Canoeing down the Tarn River in France
Thursday, 3 August 2023A bit north of Montpellier and Avignon, a bit south of Clermont-Ferrand and Lyon, the gorges of the Tarn River are in a wonderful region of the south of France and let’s be honest, they are truly spectacular. I was number eight in a group of eight canoeists to spend two days paddling down the Tarn.
◄ Entrance to Chateau de la Caze, Route des Gorges du Tarn, 48210 Sainte-Énimie – I started the trip from Gent in Belgium, with a change of train from the local Gent-Brussels service to a high speed TGV train the trip took me past Lille, the Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport and Lyon before arriving at Valence 5-1/2 hours after I left Gent. The other canoeists converged there – coming from Dallas, Dubai, Nice and London via train and air and an Alfa Romeo rent-a-car, but most of us on the train to Valence. Having collected the second car, a Suzuki, we departed for the Chateau de la Caze near Sainte-Enimie on the Tarn River. The 225km trip took a lengthy 4-1/2 hours with often winding albeit spectacular roads and generally wet and miserable weather.
▲ Fortunately the weather was much better the next morning and stayed that way. After breakfast (with truly lousy coffee) our group assembled at Canoe 2000 at La Malène a short drive downriver from the Chateau.
▲ paddling downstream
We collect paddles, life jackets and our four self-bailing canoes and a minibus with our canoes on a trailer conveys us upstream to a second Canoe 2000 encampment and on to our launching point at Montbrun. The river flows along comfortably quickly – fast enough to add a little excitement to the trip, but not so fast and rough that you’d think you were filming a follow up to Deliverance. In fact the only capsize of the whole trip is at the very first rapids we encounter and it’s not my canoe. The river is punctuated fairly regularly by stretches of rapids where you have to dodge between obstacles, plot the best route through the rapids and try to avoid grounding the canoe on rocks. The rapids are fast and choppy enough to be entertaining, but never heart-stopping although you do get wet on some of them. At least you do if you’re in the front of the canoe.
Our lunch stop is Auberge du Moulin in Sainte-Enimie by which time my left arm is getting a little tired and I’m deciding the the seating is definitely not very comfortable. It’s a busy restaurant terrace with other canoeists and a contingent of motorcyclists, there are a lot riders along the road above the river.
▲ Approaching Saint-Chély du Tarn
▲ paddling past Saint-Chély du Tarn – we pass more absurdly attractive rock formations, the towering forested rocky valley sides and the very attractive village Saint-Chély du Tarn. In fact everything about the Tarn River is postcard perfect. About an hour after lunch we stop for champagne by the riverside, this, it appears, is a group tradition.
▲ At the Chateau we haul the canoes up on the river bank and head to poolside for more champagne. I’m with a group that clearly likes their wine and champagne. The odd beer doesn’t get ignored either.
▲ Today we canoe straight out from the hotel, our departure filmed by one of our party who has brought along a drone. We stop for lunch at La Malène, the canoe hire starting point, at Pizzeria les Quare Voûtes where although most of us share pizzas, they’re way too big. Plus a couple of salads which are truly gigantic. Altogether there’s far too much food.
▲ Further downriver we conclude at Les Baumes, we’ve covered about 34km. Another minibus and trailer arrives to collect us and the canoes and take us back to La Malène.
▲ Pont Ancienne, Mostuéjouls
After a bit of car shuffling we all drive down river another 25km to Mostuéjouls and the much more modern Hôtel de la Muse et du Rozier. Just below the hotel the remains of the ruined ‘pont ancienne’ – old bridge – is a vivid indicator that the Tarn really can flood. This very substantial and solid bridge washed away, apparently more than once, with river floods.
