On a hot afternoon there’s not much I like better than to get down to the pool. The views are lovely, and it’s big enough to never feel overcrowded. As well as the 50m main pool, there are indoor and outdoor waterslides, indoor and outdoor children’s areas, sunbathing terraces and a little café by the lake. You can walk from the chalet in about 15–20 minutes, or catch the bus. Opening times and prices here. NB Men need to wear bathing trunks (Speedo or James Bond style equally accepted!) as they won’t let you in with board shorts — if you’ve forgotten, you can buy them at the pool or rent them if you dare.
If you have lunch at the Excelsior hotel, which has a beautiful shaded terrace and excellent food, you can use their pool — a lovely way to spend a relaxing afternoon. It’s just a short walk from the chalet, in Les Tines. Many of the spas in the area also have pools that you can use if you’ve booked a treatment there.
Garden, terrace and pool at the Excelsior Hotel
Combloux, around 40 minutes away, has really interesting project that has just opened — the first ecological lake pool open to swimmers in France, with a running stream, fountain and clear, pure, chemical-free water. Near the village center, surrounded by alpine pastures and wooden chalets, the lake is lined by a wooden deck and green lawn sloping down to the sandy shores. There is a limit of 700 visitors a day to preserve the clarity of the water. Details and more photos on their site
Ecological lake swimming at Combloux, © Combloux TO
You can also swim in Lac Passy (30 mins drive), locally known as as Mont-Blanc Plage, where a flotilla of mini-ferries can be driven around the lake as well — the lake also has barbecue areas, a sloping beach and mini-golf. They often have evening markets at summer weekends, and there’s always a good atmosphere — it’s a popular local family spot.
Lac Passy in summer — Copyright Passy Tourist office
These lower lakes are the nicest places to swim, as the high mountain lakes are generally a bit on the chilly side, though the bold may want to dip in on a hot day! Lac Cheserys is one of the better known spots — it’s an amazing setting as you can see in this lovely photo, or this one here.
Lac des Chéserys, Massif des Aiguilles Rouges: Photo de Robert Dalaudiere
The truly hardcore can go for a Lac Blanc swim but I think a few minutes is really the maximum for this — I’ve never got further than dipping my toes in, though I did once see some very proud Swiss in there with their flag for an impressive amount of time when it was still partially iced over!
The river Arve in Chamonix is highly dangerous — fast-flowing, deep and cold — but there is a separate, smaller stream that runs though the idyllic paddling place of the Paradis des Praz, a short walk from the chalet, where there are also rope swings, log bridges, pony rides and a small café — it’s a lovely shady spot, idea for smaller children to play.
For a bit more activity, there are plenty of companies offering white water rafting, canyoning and hydrospeeding in Chamonix.
