Lac de Serre-Ponçon
Just 25 kilometres south of Gap, Lac de Serre-Ponçon is one of the largest artificial lakes in western Europe, a vast turquoise reservoir ringed by pine-forested slopes and overlooked by the snow-dusted peaks of the Écrins. In summer it transforms into a genuine inland Riviera — sailing, kayaking, paddleboarding and long swims in water that stays surprisingly warm through August.
On the water
The lake stretches 28 kilometres and offers dozens of organised water-sport hire points; the marina at Savines-le-Lac is the best equipped, with kayak, pedalo, windsurf and electric boat rentals available from May to September.
For a quieter experience, drive to the Presqu'île de Prunières on the eastern shore — a pine-covered peninsula where a small sandy beach remains calmer than the main resort areas, and the view back towards the Embrun mountains is spectacular.
Beyond swimming
The old submerged village of Savines, drowned when the dam was filled in 1960, occasionally reveals its ghostly church tower and rooftops during low-water winters — a haunting reminder of the 2,500 people relocated to build the reservoir.
A 55-kilometre cycling loop circles the entire lake on a well-maintained mixed-surface route; the section between Chorges and Embrun along the northern shore is flat, fast and offers the best mountain backdrops for photographs.
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