Where to swim in the Verdon

Mainly in the big lakes: Lake Sainte-Croix (the largest, 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 order in Aiguines, Castellane, Rougon and La Palud-sur-Verdon (dangerous current, invisible natural siphons, dam water releases): stick to the lakes and supervised areas.

No: municipal orders 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 Rhône apron (apron du Rhône), an endangered fish. 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.

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.

No. Swimming is banned by municipal order at Lake Allos (which the Parc national du Mercantour presents as the largest natural lake in Europe above 2,200 m in altitude): 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.

No. Municipal order 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 order provides for a no-swimming sign to be put up and for offenders to be prosecuted.

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”.

These are two separate matters, not to be confused. EDF, which operates the reservoir, aims each summer for a “tourist level” (cote touristique) — a fill level considered compatible with water activities (471.5 m NGF for Sainte-Croix-du-Verdon) — but this figure is a management target for the lake, not permission to swim. The closure of a beach (by municipal or prefectural order) follows health and safety criteria specific to each municipality and each season, regardless of the level of the lake. In a summer when the lake is low, the beaches generally remain accessible, but with more mud or exposed shore depending on the spot; ask the tourist office or the town hall concerned for the situation on the day.