Water Activities in the French Alps

The Alps are home to some beautiful areas for watersports. Take advantage of the scenic natural lakes, family-friendly swimming spots and man-made watersports areas, and enjoy the mountains from a whole other angle. Enjoy a wide variety of sports, find inspiration and ideas below. 

Natural swimming spots

There’s nothing like the feeling of swimming in a natural lake in the French Alps. Combloux has a beautiful ecological lake perfect for family swimming (pictured above), or try Lac Flumet near Notre Dame de Bellecombe or the Lac aux Dames in Samoëns, which forms part of an outdoor swimming complex. Get more ideas on our blog.

Sailing

There are several natural lakes in the Alps that offer sailing for your summer holidays. For example, on Lake Annecy (the purest lake in Europe) there are several sailing clubs offering lessons - or for you can rent a boat with a driver! The Maurienne Valley also has various lakes. Or head to Lac aux dames in Samoëns which form part of the large swimming complex. Many lakes offer sailing lessons in the summer months.

Canoe, Kayaking & Rafting

Canoeing and kayaking are available on many  Alpine rivers and some of our summer resorts offer lessons and tour experiences led by guides. Try kayaking in Tignes or any of the resorts in the Mont Blanc area make a great base for the Arve river - a great spot for canoeing. The Giffre River is a popular mountain watersports destination for rafting. Waterfalls, narrow gorges and the wide Vallon plane create the perfect currents for white water rafting holidays and Samoens makes a great base to make the most of this rafting hot spot.

Canyoning

A unique guide-led experience exploring canyons and gorges along the Alpine rivers. Think all the adventures rolled into one - you can slide down natural water-slides, jump into pools, abseil down waterfalls and even zipline across ravines! Usually, participants have to be 8+, be able to swim and not be scared to jump 3-4 meters. There are plenty of opportunities to try canyoning in Chamonix and its surrounding areas such as Les Houches and Vallorcine. There are also many locations in the Grand Massif. 

This is just a taster of what the French Alps can offer! Other watersports you can try include hydrospeeding, air-boating, paddleboarding, jet skiing and windsurfing. Discover the best places for watersports, or if you have any questions call 023 9283 9310 or send an email to learn more about summer mountain holidays in France.

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