Lac de Ribou & Lac du Verdon
Just five minutes south of the city centre, the twin artificial lakes of Ribou and Verdon form a 500-hectare natural playground that locals treat as their collective back garden. Cyclists, kayakers, birdwatchers and picnickers coexist happily on the well-maintained shores.
On and around the water
Ribou is the larger of the two and the hub for watersports: the Maison du Lac rents kayaks, stand-up paddleboards and pedal boats from spring through early autumn. The 12-kilometre perimeter trail around Ribou is flat enough for families with young children and rewards walkers with constant water views and occasional glimpses of grey herons fishing in the shallows.
Verdon, connected to Ribou by a short causeway path, is quieter and better for birdwatching. Bring binoculars in spring and you may spot great crested grebes performing their extraordinary courtship dance on the open water.
Picnics, sunsets and cycling
The grassy banks on the western shore of Ribou catch the afternoon sun perfectly and fill with families on summer weekends. A snack bar near the Maison du Lac sells crêpes, cold drinks and ice cream from June to September.
The Véloroute du Lac links both lakes to the city's cycling network, so you can pedal directly from the train station without touching a main road. Sunset over Verdon, with the Bocage hills silhouetted behind the water, is genuinely spectacular.
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