get closer to nature.

Joining the Garonne near Aiguillon is the River Lot, one of the longest canalised rivers in France extending over a distance of no less than 260km. The Les Croisières du Lot can be joined in Castelmoran-sur-Lot or Villeneueve-sur-Lot, and offer a 90min commented tour or a half day lunch cruise. Discover the towns and Chateau, and the old mills of the river. From La Cale port, you’ll travel up the river where you can enjoy the panorama from its three bridges, and it’s old district of tanners and houses suspended above the water.

AMI Garonne offers trips on the Garonne with a choice of three departure points, Tonneins, Lagruere, and Le Mas d’Agenais. Discover banks covered with rocks and sandy beaches, wildlife, read the messages carved in the rocks, and follow the road of the halers. According the point of departure that you've chosen, your guide will transport you back to the time when the Garonne was much more than just a river.

Over on the Dordogne River, departing from Bergerac or Creysse you can take a cruise on a traditional barge taking in the natural wildlife. Gabarres de Bergerac offer tours from 1hr-2hrs and some include the option of wine tasting.

And just for fun, become a captain for the day at Port miniature. The children (and the big kids) will love these mini boats!

If you’d prefer to skip the tour and head for food (!) then L'écluse 52 Restaurant located at the start of the Canal Garonne is the answer. Voted Travelers’ Choice 2020, this riverside restaurant is open for both lunch and evening meals, and is just 30 mins from Labarthe!

Other Activities

“Des-Chênes-toi Aventure” an amazing new Zip-lines Park based in Sainte-Colombe-de-Duras, not far from Monsegur and Duras. The park is accessible to visitors aged 3 and over. Enjoy 16 courses offering 200 different games including Monkey bridge, slide, skate etc including 2 zip wires over the lake. For more information visit their website

A bit further afield « Les Randos de Nico’s » organise off road excursions in quadbike and electric cross country scooter 1h, 1h30, 2h, 3h or 1 day, from Monbazillac. Website

Tèrra Aventura is an original walk, a treasure hunt that allows to discover the territory, the local heritage and anecdotes, while playing. Using the mobile app or the roadmap, the family sets off on an adventure. With clues to find, riddles to solve and a treasure to search for, children and adults alike choose to explore the forest, the towns, the villages... with the excitement of finding the Grail: the Poï'z. There are 36 courses in the Lot-et-Garonne, including Duras Chateau.