Swimming in Verdon and the Provence lakes
Swimming in the Verdon is in its dammed lakes: the Lac de Sainte-Croix below the gorge, with beaches at Sainte-Croix-du-Verdon, Bauduen, Les Salles-sur-Verdon and the Pont du Galetas, the Lac d'Esparron downstream, and the Lac de Castillon upstream at Saint-Julien-du-Verdon. The water is fresh. Jumping from cliffs and bridges is banned on all three lakes, and their levels change, so rocks and shallows can appear without markings.
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Every spot in Verdon and the Provence lakes
Typical water temperature in November.
Lac d'Esparron at Esparron-de-Verdon
Lake, Esparron-de-Verdon · No swimming in the boat channel or the dam zones; no jumping, diving or thermal-engine boats
Esparron-de-Verdon sits above the Lac d'Esparron, a 328-hectare reservoir formed in 1967 by the Gréoux dam at the foot of the Basses Gorges du Verdon.
FreeLac de Sainte-Croix at Bauduen
Lake, Bauduen · No dogs on the beach. No jumping, diving or freediving; no swimming in the buoyed dam zones; no thermal-engine boats
Bauduen's village beach is a long pebble shore on the south side of the Lac de Sainte-Croix, a reservoir of about 2,200 hectares filled between 1973 and 1975.
FreePlage de Saint-Julien, Lac d'Esparron
Lake, Saint-Julien-le-Montagnier · Not lifeguarded; no jumping, inflatables or thermal-engine boats; dogs on a lead and out of the water
A sand and pebble beach of about 7,000 square metres in a cove on the Var shore of the Lac d'Esparron, reached by a 7 km track.
FreePlage de Sainte-Croix-du-Verdon
Lake, Sainte-Croix-du-Verdon · No jumping, diving or freediving; no swimming in the buoyed dam zones; no thermal-engine boats
The main beach lies below the hilltop village of Sainte-Croix-du-Verdon at the north-west end of the Lac de Sainte-Croix, with the smaller Grange, Fontaine and Bellevue beaches along the shore around it.
FreePlage du Touron, Lac de Castillon
Lake, Saint-Julien-du-Verdon · No dogs on the beach; no swimming in the military and dam zones; no jumping or diving
A grass beach 100 m from the centre of Saint-Julien-du-Verdon on the Lac de Castillon, the first of the Verdon's five large reservoirs, created when the dam was built in 1948.
FreePlage Margaridon, Les Salles-sur-Verdon
Lake, Les Salles-sur-Verdon · No dogs on the beach. No jumping, diving or freediving; no swimming in the buoyed dam zones; no thermal-engine boats
A shaded beach below the village of Les Salles-sur-Verdon on the east shore of the Lac de Sainte-Croix, next to a lawn and the Margaridon boat ramp.
FreePont du Galetas
Lake, Aiguines · Boats stop at the yellow buoys up the gorge (protected fish); no jumping or diving; dogs on a lead
A beach on the Aiguines bank of the Lac de Sainte-Croix, where the Verdon leaves its gorge under the Galetas bridge.
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Questions about Verdon and the Provence lakes
Are there lifeguards at the Verdon lake beaches?
Yes, in July and August at most of them. Lifeguards watch the beaches at Bauduen, Sainte-Croix-du-Verdon, Plage Margaridon at Les Salles-sur-Verdon and the Pont du Galetas on the Lac de Sainte-Croix, and Plage du Touron on the Lac de Castillon. On the Lac d'Esparron the village beach at Esparron-de-Verdon is supervised in summer, while Plage de Saint-Julien across the lake has no lifeguards.
How far can you take a boat up the Verdon gorge from the Lac de Sainte-Croix?
As far as a line of yellow buoys upstream of the Pont du Galetas, where hired pedalos, canoes and electric boats set off; above the buoys the river is protected for the apron, an endangered fish. The gorge is closed to boats when the wind goes over 28 km/h. Boats with combustion engines are banned on the Lac de Sainte-Croix and the Lac d'Esparron, while on the Lac de Castillon motor and sail boats may go out from 1 May to 31 October.
Can you bring a dog to the Verdon lake beaches?
Not at Bauduen, Plage Margaridon or Plage du Touron, where dogs are banned from the beach. At the Pont du Galetas they must be on a lead and stay out of the supervised swimming zone, and at Plage de Saint-Julien on the Lac d'Esparron they must be on a lead and may not go in the water.
Can you jump or dive into the lakes of the Verdon?
No. Jumping from cliffs and bridges is banned on the Lac de Sainte-Croix, the Lac d'Esparron and the Lac de Castillon, and so are scuba diving and freediving. The Parc du Verdon warns that the reservoir levels vary, so unmarked rocks and shallows can appear, and that the banks are slippery with muddy bottoms. On Sainte-Croix and Castillon, firefighting planes may scoop water anywhere, and the park asks swimmers to head for the nearest bank when one passes over.
What is the water quality like in Verdon and the Provence lakes?
Every place listed here with an EEA monitoring site was classified excellent in the 2025 EEA bathing season.