Although Bédoin has its own municipal pool, situated to the west side of the village by the tennis courts and the municipal campsite, the surrounding area has some unmissable wild swimming. Here’s our favourites.
Canoeing
Canoeing in the area is highly recommended and can be done at the following spots mentioned below: The Ardeche, The Sourge and the Pont du Gard. The full descent of the Ardeche through the gorges in particular is an incredible experience as is the short trip down the Sourge.
Plan d’eau des Salettes. Mormoiron
Situated just to the east of the village of Mormoiran (9kms south of Bédoin), the plan d’eau de Sallettes is not exactly wild swimming as it’s a man-made lake. Nevertheless it has an excellent sandy beach and very safe swimming for all ages and experiences. There is a children’s area roped off during the summer which is supervised by lifeguards. Free parking is available in the field abut 150m from the lake. It used to be in the field NEXT to the lake but since the Marie de Mormoiron accepted €€€€€€ from Brussels to ‘improve’ the area, the parking has been inexplicably moved further away. The usual anarchic French attitude to parking has been thwarted by the introduction of giant roadside stones.
La Cahute is a decent café by the lake serving lunch and dinner. For the adventurous there is also a ‘Go Ape’ style experience in the pines trees around the area.
Lac du Paty
As with the lake at Mormoiron, the Lac du Paty is not technically wild water as it’s also man-made. However, as it was constructed in 1766 as reservoir but hasn’t been used as such for many years I’m going to let it in.
To get there take the Route du Malaucène over the Col de la Madelaine. About 100m after the descent there’s a turning on the left sign posted to the lake and the experimental lama farm (!). There’s loads of parking and a nice café which is open during the day in the summer.
Strongly recommended: Rock shoes. Although the water is lovely, the approaches and the shallow water has a lot of quite sharp stones.
Plage de Sauze, Saint-Martin-d’Ardeche
This is almost our favourite spot for swimming. It’s around 50 minutes from Bédoin but worth the drive. Head for Saint-Martin-D’Ardeche and follow the D290 out of the village towards the Gorges. Around 2kms there’s a sign to the left for ‘Sauze’. Parking is paid but only around €5 for the day. Swimming in the river at this point is about as good as it gets. If the spot loses any marks it’s because shade is limited. There are one or two areas by trees and bushes but otherwise you will need a good hat! If all the shaded areas are gone by the time you arrive, walk up the river in the direction of the gorges, there’s usually one or two good places there. For all its excellence it’s not very well known; mostly by locals and so it’s never really madly crowded even at the weekends in the summer. There’s a couple of good restaurants here which are open all day.
Le Pont du Gard
Every time we go swimming at the Le Pont du Gard I have to pinch myself to believe that you are even allowed to swim here. It’s a World heritage Site and anywhere else in the world (especially I feel in the UK) you wouldn’t be able to get within 100m of it. The French however, in their wisdom, have turned one of the greatest examples of ancient engineering and architecture into not only a rewarding historic experience, but as a great place to have a refreshing swim whilst you wonder how the devil they built the thing almost two thousand years ago.
You can approach the site from either bank of the Gard. There’s ample parking on both sides although the left bank is a little quieter. You do need to pay to visit and also be aware that the walk from the car parks to the bridge is around fifteen to twenty minutes, which can be a bit of a slog on hot summer days. But it’s all worth it, how ever many times we go I’m always caught out by how astonishing this place is.
La Sourge
The river Sourge bursts forth from its multiple underground sources at the charming village of Fontaine de Vaucluse. Although it’s possible to find a spot on the banks to swim from (possible, but not entirely straightforward) easily the best way to experience the cool, refreshing waters – a constant 15ºC year round – is by canoe. You can either start in Fontaine de Vaucluse or from Isle sur la Sourge. With the former you drift lazily down the river then have a lift back to your car or, with the former, in reverse. Either way it’s a truly unforgettable journey. Unlike other canoe trips you will be supervised as the river is a protected site and home to some unique wildlife. The waters are crystal clear and as you gently paddle beneath the overhanging trees the world seems a long, long way away.
Les Trois Rivières
Although the area of the Trois Rivières is not technically a swimming site as the Rover Ouzève is never quite deep enough, it’s easily one of the best places to relax on a hot summer’s day with the possibility of sliding into the refreshing pools of fast running water which accumulate along its course. We have spent many a long afternoon sitting under the shade of the overhanging trees, reading a book and occasionally cooling off in the river.
There are a few access places. At the bottom of the village of Entrechaux (direction Molan), turn left at the roundabout and follow the road down to the river. The first site you will come across is the exquisite Roman bridge. Providing you’re not driving a Dodge Ram you can cross the bridge and park in the carpark. At this location the river drops several meters over smooth boulders where you can sit and let the water splash over you. Unsurprisingly it’s the most popular spot and can be quite busy.
As you make your way up the river, either by walking upstream or by driving, so things get quieter. There are two or three pull-offs at the road side where you can park and walk down. Continuing along the road you will pass through a tunnel and then park on the left a few meters further on. From here you can reach the best spots (I hate having to tell you this! Mostly only locals know about it and so it’s usually extremely quiet). If you walk back towards the tunnel there’s a track on the other side of the road which leads to the river.
Les Gorges de la Méouge
The Les Gorges de la Méouge is an hour and a half’s drive from Bédoin but it’s included here for two reasons; firstly because it’s at the end of a spectacular drive through the Drôme de Provençe and secondly because it’s a fantastic place to swim. Here the river Méouge squeezes itself between high sided rocky banks creating cascades of refreshing water and deep pools in which to wallow. I recommend making a day trip including an early lunch in the delightful square in Nyons.
