Where to base in Dordogne/Lot?

[Hilarie]

sigh...simply can't decide. We'd like to explore the Dourdogne/Lot area in late May 2018 and can't decide on the best place(s) to base ourselves. We'll train down from Paris (to Brive seems logical) on a Tuesday and get a rental car. We'll have five days and then catch the train back on a Monday.
We love gardens/wilderness for sure (Marquyssasc!L'Imaginaire!), sweet towns like St Cirq Lapopie/Autoire/Fanlac, want to drive beautiful roads like between Carsac and Beynac, canoe a river, and walk on trails. Not much interested in caves or the insides of big chateaus/chuches. Maybe hit a market in Sarlat or Cahors.

Where would you base? I'm thinking not more than two moves. Montinac? and Puycelsi?... but is P too far south to reach Lot easily? sigh...so many choices! What does the SE mind say?

 

[Cameron]

While the Dordogne is on my list, I've not yet gone.

If you decide to stay near Sarlat, a friend of mine has cottages in Les Eyzies and he's quite the gardener (that's how we know each other, through garden blogging for many years). Le Banquet Rob and his wife are British. Here's Rob's blog, Our French Garden. He often posts about Sarlat events and markets.

Hope this is helpful.

 

[chachalaca]

We stayed just a little bit north of Sarlat, in Salignac. It was perfect for the reasons you mentioned above. It appears there is a new owner, but we stayed here http://www.cheznous.com/267001/the-little-house-dordogne.aspx The house is one (large) bedroom on the entry floor (very cool in the heat) with living room/dining room/kitchen upstairs. The patio is huge with a view of the old chateau. You can hear the donkeys braying early in the morning.

There are GR trails all around and you can walk to the Jardins du Manoir D'Erygnac as well as other little villages.

Cameron's friend's place with a beautiful garden looks promising as well! Near, but not IN Sarlat sounds like what you want. Sarlat is crazy busy, even after the day-trip travelers have left. Friends were there this summer for a couple nights only and just "wanted out"! I know you won't be there in summer, but if you're looking for tranquil and small check out nearby villages and just visit Sarlat.

I remember the lush green beauty that is the Dordogne, you will love it!

Laura

 

[Hilarie]

Thank you both! The places look wonderful (don't they all?!). Love the idea of being very near trails so Salignac might be a very good choice for us....we're not big into being in the middle of packs of tourists.