Keeping Cool

KEEPING COOL IN OUR SEVEN WONDROUS REGIONS

Simply relax

Kite surfing is great fun

The exileration of canyoning GIRONDE

The Silver Coast (Côte d’Argent) is right on our doorstep here with the west coast sands beckoning us to enter the cool Atlantic Ocean. If tides and waves are not for you, then why not visit one of the many lakes – some of them have their own sandy beaches too! Plage du Lac d’Hostens, for instance, is a great place to swim and also offers kayaking amongst its water activities. The largest freshwater lake in France can be found at Hourtin Carcans and is the ideal place to try stand-up paddle, kite surfing, sailing, and windsurfing, whilst family swimming is a joy in the pure, calm waters of France’s second largest freshwater spot at Lake Cazaux at La Teste de Buch.

DORDOGNE

The land of 1000 castles could also claim to have 1000 ways to get wet! How about canyoning through forest streams, shooting down or just paddling at the base of one of the many stunning waterfalls, or simply canoeing along the river? You can also go wild at one of the natural beaches such as the long Plage de Caudon at Vitrac with pretty islands and a rock that will have you thinking you are in Gibraltar, or Creysse’s pebble beach and its clear, shallow-edged water. For supervised swimming there is the beautiful Plan d’eau de Miel in Beynat or, to the south west, the lawns and sandy beach that fringe the Plan d’eau de Lamothe Fénelon, a veritable oasis of peace with supervised swimming in July and August.

LOT ET GARONNE

You will be spoilt for choice at Lac de Lougratte which is more like a leisure centre than a 7000m² lake, and offers a clean, sandy beach, fishing, pedalos, toboggans and a diving pontoon. Lac du Moulineau at Damazan combines water-skiing with an aquatic park and supervised swimming, or visit Nautilius BKS at Castelmoron-sur-Lot and hire one of its motor boats, hydroplanes, pedal boats or canoes for a cool trip on the river. Then, of course, there is the Mas d’Agenais summer pool, the Lud’o Park near Nérac with its fountains and inflatables, Aquasud’s two pools and aquatic area in Agen, and the fun-packed Aquaval water park in Marmande!

LOT

For pure fun head to the Parc Aquatique La Saule at Betaille with its water jet walkway, kiddies pool, exhilarating waterslides, trampolines and inflatables. Another main attractions is Quercyland, an aquatic park with five pools, four toboggans, pedal boats and, amongst

Waterpark heaven

Calm, peaceful lakes

Make a splash with an inflatable

other water activities, a variety of inflatables. Enjoying a protected, natural setting, Aquapark at Lac Vert de Catus is the perfect place to perfect your balance on its giant inflatables or, speaking of natural environments, you could simply bathe in the scenery with a paddle or the river at Puy l’Eveque, Castelfranc, Luzech, Douelle and the Plan d’eau at Montcuq.

GERS

Fancy some water skiing, water slides, paddle boarding or pedalling a pedalo? Then 25ha of clear water awaits you at Lac de l’Isle Jourdain and, for swimming, there is a pool nearby. Or how about the 64ha fish-filled Lac de Saint-Cricq at Thoux, home to supervised swimming, pedal boating, windsurfing, catamarans and the Midi-Pyrénées’ first sailing club? There is no shortage of swimming and water slides either with Base de Loisirs throughout the Lot including CastéraVerduzan, Solomiac, Saramon, Lac d’Aignan and, in Condom, the fabulous Aqualudiques de la Ténarèze with its three pools, toboggans, waterfall, paddling pool, water cannons and whirlpools.

TARN ET GARONNE

Rafting, canoeing, kayaking, fishing, water-skiing. These are just some of the many sports and activities offered along the waterways and lakes at Bressols, Saint-Antonin-Noble-Val, LamotheCapdeville, Nègrepelisse, Beaumont-deLomagne, Moissac and Saint-Nicolas-dela-Grave as well as other beauty spots such as Monclar-de-Quercy, Laguépie and Montauban. The Aquapark at Beaumontde-Lomagne is the place to go for those bouncy inflatables, whilst water-based well-being is at the centre of Quercy’O in Caussade. For those who just want to swim, there are open air pools at Montpezat-de-Quercy, Beaumont-deLomagne, Valence and Lafrançaise.

N HAUTE GARONNE

Jet skis join the canoes, paddle boats and pedalos at Base de Loisirs Muret Plage which also offers a sandy beach, inflatables, kayaking and giant toboggans. The Base Nautique et de Loisirs de Sabatouse at Longages is open all summer for paddle, kayak and pedalo hire, as is Lac de la Thesauque at Montgeard with its additional inflatables and swimming beaches. Water-skiing joins the “aquativities” at La Source Wake Park in Carbonne as well as at Lac du Bocage at Fenouillet, whilst amazing views of the Pyrenées can be enjoyed alongside fabulous swimming at the blue flagged, sandy beached Lac de Montrejeau.

Pedalo power Supervised swimming Paddle a canoe or kayak

Inflatable adventures

Grab a jet ski