June, 2026
KmM = Kilometer Marker
In particular, this page is about the cycling around Sarlat-la-Canéda and Bergerac.
I initially got routes from OpenRunner, but eventually started creating my own routes, sometimes from maps and sometimes from just make a decision at every intersection. And sometimes I created an initial route from a map and modified the route as I was riding. I was always looking for the small quiet roads and for hilly country.
Sarlat-la-Canéda
Sarlat is a pretty, touristy town of just under 9,000 people, in the South East part of the Dordogne. It’s surrounded by rolling hills, which are criss-crossed by lots of small quiet roads. This creates the possibility of innumerable cycling loops.
If you enjoy cycling on quiet roads along winding roads in rolling hills, then Sarlat is a Cyling Paradise.
I did three rides from Sarlat, the first two of which I got from OpenRunner. The third one I mostly created myself from maps, but modified as I rode. You could follow my loops or find your own on OpenRunner. Or just explore.
North East Loop
This is a great loop that heads up to the North-East or Sarlat. It’s mainly on very quiet roads, sometimes in the open and other times in deep trees. At times you’ll pass a beautiful chateau. At other times you pass gorgeous houses made of yellow stone. The loop is about 81 km with 3,900 feet of climbing.
Here’s the climb on Ride with GPS. I got lost leaving Sarlat, so ignore the little side spur on the GPX file.
Eastern Loop
I loved this loop. It was very varied and didn’t have as many trees as the North Eastern loop. The loop is about 85 km with 4,000 feet of climbing.
Here’s the ride on Ride with GPS. Again, I didn’t pay enough attention to the map at times so ignore any strange side trips near the start.
South West Adventure Ride
A friend told me I should ride from Belvès to Domme. I knew how to get to Domme from Sarlat and so I created the rest of the loop from maps, trying to find roads that hopefully didn’t have many cars or center lines. For the most part I succeeded, with the exception being a stretch along the D25 towards the end of the ride. The whole loop is about 78 km with 5,300 feet of climbing.
There is some reasonably steep climbing on the route, the highlight being the wicked little climb up into Belvès, with its 16% gradient. Another lovely section is the high country after you cross the Dordogne River heading north. Then the last 2 km into Sarlat is very pretty.
Here’s the ride on Ride with GPS.
Bergerac
I didn’t think the cycling around Bergerac was as good as that around Sarlat. There are fewer hills and more busy roads. Still, I managed to create some rides that I quite enjoyed. Here are a few of them, mainly to the north as I think the riding is better to the north. I’ve named the exploration routes appropriately 🙂
North Explorer Loop 1
I started following a route I’d downloaded from OpenRunner but soon got bored as the roads were too busy. So I went exploring. The loop is about 83 km with 3,600 feet of climbing. Here’s the ride on Ride with GPS.
North Explorer Loop 2
I enjoyed this ride with all its little roads. The first hill out of Bergerac starts off wonderfully steep, then you round the bend and are faced with a daunting wall that hits a delicious 17%. At one point I met up with a local cycling group and so I tagged along with them for a while on the flatter section. It was a blisteringly hot day during one of the heat waves that seem to hit this part of France, so towards the end I just found the quickest way back to town. The loop is about 89 km with 4,500 feet of climbing. Here’s the ride on Ride with GPS.
North Explorer Loop 3
This was a shorter ride due to the extreme heat, but it started with the same wonderfully steep hill out of Bergerac as Loop 2! The loop is about 63 km with 3,000 feet of climbing. Here’s the ride on Ride with GPS.
South Loop
This was the only loop I rode to the south of Bergerac and I simply followed a route I got from OpenRunner. It started off with too much riding on busy roads for my taste, but after a while it got onto quieter roads and was much more enjoyable. The ride goes past the cute village of Eymet, a town of around 2.700 people, about 400 of whom are Brits! The loop is about 72 km with 2,800 feet of climbing. Here’s the ride on Ride with GPS.
Cycle Uphill 