Town/small city in Dordogne, river access

I loved Beynac. Its a very small town with just enough to keep tourists satisfied. Beynac is on a D highway so there is some slow highway traffic, but other than that there is no traffic at all; everything is in walking distance. Beynac has a beach (sort of); a grassy one on the Beynac side handy to town; and a small sandy one on the other side reachable only by swimming or canoe. There is also a gabarre (tourist boat) that runs from Beynac up or down the river.

Stayed in the Hotel du Chateau, which has a pool and a nice restaurant. Its right below the Chateau, and right across the street from the river. I had a car and there is a public parking lot across the street. There is another nice restaurant up by the Chateau.

You mentioned canoeing. I used a company called Canoe Carsac, based in Carsac. I drove there, got the canoe and set off on a memorable day trip down the river. Stopped for picnic on a sandbar below Montfort Castle. Pulled out for some window shopping in La Roque Gageac. Ended at Beynac. The company's car picked us and the boats up from there and returned us to our car in Carsac.

Sarlat is very crowded with people and traffic. Nothing to commend it except for the market.

Les Eyzies is on "a" river, but not "the" river. Its on the Vezere river. For me just a pass-through on our way to the Prehistoric Museum.

If you want to avoid touristy areas, it's obvious that Sarlat and everything within 10 km of Sarlat should be avoided. Les Eyzies is a bit further away, but it's home to several famous caves, so it attracts lots of visitors and people who stop in the village, as you've noticed.

If "direct access to the Dordogne" means being on the riverbank with a kayak/canoe club, and if you also want to stay in a town or small city, to be honest, I don't know of any place along the 100 km of Dordogne riverbanks that meets these criteria, at least not according to the local definition of what you call a "town." Here, the term refers to a settlement of around 8,000 inhabitants or more. Very few places in the Dordogne have such a large population.

Collonges-la-Rouge is indeed very well-known, it was the first village to be awarded the "Most Beautiful Village of France" label in 1982 (which makes sense, since it was the mayor of Collonges who founded the label). It's quite crowded from June to September, as it's more of a tourist destination than a place to stay.

Have you visited Martel, which is nearby? If you disregard the "direct access to the Dordogne" aspect, it could be the place for you. It can be considered a small town, and the Dordogne River (with kayak clubs) is less than 4 km away.

https://www.visit-dordogne-valley.co.uk/discover/cultural-heritage/villages-to-visit/martel

Here's a map that might help you choose:

https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=1OdPOg8AgsNn0Jlv1cNHkujaWv9p_Jpc&usp=sharing

What you need to understand when you want to experience the real Dordogne is that it's a region of small villages with few inhabitants, few restaurants, and few shops. This is what makes it unique. Everyone here uses their car to go shopping or to eat out. So wanting "the Dordogne" and places with "shops and restaurants everywhere" is incompatible.
Those who choose to live in the Dordogne know what to expect and deal with it.
Apart from the super-touristy spots that live solely off tourism, shops, supermarkets, and restaurants aren't going to suddenly appear just for some summer months.

It's like going to visit NYC and hoping to sleep in a farmhouse.

A couple of thoughts.

You might look at St Cyprien as a base. Perhaps not as photogenic as Sarlat but a lot less touristy and Disneyfied.

I love Martel, which is gorgeous and not mobbed. I should point out that technically it’s in the Lot, which is adjacent to the Dordogne and in general, except for Rocamadour, a lot less crowded.

I’ve spent time in both areas, and, if you are not wedded to the tourist magnets like La Roque Gageac and Domme, suggest that you investigate the Lot, especially for a week. You can easily access the highlights of the Dordogne valley but also visit beautiful villages like Carennac and Autoire and also the larger towns like Cahors and Figeac, with its Champollion museum, not to mention the much-photographed St Cirq Lapopie. And we revisited Rocamadour early in the day, and it was practically deserted; we enjoyed it a lot more than when we visited during a previous trip.

Turenne, just barely north in the Corrèze, is another wonderful medieval village just made for strolling.

Driving in the Lot is much easier and we never encountered traffic tie-ups. Just a thought.

Hello! If you'd like to go swimming, Limeuil has a lovely beach. Limeuil's advantage is its location at the confluence of the Dordogne and Vézère rivers. The Vézère is warmer but shallower, so you have a choice between two rivers. Be aware that in some parts of the Dordogne, the water is cold due to underground springs. For example, the water is colder at Castelnaud than at Beaulieu, even though Beaulieu is significantly further upstream. You can also rent canoes in Limeuil, but in my opinion, it's better to rent one in Beynac and paddle a route ending there. It's the most beautiful part of the river.