Lake Annecy has many fantastic beaches to relax, spend the day or a few hours and enjoy water sports. Our customers who camp with us often ask us which beach is best to visit, and it’s a difficult question as it depends on what your priorities and preferences are. So we’d like to share our top tips for your camping holiday in Annecy, and our favorite beaches on Lake Annecy :
Best beach overlooking Lake Annecy – Angon
If you have to visit a beach on Lake Annecy during your visit or family weekend, this is probably the best! It’s hard to say, but we’d have to say that Angon is our favorite beach on Lake Annecy! It’s got the view, it’s got giant trees for shade and for swimming it’s simply magical! It’s the position and the views, looking towards Mont Charbon behind Doussard is spectacular!
On Angon beach, you’ll find a nice little snack bar, serving snacks, drinks and ice creams, toilets and changing rooms, a volleyball area and a pontoon to enter the water quietly with floating pontoons for jumping! In high season, admission is charged and there are lifeguards to ensure your safety. The beach is grassy with plenty of shaded picnic areas and a stream, which acts as a natural paddling pool for toddlers.
Parking on this beach is free and plentiful (if the parking lot on the left side of the road is full, you can park opposite on the other side of the road and there’s always enough space even on the busiest days.
Positive points: Swimming at Angon is particularly pleasant, the water is very clear here and the views are spectacular. The toilets are also very clean here and there are plenty of them!
Negative points: To get to Angon, you really have to take the car (the cycle path to here from Doussard, is not yet finished and there are dangerous parts on the road which make it only suitable for experienced cyclists and certainly not for those with children!).
Best beach for those who don’t want to take the car: Doussard
Doussard plage is a free beach located at the end of the lake within easy walking distance of our campsites, making it one of our customers’ favorites. In high season, the beach is supervised and free of charge. However, dogs are never allowed.
There are 2 areas at Doussard beach; the grassy area with volleyball court and the beach (fine gravel and stones). The beach has a play area and snack bar, and there’s a floating pontoon for diving.
If you’ve got paddles or canoes, the beach at Doussard is a great place to go, and you can paddle around the magnificent nature reserve. Or rent your equipment at “Ponton Déronzier” or “Club Nautique, Doussard”.
Tip – Have a picnic one evening and go and sit on the beach to look at the beautiful colors on the mountains and don’t forget to visit the nature reserve at the end of the beach (it’s fantastic for a bit of a walk and is stroller / wheelchair friendly).
Positive points: You can walk or cycle from Camping La Ravoire & Camping Les Fontaines to this beach via the cycle path and the ride is very pleasant!
Negative points: If you want to drive to this beach, you have to pay to park in the large parking lot at the entrance.
Ideal for families with young children: St Jorioz beach
Located 30min by bike / 15min by car from our campsites, the beach at St Jorioz is the best in everything: sand, views and safe swimming, and is highly recommended for families with young children. It’s the only sandy beach on Lake Annecy and was awarded the “Pavillon Bleu” label in 2010. Beautiful views of the Tournette mountains (the highest on Lake Annecy) and the Roc de Chère.
Enjoy the sandy beach with your children and relax under the shady trees on the lawn behind the beach. There’s a volleyball and petanque court, and at the water’s edge there are diving boards, pontoons and a paddling pool for the kids.
There’s also a snack bar, toilets and showers, and the beach is also accessible to people with reduced mobility, with a ramp and 2 amphibious chairs.
The parking lot next to the beach is free and spacious, and you can usually find a space there. In high season, the beach is supervised and admission is charged.
Good tips: the great thing about this beach is that from the harbor right next door, you can take a lovely walk along the “sentier des Roselières”.
Positive points: The best reason to go there is the sand which is really great for young children!
Negative points: The actual views from this mountain beach are in our opinion not the best views of Lake Annecy, for the views we prefer the others!
Best beach for families with teenagers – Talloires
Talloires beach is a lively beach with beautiful mountain views and a large sunny lawn leading down to the lake. Many trees also provide shade. Great for young children. There are also diving boards and a slide in the lake! The resort has 2 children’s pools supervised by lifeguards in high season.
In high season, lifeguards are on duty and there is a small charge to enter the beach. Dogs are not allowed.
You can find the following activities / facilities available at Talloires beach:
- Snack bar -Toilets -Large swimming pool and children’s pool supervised by a lifeguard
- Plunge pool and slide
- Wading pool for children
- Beach volleyball – Petanque court. (Volleyballs and table tennis rackets are available on loan).
- Nautical center (located on the beach) with paddleboards and kayaks available for rental
Positive points: The biggest advantage of Tailloires is the unobstructed view and the position of this beach – the view here is particularly beautiful in our opinion!
Negative points: The negative point of going to Les Tailloires beach is that parking can be difficult and in high season you have to go early in the morning to find a parking space!
Doussard plage is a free beach located at Bout du Lac within walking distance of our campsites, which makes it one of our guests’ favorites. In high season, the beach is supervised and free of charge. Dogs are never allowed, however.
Top tip for Lake Annecy beaches: weekends, and especially Sundays, are always the busiest days on Lake Annecy beaches, so if you can, avoid choosing a weekend day as a beach day and you’ll find it less crowded!
These are our most beautiful beaches on Lake Annecy when you visit our campsites! What about you? If you’ve already visited Lake Annecy, tell us what you think! What are your favorite beaches on Lake Annecy and why? Tell us on Facebook / Instagram – tag us in your photos @campingsannecy and we’ll introduce you!