Lake Holidays in France
When you choose a location for your holidays, you should always consider the presence of a lake in the surroundings as a good thing. It can even be the first motivation when choosing a place to go. There are many people who decide to go to a specific place especially for its or lake(s).
There are so many activities that can be pursued when there is a lake in the surrounding area. Most of the time, depending on what part of France you decide to go to, a lake will be combined with mountains or woods, which once again allow you to do a lot of various activities.
Lake Holidays in Aquitaine
Generally speaking, lakes located on the West coast of France (Cote Landaise also known as Cote Aquitaine) are very sought-after by French tourists as well as foreigners. They are well-known for their sport facilities, they offer the perfect spot for those practicing sport activities on the water or around the lake, and the close proximity to the Ocean offers even more choice when it comes to sporting activities. The region of the Landes is famous for its excellent surfing spots renowned for being some of the best in Europe.
You can do everything from sailing, windsurfing, canoeing, kayaking, fishing, angling, rowing, motor cruising, surfing, scuba diving, kite surfing and much more. This is a very sought-after place among the younger people who generally enjoy these sports. Thanks to the Landes Forest which surrounds the whole region and lakes, the place is also very sought-after among the older people for its relaxing atmosphere. Having a walk in the pine forests, just next to the sand dunes and to the huge beaches of the Atlantic Ocean is a breahtaking experience that everyone will enjoy.
If you take the example of the Lake Hourtin-Carcans (Maubuisson) which is the largest natural soft water lake in France, this shows you the range of activities that are available thanks to such a lake. It is very famous for its kite-surfing possibilites, and is actually the only place in France where you can practice Kite Surfing when there is a easterly wind blowing.
You can find several lakes in the same area as the one quoted above such as the Lake Lacanau, Lake Cazaux, Lake Parentis or the Lake Aureilhan. These all belong to the grands lacs landais category. (great lakes of the Landes)
Holiday Lake in Savoie and Haute-Savoie
The three most famous French Lakes are found in this region: Lake Bourget, Lake Annecy and Lake Geneva.
Savoie Lakes are very different from the Lakes discussed previously in the sense that everything around it differs, thus affecting the range of activities available. However, this does not mean there are fewer things to do. The Ocean is replaced by the surroundings mountains, thus offering very different activities, but always interesting for nature lovers. The weather will also differ thus allowing different kind of activities directly at the surface of the water. Temperatures are still quite warm in summer, and lakes such as Lake Bourget can reach 25 degrees or more, providing scope for plenty of water activities.
Apart from the activities quoted above for the Aquitaine lakes, you can benefit from other types of sports which require stronger currents, for instance canoeing and kayaking. Adventure sports such as rockclimbing, skiing or even parapenting are easily accessible from the Savoie lakes. Indeed, the local geography make Savoie and Haute-Savoie perfect spots to practice these sports.
These regions are also excellent for those looking for hiking holidays. Mountains and hills around these lakes are marked with numerous signposts, making it easy and accessible for everyone and welcoming you to discover hiking.