Lake Annecy: beaches, swimming and water sports

Lake Annecy is one of the few large bodies of water in the Alps you swim in without a second thought. Rated among the cleanest lakes in Europe, it owes its clarity to a clean-up effort begun back in the 1960s. In summer, you come for the turquoise water, the beaches and everything you can do on the surface.

The beaches

• Impérial beach: the town’s big beach, with lawns, shade and summer lifeguards. Practical and family-friendly.
• Annecy-le-Vieux beach: long and popular, with a view of the Château de Menthon.
• Marquisats beach: the locals’ favourite, more mineral, perfect for a dip after work.
• The eastern-shore coves: towards Veyrier, Menthon and Talloires, wilder and quieter, ideal for escaping the crowds.

Many beaches are free; some, paid, offer loungers, a snack bar and supervised swimming.

On the water

The lake lends itself to everything. Stand-up paddleboarding at dawn, when the water is glassy, is something special. You can also easily rent pedal boats, canoes, kayaks and small sailboats from the watersports bases on the beaches. To stay dry, a boat trip is hard to beat: see our lake cruise page.

Booking

We pick the best-rated outings on the water from our partner (paddleboarding, yoga on the water departing from Sévrier).

Good to know

When to swim? The water is most pleasant from late June to early September. In May and September it stays cool but swimmable on fine days.

Mornings for flat water. A thermal wind often picks up in the afternoon: for paddling or kayaking, set off early.

Access and parking. The town beaches are reachable on foot or by bike from the centre; by car, parking is expensive and fills up fast in summer.

With family. Several beaches have shallow, supervised zones, ideal with young children.

See also in Annecy

Carry on with a cruise, the lake loop by bike or a paragliding flight over the water. Back to the destination: Annecy.