05 LE LOT | Breil inland waterways guide

inland waterways guide

The navigable sections of the Lot river between Aiguillon and Saint-Vite and between Luzech and Larnagol.

By the end of the 19th century the Lot river was officially navigable for more than 400 kilometres. As from the beginning of the 20th century it fell into decline and was finally taken off the list of navigable rivers in 1926.

Thanks to the efforts s of the Association for the Lot Valley, a huge programme is underway to restore the river for leisure craft. The first section to be reopened was the 60 km stretch between Luzech and Saint-Cirq-Lapopie. This was extended for a distance of 10 km in 2007 and one can now reach Larnagol. This is without any doubt, one of the most spectacular sections of navigable waterways in Europe. The river is bordered by steep cliff’s and the riverside villages with their honey coloured houses are particularly attractive.

The last 60 kilometres of the river before it joins the Garonne were also put back into service in the 1990s. This involved the construction of the two very deep locks at Castelmoron and Villeneuve and is one of the biggest inland waterways projects undertaken in recent times. This section was extended by a few kilometres in 2007 but local enthusiasts are anxiously awaiting the last works which will give access to Fumel.

Another part of the Lot in the department of the Aveyron is currently being restored. We will do a separate map of this section as soon as it is open and it will be included with the guide.

To help you discover a good part of the Lot valley we have also included smaller scale maps of the non-navigable sections.

The lot has been classified as a third category river, accessible to inexperienced boaters but in spring you should keep an eye on the weather. In flood times it can became a little sporting. The cartography is at the scale of 1/20 000 to give detailed information on channels, buoyage and shoals.