Breil Guide 16 Estuaire de la Gironde

This new guide to the Gironde estuary completes our collection of guides to the waterways of south-western France. For us it is a unique guide for we give details of the small fishing ports on both banks of the estuary, of which most are only accessible to small craft.

The Gironde and the Garonne provide the obligatory itinerary for boats on their way from England to the Mediterranean. We identify the usual deep water ports at Pauillac, Le Verdon and Bègles but also in Bordeaux where the city has made an effort to improve facilities for all types of boats. Upstream from Bordeaux the new ports of Cadillac and Langon make it much easier to reach Bordeaux from the canal de Garonne.

The Dordogne is perfectly navigable as far as Branne and, with a few precautions, as for as Castillon-la-Bataille. Beyond that town navigation is risky, specially in summer.

The river Isle was once navigable as far as Perigueux but now only the maritime section is used. There are no plans to reopen this river in the near future but, if enough boats go as far as the first lock at Laubardemont, perhaps this one and the two others that follow will be one day opened for leisure craft.