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Details about short hikes/walks around Les Eyzies

Posted by (Columbus, USA) on

I'm looking for a 1 to 2 hour hike around Les Eyzies (Dordogne area). From a nearby B&B's
website, http://dordognesnicest.com/marked-hiking-trails-in-les-eyzies-de-tayac/, I see there are a great number of choices, such as:
- Route of Prehistory : this is a fairly new trail that Les Eyzies has put together. The trail takes you on a journey to the main Prehistoric spots the area has to offer. Along the way, information boards explain the history and or Geology of the area. See and read about Abri de Cro-Magnon, Forte de Tayac, the Grand Roc, Laugerie Basse and lots more. Hike is easy and is about 5 miles, however ther is a shorter version available.
- Les Eyzies – Hells Gorge – St Cirq : A great and scenic hike, that takes you through Gorge d’enfer ( Hells Gorge ) and the rolling countryside to St. Cirq, and then back to Les Eyzies. Easy 6+ mile hike that can be done both clockwise or counter clock.

These trails sound perfect, but I'm not able to find more specific information about them. When I click on hikes/walks on the Les Eyzies web site or other sites I link to commercial companies, such as WalkingDordogne. We're not sure what our schedule will be until that day because of cave visit schedules; I think we would prefer to just hike on our own anyway. It seems I'll probably be able to get info from the TI when I get there, but I'd like to do as much planning as possible in advance. If anyone could help me find more detail about these hikes it would be very much appreciated. Do you know of a book or pamplet that has hikes for this area?

P.S. We're booked in Sarlat so I didn't want to bug the B&B who posted this info.

Posted by
1446 posts

I think that this is exactly what you are looking for:

http://www.pole-prehistoire.com/SITE/Tourisme/Chemins/plaquette_micoque.pdf

Google "sentier de randonnée Chemin de la Préhistoire" and you get this also:

http://www.dordogne-perigord-tourisme.fr/fr/chemins-de-la-prehistoire-492.htm

Just use Google translate. The map in the pamphlet/PDF seems pretty self-explanatory and should be easy to follow, even if you don't read French, IMO.

What you refer to as 'Hells Gorge' has a proper name: Les Gorges d'Enfer - this is the term that you must use to Google what you need:

http://fun-rando.com/les-eyzies-les-gorges-denfer/

Here is another: http://www.tracegps.com/fr/parcours/circuit782.htm

I hope that this helps. Have fun in my favorite corner of France!

Posted by
396 posts

This is exactly what I needed. Thank you so much! I'm so excited about visiting the Perigord Noir. Prehistory has fascinated me since I was a child; it's a dream come true to be able to visit the caves and museums. This area sounds amazing with the food, history, beautiful scenery, and great outdoor activities.

Posted by
149 posts

Hi Lia. Diane is a great source of information for this region of France. If you're planning to go to Font de Gaume, you should also see her advice for reservations in an earlier thread:

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/france/cro-magnon-caves

I was able to get reservations using the script and email address she provided.

Thanks again Diane! Only two months before we depart for Nice!

Posted by
396 posts

Thanks very much for the reference, Jim! I already have reservations at Pech Merle, because we're traveling close by on the way up from Provence. The rest of my family has given me semi-serious, sustained razzing over not booking too many caves, so I'm only 'allowed' one more. They believe it has to be Lascaux because I started out the whole idea of visiting the Dordogne with the idea that we could visit Lascaux. The Lascaux cave selection algorithm, as I write this, seems pretty dysfunctional. Since they have less interest in cave art and prehistory, I've gone along with Lascaux as our second cave because the art is well lit and spectacular. Setting aside that Lascaux is a replica while Font-De-Gaume is original, does Font-De-Gaume have a similar impact to the casual viewer as Lascaux? Do you think someone with less interest in cave art and prehistory would find it as interesting as Lascaux?

Posted by
149 posts

My wife and I won't be in France to visit Font de Gaume until May so I can't speak from experience. Because of time constraints, I've also been limited to two caves and, for me personally, Lascaux didn't make the list. In fact, the reason for the detour in our trip to the Dordogne was entirely because of Font de Gaume and the fear that it will be closed to the public sometime soon. However, from reviews I've read, those less interested in caves and prehistory might prefer Lascaux. Hopefully, Diane and/or Ed can provide a more informed perspective.

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