Walk 14 - Les Eyzies walking and hiking route

Walk Instructions

From the parking area indicated for motor cars, walk to the river bank and turn right along a tarmac track, under the railway bridge and then straight on. There is soon a G.R. waymark on a tree. Go up to the road and turn left to cross the river on a footbridge alongside the road bridge. Immediately after crossing, turn left to take back to the river bank and turn left again to pass under the bridge. Keep right, along a lovely footpath close to the river. Join the D47 road and continue along a protected footway beside the river, under huge overhanging cliffs.

1) On reaching a narrow valley on the other side of the road (signed Boucle Gorge d’Enfer on a wooden sign post), turn left to cross the road and start the ascent of the rising valley on a wide stony track, looking out for rock shelters and caves. This is quite an ascent by Dordogne standards. Join an unsurfaced driveway at the top, bearing round to the right. Enter woodland and arrive at a minor road, turn left here.

2) In about 100 m turn very sharply to the right to follow a wide track, part on solid rock showing grooves, presumably resulting from the passing of farm carts over the centuries. Continue downhill through woodland then keeping on uphill. Join a minor road opposite a house, turning left, slightly downhill, to traverse a more open section of the route, with longer views. The road continues to descend the valley side, sometimes winding and turning, past the Le Grel farm, for about 1½ km.

3) When you arrive in the valley bottom at a major junction of tracks, go straight on. Carry on along an excellent wide woodland track, with meadows and a small stream below to the right. Then as the road dips to the right, fork left to rise along a broad, unsurfaced, tract, bearing left. We are now on the side of the main Vézère valley, with the railway line just below, on the right.

4) Reach the attractive hamlet of le Peuch, with its troglodyte shelters, turn left 40m before the railway crossing, along an earth path, rising a little, with fine cliffs above. Les Eymaries, apparently a former farm, is less than 500m further. Go to the right here to continue, passing another apparent troglodyte dwelling on the left. Reach a surfaced road by a large property, bearing round to the right, towards the railway line. Just before the line, bear left to continue along the little road.

5) Turn right to cross the railway line and then turn left to follow a minor road towards la Tuilière. Pass a number of detached houses and a field before the road loses its surface, continuing as a broad track across the agricultural land of the flat valley bottom. The track approaches the river; pass under a railway bridge to head for a canoe depot by the road bridge. Take the grass track past the canoes, rejoin the outward route and bear left up the ramp to cross the bridge and return to the car park.

Disclaimer: This route was correct at time of writing. However, alterations can happen if development or boundary changes occur, and there is no guarantee of permanent access. These walks have been published for use by site visitors on the understanding that neither HPB Management Limited nor any other person connected with Holiday Property Bond is responsible for the safety or wellbeing of those following the routes as described. It is walkers' own responsibility to be adequately prepared and equipped for the ‎level of walk and the weather conditions and to assess the safety and accessibility of the walk.