When summer settles over the hills of the Haut-Agenais and the sun sets the honey-coloured stone of our bastides glowing, one question keeps coming back: “When are we going swimming?”
Staying in Dévillac puts you right on the border between the Lot-et-Garonne and the Dordogne. To help you cool down in the afternoons, here are our four favourite spots, all within 45 minutes of Maison Les Terrasses.
1. Lac de Lougratte: fine sand and a Blue Flag 15 min
This is the local families’ favourite. Just fifteen minutes from Villeréal, Lac de Lougratte has a lifeguarded sandy beach, ideal for little ones.
Why we like it: For its facilities — slide, diving boards — and how well kept it is. Note that there is an admission charge in high season, which goes towards maintaining the site.
2. Parc en Ciel: natural swimming at Lacapelle-Biron 15 min
At Lacapelle-Biron, this activity park has a beautiful natural pool filtered by plants.
Why we like it: The water is clean and chlorine-free, and the 16 hectares of woodland make it easy to combine a swim with the treetop adventure course. A proper break from everything.
3. Plage du Bac de Sors: the Dordogne’s free gem 35 min
At Alles-sur-Dordogne, this is one of the beaches locals rate most highly. River swimming, free of charge, and remarkably peaceful.
Why we like it: Unlike the busier beaches, the Bac de Sors has wide stretches of grass and shingle in the shade of the trees. The water quality is excellent — often rated five stars — and there is easy access and plenty of parking. Perfect for a picnic with your feet in the water.
4. Plage de Limeuil: swimming below one of the Plus Beaux Villages de France 40 min
Where the Vézère meets the Dordogne, the beach at Limeuil has an outstanding view. Access to the riverbank is free.
Why we like it: You swim looking up at the medieval village and its stone bridges. The water stays shallow for a good many metres, which makes it a reassuring place for children to play. Ideal for combining a swim with a late-afternoon look round the village.
- Lac de Lougratte — 15 min, lifeguarded beach, admission charge in high season
- Parc en Ciel, Lacapelle-Biron — 15 min, natural swimming pool
- Plage du Bac de Sors, Alles-sur-Dordogne — 35 min, free
- Plage de Limeuil — 40 min, free access to the riverbank
The luxury of quiet: the pool at Maison Les Terrasses
After the shingle of the Dordogne or the sand at Lougratte, how good it is to come back to the calm of Dévillac.
The great advantage of staying at Maison Les Terrasses is our own heated pool. No drive, no crowds: the luxury is being able to slip in over morning coffee, or swim quietly late in the evening, when the heating keeps the water just right. Your own private oasis, always ready.
Whether you go for the wild cool of the river or the clear comfort of your own pool, summer around Villeréal promises to be a refreshing one.
Don’t forget sun cream — and water shoes for the river shingle.