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Coustalou
Dordogne
From £130 / night
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Périgord · Nouvelle-Aquitaine
Dordogne holiday homes & rentals
Rivers, bastides, châteaux, markets and long lunches.
Find a stay in the Dordogne
1 current listing
Discover the Dordogne
A place worth slowing down for
The Dordogne is made for unhurried holidays: honey-coloured villages, wooded valleys, lively markets, river days and an extraordinary concentration of historic places to explore.
Known historically as the Périgord, the department stretches from the vineyards around Bergerac to the prehistoric Vézère valley and the celebrated medieval towns and villages around Sarlat. It is a place where a day out can be as simple as a market, a long lunch and a drive through the countryside.
Dordogne holiday rentals
Holiday cottages, gîtes & homes in the Dordogne (1)
Browse independent holiday homes, cottages and gîtes across the Dordogne and Périgord, then contact owners and managers directly. Holiday House France does not add a guest booking fee.
Explore the whole department
The Four Périgords
Dordogne and Périgord are used almost interchangeably today. For visitors, the traditional four colour areas are a useful way to understand how much the landscape and character change across the department.
Périgord Vert
Rivers, green countryside & quieter northern Dordogne
The greener north of the department has a gentler, less crowded character, shaped by wooded valleys, rivers and small market towns. Brantôme-en-Périgord, Nontron, Thiviers, Ribérac, Bourdeilles and Jumilhac-le-Grand make useful anchors for exploring this side of the Dordogne.
Brantôme · Nontron · Thiviers · Ribérac · Bourdeilles · Jumilhac
Périgord Blanc
Périgueux, the Isle valley & the heart of the department
Centred on Périgueux and the Vallée de l’Isle, the Périgord Blanc mixes the department’s capital with Roman and medieval heritage, limestone landscapes, market towns and local food traditions. Saint-Astier, Neuvic and Sorges are among the places worth adding to a central-Dordogne itinerary.
Périgueux · Saint-Astier · Neuvic · Sorges
Périgord Pourpre
Bergerac vineyards, bastides & the south-west
Wine country gives the Périgord Pourpre its identity. Bergerac and Monbazillac sit among vineyards, while Eymet, Issigeac, Lalinde and the bastide country towards Monpazier bring arcaded squares, markets and medieval street plans into the landscape.
Bergerac · Monbazillac · Eymet · Issigeac · Lalinde · Monpazier
Périgord Noir
Sarlat, prehistory, castles & the Dordogne valley
The best-known part of the department brings together Sarlat, the Dordogne valley, celebrated château country and the prehistoric Vézère valley. Domme, Beynac, La Roque-Gageac, Montignac-Lascaux and Les Eyzies are only part of a much wider landscape of villages, cliffs, woodland and historic sites.
Sarlat · Domme · Beynac · La Roque-Gageac · Montignac · Les Eyzies
Towns & villages
Places to explore in the Dordogne
From Périgueux in the centre and the market towns of the north to Bergerac in the west and Sarlat in the south-east, these are starting points for discovering the Dordogne beyond its most famous postcard villages.
Périgueux
The capital of the Périgord, bringing together Roman Vesunna, a medieval and Renaissance centre, Saint-Front Cathedral, markets and the everyday life of the department’s largest town.
Sarlat-la-Canéda
A beautifully preserved historic town of warm stone, narrow lanes, markets and restaurants — and one of the best-known bases for exploring the Périgord Noir.
Bergerac
The main town of western Dordogne, with an attractive old centre, a riverside setting and the vineyards of Bergerac and Monbazillac close at hand.
Brantôme-en-Périgord
A lovely riverside town in the north, wrapped around the Dronne and known for its abbey, old streets and relaxed Périgord Vert setting.
Nontron
A northern Dordogne town surrounded by green countryside, strongly associated with local craftsmanship and the traditional Nontron knife.
Thiviers
A lively market town and useful gateway to the Périgord Vert, well placed for exploring the rural north-east of the department.
Ribérac
A western market town on the edge of the Val de Dronne, surrounded by a quieter landscape of villages, rivers and rolling countryside.
Bourdeilles
A small historic village beside the Dronne, dominated by its château and well placed for exploring the Brantôme area.
Domme
A hilltop bastide above the Dordogne valley, known for its old streets and broad views across the river and surrounding countryside.
La Roque-Gageac
A striking riverside village tucked beneath a limestone cliff, with traditional houses lining the Dordogne.
Beynac-et-Cazenac
A steep medieval village crowned by its fortress, overlooking one of the most dramatic stretches of the Dordogne valley.
Montignac-Lascaux
A riverside town in the Vézère valley and the gateway to the world-famous Lascaux cave experience and surrounding prehistoric landscape.
Les Eyzies
At the heart of the Vézère valley’s prehistoric heritage, with rock shelters, caves and the National Museum of Prehistory.
Hautefort
An eastern Dordogne village best known for its imposing château and formal gardens, with the countryside of the upper Périgord Noir beyond.
Terrasson-Lavilledieu
An attractive eastern gateway to the Dordogne, combining an old town above the Vézère with the contemporary Jardins de l’Imaginaire.
Monpazier
A remarkably complete 13th-century bastide centred on an arcaded square — ideal for a market morning, café stop or slow wander.
Belvès
A characterful hill town with medieval streets, viewpoints and a relaxed atmosphere above the Nauze valley.
Villefranche-du-Périgord
A handsome bastide in the chestnut country of the far south-east, with an arcaded square, traditional market and a distinctly rural feel.
Limeuil
A picturesque village where the Dordogne and Vézère rivers meet, with steep lanes and panoramic gardens above the confluence.
Eymet
A lively bastide in the south-west of the department, centred on an arcaded square and surrounded by the gentler landscapes of the Dropt valley.
Make a holiday of it
What makes the Dordogne special
Châteaux, bastides & prehistory
The department’s history is unusually visible. Château de Beynac and Château de Castelnaud face one another across the Dordogne valley, while bastides such as Monpazier preserve the planned squares and arcades of medieval south-west France. Around Montignac and the Vézère valley, prehistoric sites — including Lascaux — add an entirely different layer to the landscape.
Markets, food & Bergerac wine
Weekly markets remain part of everyday life across the Dordogne. Stalls change with the seasons, but local food is always central: walnuts, cheeses, duck and charcuterie, mushrooms and winter truffles. To the west, Bergerac and Monbazillac add vineyards and wine-tasting days to the itinerary.
River days & the outdoors
Canoeing on the Dordogne is one of the classic summer experiences, passing cliffs, villages and castles from river level. Away from the water, quiet roads, woodland tracks and rolling countryside make walking, cycling and scenic drives easy to build into a stay.
Travel & getting around
Getting to & around the Dordogne
Bergerac Dordogne Périgord Airport is the department’s most convenient airport for many visitors, while Bordeaux and Toulouse can be useful alternatives depending on where you are staying and your route into France.
Rail services reach larger towns, but much of the Dordogne is rural. A car gives the greatest freedom for reaching villages, markets, châteaux, river locations and holiday homes away from the main towns.
For visitors driving from the UK, the Dordogne is also well suited to a road-trip approach, with routes south from the Channel ports and western France allowing the journey to become part of the holiday.
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