Lac de Sainte-Croix is a 2,200-hectare reservoir where the Verdon gorges open out, on the border of the Var and the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence. Its turquoise water comes from the Verdon, its beaches are lifeguarded in summer, and you can travel up into the lower gorges by pedal boat or electric boat from the Galetas bridge. Petrol engines are banned.
The colour surprises everyone. The Verdon takes its name from that shade, a milky turquoise created by suspended limestone particles stripped from the canyon. Depending on the light and the depth, the water shifts from pale green to electric blue, and in photographs nobody believes it has not been retouched.
The lake was created in 1974 by the Sainte-Croix dam. It drowned the village of Les Salles-sur-Verdon, rebuilt higher up, whose old church sometimes reappears at low water. The lake is now ten kilometres long, surrounded by dry hills, lavender and hilltop villages.
This is the most photographed spot in Provence, and for good reason. At the north-eastern end of the lake, the Galetas bridge crosses the Verdon exactly where the canyon opens into the lake. Below it, a shingle beach; ahead, the cleft of the gorges driving in between walls three hundred metres high.
From that beach you can hire pedal boats, canoes and paddleboards and travel a kilometre or two up the Verdon into the gorges, between the cliffs, in icy water and green light. It is the thing to do in the Verdon, more accessible than the walk along the canyon floor and almost as impressive.
The place is saturated in July and August: arrive before nine or after five, or you will queue for a pedal boat and for a parking space.
The lake has several access points, all different.
Sainte-Croix-du-Verdon, to the south-west, with a laid-out beach, a watersports centre and a hilltop village above.
Bauduen, to the south, the prettiest village on the lake, right at the water's edge, with a shingle beach, terraces and easier parking.
Les Salles-sur-Verdon, to the east, with the largest beach and the most facilities, lifeguarded in summer.
Le Galetas, to the north-east, for the gorges rather than for swimming.
As at Saint-Cassien, petrol engines are banned, which guarantees the calm. Pedal boats, canoes, paddleboards, electric boats and sailing dinghies are all for hire at the watersports centres. Sailing here has a good reputation, the lake being well ventilated in the afternoon.
The water stays cool, around 22 to 24 degrees at the height of summer, and colder in the gorges where the Verdon comes in.
This guide is part of the address book of a private estate in Puget-sur-Argens, 80 minutes away, available for weddings and family stays. It is not open to visitors.
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