Hiking in Chemin de halage de Bouziès à Saint-Cirq-Lapopie: trails, map and practical info

What you come for

The towpath runs along the Lot from the port of Bouziès to the foot of Saint-Cirq-Lapopie, or the other way round. Flat-bottomed barges called gabares were once hauled along it in convoys by men or draft animals. At the Ganil lock the cliff drops sheer into the river: the passage was cut into the limestone in the 1840s, over nearly a kilometre. Where the rock wall plunges into the water, the rock is hollowed out over 300 m in length and 2 m in height, according to Lot Tourisme.

Just before the lock, a bas-relief by the Toulouse artist Daniel Monnier is carved into the limestone. According to the Cahors Vallée du Lot tourist office, it evokes the river and its surroundings: fauna, flora, rocks, fossils and whirlpools.

Three ways to do it

• To the Ganil lock: 3 km round trip from the Bouziès car park, according to the tourist office and Lot Tourisme. This is the stretch cut into the cliff, with the bas-relief.
• To Saint-Cirq-Lapopie and back: the tourist office gives 10 km round trip from the port of Bouziès or the Saint-Cirq-Lapopie boating stop, and 8 km round trip starting from the village centre. Lot Tourisme gives 10 km round trip and about 1.5 hours to reach the village.
• One way only: in July and August the tourist office mentions a "Croisière Rando" option, with a one-way boat trip and the return on foot along the towpath, or the reverse, through Les Croisières de Saint-Cirq-Lapopie.

Along the way

The tourist office marks the route with these stops: the "M le mammouth" sculpture at the start in Bouziès, the bridge of the old railway line, the start of the cut section, Daniel Monnier's sculptures, the Ganil lock, then the village of Saint-Cirq-Lapopie. From the car park, Lot Tourisme points out the ruins of the château des Anglais, a troglodyte castle. Lot Tourisme writes that from April to the end of October you will probably see boats on the river.

At the end of the towpath, a stepped path climbs to the village: 10 minutes according to the tourist office, about 15 minutes and a steep climb according to Lot Tourisme.

Before you go

• Access: free, according to the tourist office (2026 rates).
• Parking: Bouziès car park, €3 a day according to the tourist office.
• Without a car: the liO bus stop "Bouziès – Pont" is 415 m away, a 4-minute walk, according to the tourist office.
• Waymarking: red and white, according to the tourist office.
• Footwear: sports or walking shoes, the office recommends; Lot Tourisme adds that the stone can be a little slippery after rainy days.
• Summer: Lot Tourisme writes that in summer the path lets you stay cool beside the water.
• Children and strollers: the tourist office says the path is accessible by mountain bike and all-terrain stroller; Lot Tourisme advises keeping an eye on young children because of the river.
• Audio commentary: Lot Tourisme offers the route with audio commentary on a smartphone or tablet through Lot Balades & Patrimoines.

With a dog

The Cahors Vallée du Lot tourist office listing for the towpath says "Animaux acceptés" (pets allowed). On its page about holidays with a dog, the office says the only condition is that your dog must always be kept on a leash. It adds that trails can cross or run alongside private property, and advises avoiding the hottest hours, carrying waste bags and watching out for pine processionary caterpillars, ticks and grass seeds.

At Saint-Cirq-Lapopie, the office announces a strict ban on animals from 15 May to 15 October on the sandy beach and the grassed area of the boating stop, as far as the D 8 bridge; this is one of the possible starting points. For a rule specific to this path, call 05 65 31 31 31.

A little history

According to the tourist office, the path was built in 1845 so that horses could haul gabares back upstream, loaded on the return from Bordeaux. Lot Tourisme dates the work to 1847: the haulers wanted to avoid constantly crossing from one bank to the other. The Lot was declassified as a navigable river in 1926 and has been refitted for pleasure boating since 1990.