Lac de Sainte-Croix: Boating & Swimming at the Verdon's Turquoise Lake

Lac de Sainte-Croix is the vast turquoise lake at the western mouth of the Gorges du Verdon — and for many visitors it’s the highlight of the trip. This is where you trade the clifftop viewpoints for the water: swimming off pebble beaches, hiring a pedalo or electric boat, and paddling a canoe straight up into the canyon from the famous Pont du Galetas. Here’s how to make the most of it.

A turquoise reservoir at the canyon’s mouth

Lac de Sainte-Croix is a man-made reservoir, created when the Sainte-Croix dam flooded the valley in 1974. Sitting at roughly 480 metres of altitude, it’s one of the largest artificial lakes in France — a huge sheet of that same green-turquoise water the Verdon is famous for, the colour coming from fine limestone particles suspended in the river.

The lake is fed by the Verdon as the river emerges from the canyon, so its eastern end runs right up against the dramatic limestone walls of the gorge. That junction — where flat turquoise water meets sheer cliffs — is the Pont du Galetas, and it’s the busy, beautiful heart of a day at the lake.

The Pont du Galetas — paddle into the gorge

The Pont du Galetas is the road bridge spanning the river where it flows out of the canyon into the lake. Below it sits a pebble beach and the main boat-hire hub: this is the spot you’ve seen in every Verdon photo, with a flotilla of canoes, kayaks, pedalos and electric boats heading up under the bridge into the mouth of the gorge.

From here you can paddle up into the lower gorge for roughly 2 kilometres before the water gets too shallow and the current too strong to go further. Drifting between cliffs that rise hundreds of metres on either side, with the water glowing turquoise beneath you, is the single most memorable thing to do in the Verdon. It is also extremely popular — in July and August the launch area is crowded and boats sell out, so come early or book ahead.

Boating: electric boats, pedalos and kayaks only

An important quirk of Lac de Sainte-Croix: to protect the water, petrol-engine motorboats are banned. The only craft allowed are electric boats, pedalos, canoes, kayaks and stand-up paddleboards — which is exactly why the lake stays so calm, clean and quiet.

• Electric boats can be hired with no licence and are perfect for families who want to cruise the lake and nose into the gorge mouth without paddling.
• Canoes and kayaks are the classic way up into the canyon — more effort, more reward.
• Pedalos and paddleboards are easy fun for splashing around the beaches.

Swimming and the best beaches

Swimming is allowed and hugely popular. The water is cool even in high summer — it’s a deep mountain-fed reservoir — but wonderfully clear and refreshing on a hot Provence day. The main beaches are spread around the shore:

• Pont du Galetas — the headline beach at the gorge mouth, busiest and most scenic.
• Sainte-Croix-du-Verdon — a pretty village beach on the southern shore.
• Les Salles-sur-Verdon — a lakeside village rebuilt after the valley was flooded.
• Bauduen — a quieter beach on the western side.

There are no lifeguards at most spots, the bottom shelves quickly, and the cold can surprise you — so swim within your limits and keep an eye on children.

Make a day of the lake and the gorge

Lac de Sainte-Croix pairs naturally with the viewpoints above it — the south-rim Corniche Sublime ends at the Col d’Illoire, looking straight down on the lake before the road drops to the shore. A classic day is rim viewpoints in the morning, then the lake and a paddle up the gorge in the afternoon. The clifftop village of Moustiers-Sainte-Marie sits just above the lake for lunch.

The easiest way to get on the water is a Verdon Gorge boat or kayak tour, which sorts the hire and the timing for you, or a full day trip that combines the lake with the viewpoints and the village. Planning your dates? See the best time to visit — the boat hire runs through the warm season, May to September.