Cruising Aquitaine, Gascony, and Charente

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LeBoat  ~   France Afloat + Linssen (‘L’)
Locaboat + Linssen (‘L’)   ~   Nicols

 

▷ FIND YOUR PERFECT
HIRE BOAT IN AQUITAINE

Between Toulouse and Bordeaux, the south-west corner of France has a network of peaceful, scenic canals and tranquil rivers. The Canal de Garonne (together with its lovely side-branch canal at Montech) follows the Garonne valley, often directly alongside the river, visiting delightful towns and villages rich in history, such as Montauban, Moissac, Valence, Agen and Buzet. Arriving at Castets, the canal feeds into the river itself for the onward journey to Bordeaux.

This is a fabulous waterway region, not well-known, but loved above all others by those that do. It is a land of fine local produce – fruit orchards, grapes and cornfields – fine local cuisine (much appreciated by world-leading chefs such as Rick Stein) – and fine wines from Bordeaux, the Medoc, Sauternes and Saint-Emillion.

Along the way, at Buzet, two charming rivers connect into the Garonne canal – the delightful Baise, which has flowed north from the Pyrenees through pretty, fortified ‘bastide’ Gascon villages such as Vianne, and the lower reaches of the River Lot.

Middle Lot
Charente

The Lot

The Lot is one of the most romantic rivers in France, although only the middle section is navigable by pleasure boats. Over the millennia it has carved a winding green valley out of the limestone plateau which borders the Massif Central and this beautiful landscape is dotted with ancient farms typical of the traditional Quercy architecture.

Cahors is the capital of the Lot and we recommend that you moor there for a night as this is not a place to hurry through. One of the best markets in France is held in front of the cathedral on Wednesdays and Saturdays and the buzzing cafes along the central Boulevard de Gambetta are perfect for chilling over a light lunch. The is a region rich in gastronomy, with delicious goat’s cheese, walnuts from the Perigord and if you are in an extravagant mood, truffles to sample and relish. Connoisseurs will want to try the Black Wine for which Cahors is famous, a dark purple, fragrant wine made from the Malbec grape using experience and know how that has evolved over more than two thousand years since the Romans first planted vines in this area.

The Charente

The French king Francois the First was born on the banks of the Charente in 1494 and later claimed that it was the most beautiful river in his kingdom. It shimmers for two hundred and thirty seven miles from a village near Rochechouart high in the Limousin all the way to the Atlantic. It is navigable from the city of Angouleme to the sea by means of twenty one locks and there are some fabulous stopping points along the way…

Angouleme is the regional capital and we advise mooring in the pretty little port of L’Houmeau underneath the ancient ramparts of the city, which incidentally are great to walk around, providing a birds eye view of the cathedral and the winding streets and hidden squares of the old town. You might be surprised to learn that such a historic place is actually home to the International Festival of Comic Books and aficionados come from far and wide to immerse themselves in the museum dedicated to the genre. Dotted around the place are twenty comic strip murals providing a witty and colourful tribute to the popular artform and it is fun to track down as many as you can, while pausing for refreshment in the pavement cafes and bistros. There is also a fascinating Paper Museum –  all those cartoons had to be printed on something!

Cruising the River Baïse

Regional highlights

– [below] In the region: Bordeaux, Duras, Moissac, St Emilion, Bordeaux Wine, Canal de Garonne, Serignac, Agen –

Duras © Michel Michelot | Bordeaux vineyard ©Chateau Raba | Tasting ©Nicolle Croft | Others ©FW, wikimedia, n/a

A selection of boats in the region

Showing 6 of 15830 cruises

Calypso (6+2) by LeBoatFrom
2 979€
25% off!
LeBoat

2005 Calypso (6+2)

Departure: 05 Jul 2025
Length: 7 nights
Destinations: Le Mas d'Agenais
Size: 3 cabins
Class:
Elegance (6) by LeBoatFrom
3 729€
30% off!
LeBoat

2003 Elegance (6)

Departure: 04 May 2024
Length: 14 nights
Destinations: Le Mas d'Agenais
Size: 3 cabins
Class:
Cirrus A (2+2) by LeBoatFrom
1 119€
25% off!
LeBoat

1998 Cirrus A (2+2)

Departure: 14 Sep 2024
Length: 7 nights
Destinations: Jarnac
Size: 1 cabins
Class:
Cirrus B (2+2) by LeBoatFrom
3 069€
25% off!
LeBoat

1999 Cirrus B (2+2)

Departure: 30 May 2025
Length: 14 nights
Destinations: Le Mas d'Agenais
Size: 1 cabins
Class:
Calypso (6+2) by LeBoatFrom
2 849€
25% off!
LeBoat

2005 Calypso (6+2)

Departure: 14 Oct 2024
Length: 14 nights
Destinations: Le Mas d'Agenais
Size: 3 cabins
Class:
Magnifique (8+2) by LeBoatFrom
3 129€
25% off!
LeBoat

2002 Magnifique (8+2)

Departure: 15 Sep 2025
Length: 7 nights
Destinations: Douelle
Size: 4 cabins
Class:

Getting to Aquitaine
French international airports are at Toulouse, Bordeaux – and Paris-Charles de Gaulle. There are also European-flight airports at Bergerac and Carcassonne. TGV express train stations are located at Bordeaux, Montauban and Toulouse; and many other towns in the region have railway connections.