Vallon de Laborie

This is the Dordogne, so naturally you’ll need to spend some time around/in/on the river before too long. A good place to start is Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne (10 minutes’ drive), where you can hire bikes or canoes or join boat trips on a classic gabare. Paddleboarding, fishing and open-water swimming are also options nearby, or you could play a round at Golf Puy d’Arnac (15 minutes). The area is well known for its châteaux as well, and the one to visit around here is Château de Castelnau-Bretenoux (20 minutes), a fortified family home full of art, tapestries and elegant furniture. For more traditional and historic buildings, wander around the villages of Carennac (15 minutes), Curemonte (20 minutes) and Loubressac (25 minutes). Rocamadour (45 minutes), with its castle built into the cliffside, is well worth a visit. There are great sights underground too, if you head off to the cave complex les Grottes de Presque or the subterranean rivers and lakes of Gouffre de Padirac (both 25 minutes).