The most beautiful lakes to swim in in France

Lakes are plentiful in our country, and generously offer us expanses of intense blue in the heart of nature!

If, like us, you love diving into their fresh and refreshing waters, here is our selection of the most beautiful lakes to swim in in France!

1.Lake Annecy – Haute-Savoie

It is beautiful, it is pure (it is presented as being the purest lake in Europe!), it sparkles, it is surrounded by majestic mountains, it is the king of Instagram: the splendid Lake Annecy!

Here, there's not just swimming to fully enjoy its clear waters! You can walk the hiking trails and admire it from above, fly paragliding over the lake, take a boat trip, relax on the beach or even cycle around it (with some refreshing little dips!).

2. Lake Vouglans – Jura

The Jura lands were, more than 10,000 years ago, covered by glaciers, whose melting gave birth to numerous basins that filled with water and created a multitude of lakes.

No wonder the region is now dotted with wild lakes, rivers and waterfalls! The Vouglan dam and its lake form the third largest artificial lake in France with 35 km of turquoise water winding through the forest.

Three ports and three sandy beaches are developed to give free rein to your desires! And attention thrill seekers, the via ferrata of Lake Vouglans and its large suspension bridge offer you a spectacular view of the lake and surroundings!

3. Lake Sainte-Croix – Var

Head to the regional natural park of the Gorges du Verdon and its incredible Lake Sainte-Croix. Much appreciated by tourists for its wild side and the water activities it offers, it can be crowded in summer, so don't hesitate to visit it off season and let yourself be hypnotized by its legendary color!

Don't forget to visit, just above Lake Sainte-Croix, Moustier-Sainte-Marie, classified (very rightly), among the most beautiful villages in France!

4. Lake Salagou – Hérault

The famous lake with red reflections in southern France!

Lake Salagou was created, like many, following the construction of a dam in the late 60s.

This unique place with southern accents stands out with the palette of colors it unfolds before our eyes. Hills of red earth contrast with the blue of the sky and the green of its vegetation, giving ochre reflections to the tranquil waters of the lake. The hills are very pretty to look at, but they are especially fascinating to study and reveal geological treasures dating back more than 250 million years!

It's an ideal place to swim, paddle, kite surf or mountain bike around the lake.

6. Lake Geneva – Franco-Swiss

The largest natural lake in Western Europe shares its 582.4 km² between France and Switzerland. Indeed, the Franco-Swiss border passes right through the middle of this crescent-shaped lake! The north shore and both ends are in Switzerland and the south-east shore is French, entirely located in Haute-Savoie.

For your information, Lake Geneva means Lake Lake and the name has existed since Antiquity! Julius Caesar himself called it Lacus Lemanus, in 58 BC. In short, the "Lake Lake" is just splendid and offers us a true inland sea, all in blue horizon and spectacular nature.

Once again, activities abound! Swimming, boating, paragliding, windsurfing, diving, etc.

7. Lake Gérardmer – Vosges

Make way for the magnificent Vosges region and its superb Lake Gérardmer.

Located at 660 meters altitude, this lake of glacial origin is the largest natural lake in the Vosges! All around, you will find more than 6 km of marked trails to delve into the deep forests that protect it.

A ski resort in winter, it becomes an amazing playground in summer: pedal boats, canoe, swimming are on the agenda in summer for a refreshing break in a green setting!

Don't hesitate to come back in autumn too and discover the lake flanked by mountains carpeted with colors worthy of the most beautiful Indian summer at our Canadian cousins!

8. Lake Aiguebelette – Savoie

France's first freshwater nature reserve, Lake Aiguebelette gives you a Seychelles-like getaway for the duration of a swim.

Its translucent waters tend toward emerald and shine brilliantly at the foot of the Épine mountain. Motor boats are prohibited on the lake, guaranteeing you absolute calm.

It's a site much appreciated by locals and tourists alike, for its beaches, its water sports such as rowing and an exceptional panorama for paragliding flights!

9. Lake Serre-Ponçon – Hautes-Alpes

Nestled in the heart of the Southern Alps, Lake Serre-Ponçon is a true paradise for nature lovers and water sports enthusiasts!

You will find beautiful large developed beaches there, but also wild coves and sublime viewpoints all around to admire it from the sky!

This turquoise dam on the Durance now represents the largest earth dam in Europe! Multi-functional, it manages river floods, provides electricity and offers a range of water activities. It also serves as a water tower and supplies the entire region with drinking water!

10. Lake Sarrans – Aveyron

Photo Aveyron Tourism Facebook Page

Lake Sarrans and the Laussac peninsula offer an incredible mountain water reservoir in a green setting! You have here one of the wildest lakes in Aveyron in a preserved natural setting.

Nestled on the foothills of Aubrac, it extends over more than 1000 hectares in the gorges of the Truyère. It is not accessible outside of its developed beaches, which allows it to still have protected places that you can discover by boat.

11. Lake Hourtin – Gironde

The magnificent Lake Hourtin, barely an hour from Bordeaux, is the second largest natural lake in France after Lake Geneva, but this one is entirely in France. You will therefore very often see that it is THE largest natural lake in the country!

This immense body of water extends over 18 km long and 5 km wide and is surrounded by pine forests as far as the eye can see, wild marshes and sand dunes. A preserved environment that delivers Lake Hourtin in a natural setting. Part of the site is also protected by the national nature reserve of the dunes and marshes of Hourtin.

Labeled Family Plus, the Hourtin leisure center dedicates 10 hectares to the little ones with its famous "Children's Island". Adults won't be left out, with the possibility of enjoying water skiing, windsurfing, kitesurfing, pedal boats, or even hiking and cycling on the numerous trails that line the surroundings of the lake.

12. Lake Saint-Cassien – Var

Head to Provence, with Lake Saint-Cassien, a dam lake nestled in the heart of the Pays de Fayence on the southern slopes of the Esterel massif.

The dam was born in 1966, on the Biançon river to produce electrical energy while supplying drinking water to several surrounding cities. It also regulates river floods and thus prevents flooding.

But its crystal-clear waters quickly attracted residents seeking freshness and the Saint-Cassien nautical base is now very popular.

The lake is located in a protected natural area, home to fragile fauna and flora. On the eastern part of the lake, you will find the Fondurane biological reserve where you can observe more than 180 bird species.

13. Lake Bourget – Savoie

Also considered the largest natural lake in France (it is 18 km long like Lake Hourtin), Lake Bourget is in any case the largest lake of glacial origin located entirely in France (Lake Geneva is larger, but as you know, it is also in Switzerland!). Indeed, when the glaciers of the Isère and Arve retreated, about 19,000 years ago, they left room for this immense lake framed by the last chains of the Jura.

Alphonse de Lamartine wrote his poems there and dedicated his text simply called "The Lake" to it.

It's an urban lake, surrounded by towns and villages, the largest of which is Aix-les-Bains. You therefore have a multitude of possibilities regarding the choice of your beach (there are 11 in total), each municipality having its own leisure center and access to the lake.

But it's also a nature lake, with a preserved ecosystem and a wild western shore, inaccessible by land.

14. Lake Pareloup – Aveyron

Lake Pareloup, while well known to fishermen, is also much appreciated by swimmers! This artificial water reservoir extends over nearly 1300 hectares, on the Lévézou plateau at more than 800 meters altitude. It's the perfect place to escape the heat wave!

Its very particular jagged shape makes it an ideal playground for water sports like rowing, canoeing or stand-up paddle.

You will also find developed beaches, restaurant and play areas for children as well as areas reserved for fishing.

There you have it, you now have plenty of choices for deciding where to take a dip this summer!

Hoping to have given you an idea for a cool weekend or even a destination for your next vacation in France!