Family-run gîte complex in the Pyrénées near Carcassonne and Mirepoix
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There are small public lakes scattered across the south of France, not to mention the many rivers that are open to the public for swimming. There are far too many of these to mention or put on the map, so we have mentioned on this page those that are nearest to us, or have a particular attraction. All of the places listed have lifeguards during the summer.
We are 10 minutes from the largest inland lake in the South West of France - Lac de Montbel is a 1500 acre man-made reservoir created in the 1980's to hold water for refilling the Canal du Midi. The Lake provides sheltered and safe conditions for all types of beach activity, it has several beaches, one of which has a lakeside brasserie and a lifeguard in attendance during the Summer. As you would expect, Lac de Montbel also offers a full range of Watersports.
Puivert is a taste of the true Cathars, dominated by its chateau which sits on the rock above the town. At the foot of the chateau is a watersports centre, with a small family friendly beach in walking distance from the town.
The Foix leisure centre is on the edge of the Ariege river just North of Foix. The centre has the usual watersports and a beach along the river, but also hosts more unusual events. during the Summer.
The Tarascon watersports base is built on the edge of a 150 acre hydroelectric reservoir on the Ariege river. As well as the usual watersports and the cable-towed waterskiing , the base also has a nice beach, picnic area and cafe / ice cream bar.
Mondely is another reservoir in the heart of the Seronais hills, 150 acres of water in a natural, wild setting. The swimming beach is attended in the Summer, and it is also an excellent area for bird and nature spotting. Snacks are available in Summer, but a picnic is recommended.
A 20 acre lake with limited facilities on the edge of the small village of Saint-Ybars. The lake has some water activities but don't expect it to be like Montbel or Tarascon!
On the edge of the popular village of Carla Bayle , the lake has 30 acres of water, a good range of watersports in Summer, and a cafe / snackbar.
All along the coast of Languedoc/Roussillon are many lovely beaches to be discovered. Narbonne plage is the nearest in terms of journey time. Narbonne is the typical seaside beach, wide flat sandy shore, lots of shops selling postcards, inflables and ice-cream, and monitored swimming areas.
Gruissan is a pretty old fishing village on the Mediterranean just south of Narbonne. The only difficulty is that the village is on one side of the Etang de Grazel, while the beach is on the seaward side of the etang and it's too far to walk from one to the other.
This entire coast is bordered by flat land reaching out to the sea. Along much of the coast there are
sand bars with mile after mile of sandy beach, but these have limited facilities. The towns of Port-la-Nouvelle,
Port-Leucate, Canet and Argeles have restaurants, beach shops and many entertainment facilities, but there is
little by way of historic architecture or picturesque landscape until Collioure.
Collioure (120 mins)
Collioure is a stunningly attractive fishing port on the Mediterranean coast just North of the Pyrenees: 'Brightly stuccoed houses sheltered by cypresses and gaily painted fishing boats' attracted Matisse here in 1905. The sheltered harbour encloses several sandy beaches, and there are many restaurants and cafés along the harbour front. The backstreets form a picturesque maze containing countless local craft shops. Collioure is incredibly popular during high season, and finding a parking space in the centre of town can become impossible in mid Summer.
