Games – paintballing, archery, football darts etc.
Activifun has everything and is only 20 minutes away – paintballing, archery wars, target archery, bubble ball (when you wear an inflatable bubble suit and crash into each other), football darts. Check it out on their website.
Parc-en-Ciel (25 minutes) has adventure courses in the trees, with rope ladders, rope bridges etc. up in the trees. They also have a mini-golf course. Check out their website.
Châteaux with games and activities for children
Château de Bridoire (40 minutes from Le Mas) is the château of 1001 games! There is so much for kids to do inside and out – a labyrinth, lots of games of skills, caves, treasure hunts and the beam game, grass skiing, tug-of-war, giant berdinguette, reflex game, 300-metre-long game of goose through the woods, pétanque, chamboule tout, jokari, croquet, giant angling, egg-and-spoon race and much more…
Château de Castelnaud-la-Chapelle (40 minutes) is built on a rocky outcrop in the heart of the Périgord Noir, Castelnaud offers so much for kids of all ages. Built in the 12th century, it is a perfect example of a medieval fortress. Today, the castle houses a large collection of weapons and armour and there are lots of interactive experiences such as medieval fashion, trebuchet and couillard firing!
Escape rooms
There are escape rooms in English available at different locations in the Dordogne, including a great one at the château de Marzac. Here is more information.
Museum with activities for children
Bastideum in Monpazier (10 minutes). Monpazier is our favourite local town, visiting the market on a Thursday morning is great fun. There is a small museum, the Bastideum which tells the story about bastide towns and about how Monpazier came to be built. There are lots of games for kids through which they’ll learn about the history of this part of France.
Parc de Bournat, Le Bugue (30 minutes). Le Bournat, where time stands still in the year 1900! This village, carefully reconstructed down to the smallest detail, takes you back to a time where yesteryear’s traditions, crafts and craftsmanship join together to form a real art of living “à la française”. Watch the artisans – a cutler, saddler, miller, brewer – molding, cooking, grinding, sewing, stewing, smoothing, upholstering. There are workshops that you can participate in too.
Caves with prehistoric art, minerals or troglodyte dwellings
Lascaux IV has the famous prehistoric cave paintings, it’s a great museum about an hour from Le Mas. It’s the 4th facsimile of the cave that they’ve made, as no one is allowed to enter the cave anymore in order to preserve it.
Font de Gaume (40 minutes) is the only prehistoric cave in Europe with polychromatic paintings (from 15,000 years ago) that’s still open to the public. We loved visiting it, it really is incredible to step back in time and see what people 700 generations ago were inspired to paint on the walls. It’s about 45 minutes from here, in Les Eyzies.
Grotte de Combarelles (40 minutes) has prehistoric engravings of animals along the walls. There are very limited numbers allowed into the cave and only by guided tours. More information on our blog post.
Troglodyte dwellings in Bèlves (20 minutes) are very strange, underground houses which you can tour. Don’t go if you’re claustrophobic!
The Gouffre de Padirac is one of the largest chasms in Europe. Discovered by the famous French cave explorer Edouard Martel, it was opened to the public in 1899. You walk down into the hole and then take a boat ride through the caves.
Sporting activities
Canoeing down the Dordogne (40 minutes). A day on the river is a great day out for kids from 5 years old or older. Read our blog article about where to canoe to and from.
Bike rental. Robert, the owner of Aquitaine Bike, knows Le Mas well and will deliver your bikes, adjust them for you and then pick them up. You can also hire e-bikes from Bees in Monpazier, who will also deliver to Le Mas.
Dancing in Monpazier square – on Tuesday evenings in the summer people of all ages meet up with a band of musicians to play Occitan tunes and dance the night away – a bit like country dancing. If you don’t know the steps, the locals will show you, just try to keep up!
Hiking. There is a brilliant walk from Le Mas to Montferrand which we’ve written about in a blog post. There are other walks nearby, this website has a good selection, you can zoom in on the map.
You’ll see boucles advertised – these are circular walks often starting at a church or Mairie. They have yellow-capped posts to help show you the way.
Horse-riding. There is a horse-riding centre in Beaumont, which caters to children. The same website has info on activities for children.
Tennis. In Monpazier, go to Duppi (a sports and hunting shop) on the Rue St. Jacques 77, which is open in the mornings and afternoons except Sunday and Monday. In the shop you can book courts (you don’t need to reserve ahead of time apparently) and pay. The courts are on the right-hand side of the road out of Monpazier back towards Le Mas, in Marsales.
Swimming in the Dordogne river is a great way to cool off – there are ‘beaches’ at Buisson de Cadouin and at Limeuil.
Go-karting in Bergerac is available for children over 7 years old and over 1.30m tall.
Flying over the Dordogne
There are two ways to fly over the Dordogne – by small plane (3 of you and the pilot) from Bèlves aerodrome; or by hot-air balloon.
Animals and birds
Château des Milandes and falconery (40 minutes). There are 3 reasons to visit the Château des Milandes: firstly it’s a beautiful château with stunning gardens; secondly because you can see a flying show of birds of prey; and thirdly because it was the home of an extraordinary woman, Joséphine Baker.
Aquarium in Le Bugue (30 minutes). The Aquarium is the biggest freshwater aquarium in Europe offers a 4,000 m2 visit with, 70 ponds, 3 million litres of water, more than 6,000 fishes; admire the carps, the catfishes of our rivers and the sturgeons of our estuaries. The Alligator park offers the visit of a 1,500 m2 park with reptiles, iguanas and alligators, mammals. You will be able to observe Myocastors (Chilean beavers) underwater.