Boating

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Grands Sites de Midi-Pyrénées

The LOT

Welcome to the official website dedicated to Tourism in the Lot

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Cast off...

Tacking between the warmth of the cliffs and the curves of the Cahors vineyards, the river Lot traces its course through a 75 km navigable stretch, considered as one of the most beautiful in France. A one hour's trip, a whole day's enjoyment or a full holiday : there's no shortage of opportunities for boating on the Lot.

Passenger boats

Taking photos of Cahors basking in the sun by the river, admiring the mediaeval houses of St. Cirq Lapopie clinging to the steep hill… : passenger boats are the perfect solution for those who wish to enjoy the scenery whilst listening to a commentary by a crew well acquainted with a river which has a personality all its own. Once the scene of flourishing boat traffic, the Lot was from early times a commercial route of the first importance, before being supplanted by rail and road transport. Allowed for long years to lie dormant in Nature's arms, the river has gradually regained its place in men's hearts. Locks have been put back into service, banks cleared, the flow stabilised : in 1989, when the Lot was reopened for boating, the charming stretch from St. Cirq Lapopie to Luzech became navigable. Embarkation points for passenger boat trips : Cahors and Bouziès.

The Lot is officially navigable over this stretch from 1st April to 15th November (maximum period).

Boat hire by the hour or the day

From the 16th to 19th centuries, "gabarres" plied up and down the Lot. Loaded with wood, wine or coal, these enabled Quercy to trade with Aquitaine and other regions. Nowadays, a "gabarre" is a small, flat-bottomed motor boat, named for its historical forebears. They can be hired by the day, and do not require a licence, just some instruction in navigating and going through locks. Just the thing for a goas- you-please day on the river : stop for a bathe on the beach of St. Cirq Lapopie, etc. The stretch where gabarres can be used lies between Bouziès and St. Cirq Lapopie. Gabarres (max. 12 on board) can be hired at : Bouziès landing stage (Halte Nautique).

Houseboats

Sailing nonchalantly down the river whose every meander reveals a new vista, houseboats – sometimes laden with bikes – are now part of the scenery of the Lot Valley. Comfortable and wellequipped, these "houses on the water" do not require a licence and are very popular with holidaymakers. For many,it's the chance to make the dream of a several-day river cruise come true… a cruise at your own pace – and that of the locks. There are now 17 locks in operation on the navigable stretch of the river, all manually operated.

Along with the Ganil towpath, the locks were part of the improvements that, in the 19th century, made navigation easier on the river which until then, had demanded a daring sense of adventure from boatmen.

The Ganil towpath

6 km downstream from St. Cirq Lapopie, a path from the Bouziès landing stage rapidly leads to the Ganil towpath. Extending for almost one kilometre, this path gouged out of the base of the cliffs is one of the most spectacular features of the Lot's boating heritage. It was carved out between 1843 and 1847 to facilitate gabarre traffic on the Lot, the opposite banks being too crumbly to take the weight of haulage convoys.

Now decorated with a basrelief evoking the life of the river (the work of D. Monnier), this hollowed-out path provides a magical walk beside the river, giving access to St. Cirq Lapopie.

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Boating