Swimming
Where to swim in the Verdon
The turquoise water of the Verdon — everyone dreams of it, but where can you actually dive in? Swimming mostly happens in the big lakes: Sainte-Croix, Castillon, Esparron, Quinson. Here’s the full tour, lake by lake, with the beaches, supervision where it exists, and the safety rules — because the Verdon remains a river of dams.
Is swimming banned today? We check the ministry’s dataset on every visit, and we say what the measurement doesn’t say — the answer is on the state of the Verdon today, with the 25 officially monitored sites, the dates of the sampling season, and the date the October 2025 ban was lifted — a fact some search engines still present as current.
Lake Sainte-Croix
The Verdon’s flagship lake: 22 km² of turquoise water at the mouth of the grand canyon, the Pont du Galetas and the beaches of Sainte-Croix-du-Verdon, Bauduen, Les Salles and Aiguines. Swimming, pedal boats, canoeing at the foot of the gorge.
Lake Castillon
Upstream of Castellane, a large dam lake with blue waters, lined with supervised beaches and watersports bases. The family-friendly spot of the Haut-Verdon.
Saint-André-les-Alpes · North shore (northern end of the lake)
Family beach about 2 km from the village. Supervised swimming area in July–August. Dogs banned in the supervised area.
Saint-Julien-du-Verdon · West shore (Touron bay)
Supervised swimming from 1 July to 31 August, 11am–7pm (tourist office hours, to be reconfirmed on site).
Castellane · South shore (Cheiron bay, upstream of the dam)
On foot from Castellane (~1h30) or via the car park. Watersports base next door. Supervised in July–August according to the tourist office.
Angles · East shore
An unnamed beach on the east shore of the lake, between Angles and Demandolx.
Lake Esparron & the lower gorges
At the entrance to the lower gorges, a more secluded lake where only electric and unpowered boats are allowed — hence its calm. Swimming at Esparron village and in the coves.
Esparron-de-Verdon · North shore (edge of the village)
The beach and shoreline of Esparron village; combustion engines are banned on the lake (electric boats only). Watersports base nearby. Summer supervision not confirmed by the tourist office.
Esparron-de-Verdon · North shore
A small unnamed pebble cove on the north shore of the lake.
Esparron-de-Verdon · North shore
A small unnamed rocky cove on the north shore of the lake.
Saint-Julien-le-Montagnier · South-east shore (about 15 min from Gréoux-les-Bains)
The most popular beach near Gréoux-les-Bains (about 15 min away). Summer supervision not confirmed by the tourist office. ⚠️ Partial closure for SCP/EDF utility works from 16 August to 12 September 2026 (municipal order S63-2026): open 12pm–10pm on weekdays, open all day on the weekends of 22–23 and 29–30 August, fully closed 31 August–4 September, normal reopening on 12 September at 5am. Check the status before you go.
Lake Quinson & Montpezat
The small lake of the lower gorges, near the Prehistory Museum of Quinson and the starting point for canoe trips towards the Baudinard gorges.
Montpezat · North arm of the lake (Montpezat area)
On Lake Montpezat, near Quinson. Dogs banned. Swimming is reportedly not advisable here (cold water, currents from the Lower Gorges) — caution advised.
The lakes where you don’t swim
Lake Chaudanne (near Castellane) is a narrow reservoir with no developed beach. Lake Allos, the largest natural high-altitude lake in Europe, in the Mercantour, is banned for swimming by order (icy water, protected site): you walk around it, you don’t swim in it. At the Lac des Sagnes, in Thorame-Haute, swimming and water activities are banned as well (municipal by-law no. 2026-024 of 4 August 2026): the lake is not set up for swimming and is strictly reserved for irrigating farmland.
Frequently asked questions
Where can you swim in the Verdon?
Mainly in the big lakes: Lake Sainte-Croix (the best known, turquoise water, several beaches), Lake Castillon north of Castellane (supervised beaches), Lake Esparron and Lake Quinson in the lower gorges. In the gorges themselves, river swimming is banned by municipal by-law in Aiguines, Castellane, Rougon and La Palud-sur-Verdon (dangerous current, invisible natural siphons, dam water releases): stick to the lakes and supervised areas.
Can you swim in the river, at the bottom of the gorges?
No: municipal by-laws ban swimming in the Verdon river in Aiguines, Castellane, Rougon and La Palud-sur-Verdon, where the Parc du Verdon warns of a dangerous current, powerful water movements and invisible natural siphons. On the Blanc-Martel trail, swimming is strictly forbidden, to protect the apron du Rhône. The Verdon is fitted with hydroelectric dams: the flow can rise suddenly during a water release, with no visible warning. The deep water is icy (risk of cold-water shock). To swim, choose a lake, preferably a supervised one.
Are there supervised beaches in the Verdon?
Yes, mainly on Lake Castillon (Le Plan beach at Saint-André-les-Alpes, Le Touron bay at Saint-Julien-du-Verdon, Le Cheiron bay at Castellane) and at Sainte-Croix-du-Verdon village in summer. Supervision remains the exception rather than the rule on the Verdon’s lakes: check with the tourist office for exact dates and hours.
Can you swim in Lake Allos?
No. Swimming is banned by municipal by-law at Lake Allos (the largest natural high-altitude lake in Europe, in the Mercantour): the water is very cold all year round and the site is protected. You walk around it and admire it, you don’t swim in it.
Can you swim in the Lac des Sagnes (Thorame-Haute)?
No. Municipal by-law no. 2026-024 of 4 August 2026 formally bans swimming and water activities at the place called Les Sagnes Sud, in Thorame-Haute. The lake is not set up for swimming: it is strictly reserved for irrigating the fields of the farmers in Thorame-Haute’s irrigation association (association syndicale autorisée), which owns it. The by-law provides for a no-swimming sign to be put up and for offenders to be prosecuted.
Can you swim with your dog?
It depends on the beach. Many supervised beaches ban dogs in season (like Le Plan beach at Lake Castillon). Other, wilder areas tolerate them. When in doubt, keep your dog on a lead and stay away from supervised swimming areas. See our guide “The Verdon with a dog”.
Check for yourself
The external sources this page relies on, one click away.We would rather you be able to contradict us than ask you to take our word for it.
- Ministry of Health — bathing water qualitybaignades.sante.gouv.fr
Official public service publishing the results of the health monitoring of bathing waters, site by site and season by season — the reference source on water quality.
- Agence régionale de santé Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azurpaca.ars.sante.fr
Regional health authority: monitoring of bathing waters, organisation of healthcare provision and out-of-hours care in the region.
- Verdon Regional Nature Parkparcduverdon.fr
The area’s managing authority: regulations by environment (land, aquatic, vertical), bivouacking and camping, fire, drones, advice from the Park rangers.
- EDF — update on the management of the Durance-Verdon lakesedf.fr
EDF Hydro Méditerranée, which manages the reservoirs, defines and publishes the “tourist level” of each lake (e.g. 471.5 m NGF for Sainte-Croix-du-Verdon), the summer fill level targeted for tourist activities — distinct from any decision to close a beach.
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