Lake of Sainte-Croix
Lake of Sainte-Croix is a turquoise lake at the entrance to the Verdon Gorge. It has gentle shores, a calm character, and small beaches. It is a good place to understand the transition between the open space of the lake and the more enclosed canyon landscape.
What the sources say
The Lake of Sainte-Croix (French: Lac de Sainte-Croix; Occitan: Lac de Santa Croza) is a reservoir in Southern France that was formed by the construction, between 1971 and 1974 (when it was put into service), of a reinforced-concrete arch dam, the Sainte-Croix Dam [fr]. It marks the departmental border between Var to the southeast and Alpes-de-Haute-Provence to the northwest.
Geography
The reservoir is fed by the Verdon river, at the outlet of the Verdon Gorge. It holds a maximum of 761 million cubic metres of water. The dam, which generates 142 million kWh of electricity per year, is 94 metres high, 7.5 metres thick at its base and 3 metres thick at its crest.
The village of Les Salles-sur-Verdon stands by the lake; it was rebuilt on the shore after the original lower village was destroyed to make room for the reservoir. Other villages around the lake are Bauduen and Sainte-Croix-du-Verdon. The lake comprises a sole island, the Île de Costebelle (Island of Costebelle), part of the commune of Les Salles-sur-Verdon.
Wikipedia, „Lake of Sainte-Croix” (CC BY-SA 4.0), wikipedia.org, 2026/01/09.
My opinion
Lake of Sainte-Croix is one of those places that clearly show the difference between a “nice point on the map” and a place where you actually want to stay longer. It is not just a lake near the Verdon Gorge, but a calm space where the landscape does all the work, without the need for additional attractions.
This is not about pace or ticking off highlights. It is more about slowing down, stepping out of constant motion, and simply being in a landscape that is sufficient on its own.
Lake and Verdon Gorge – a natural connection
Lake of Sainte-Croix was created as a reservoir on the Verdon River and today forms a natural continuation of what begins higher up in the Gorges du Verdon. The turquoise colour of the water is not accidental – it is the result of the rock composition and the depth of the lake.
Unlike the gorge itself, which can be intense and highly touristic, the lake offers more space. You can simply sit by the water, kayak, or use a pedal boat without feeling any pressure to move on.
Calm instead of adrenaline
Although often associated with water sports, in practice Lake of Sainte-Croix attracts people looking for a calm alternative to the crowded resorts of the French Riviera. The lack of loud infrastructure, large distances between villages, and the natural surroundings all play their role.
It is a good stop for those who want to see Verdon, but do not necessarily want intensive viewpoints or crowds at observation points.
Is it worth coming here
If someone expects a city, promenades, and restaurants at every step, this is not the right place. But if landscape, silence, and space matter, Lake of Sainte-Croix meets those expectations very consistently.
It works well as:
- a calm stage of a trip deeper into Provence,
- a break between visiting Verdon and returning to the coast,
- a place to “breathe”, without a fixed plan for the day.
Lac de Sainte-Croix gallery
Lac de Sainte-Croix on map
How this place fits into my tours
This place appears in my routes when it naturally fits the day, the direction of travel, and the season. Sometimes it is one of the main points of the tour; other times it is a quiet stage along the way. It all depends on how the day is planned.
I treat ready-made tours as a starting point, not a closed script. If something needs to be shortened, extended, reordered, or combined with another place, we adjust as we go. We don’t move “from point to point”—we build a day that makes sense and feels comfortable.
You can see this place in tours such as:
If none of the ready-made routes fits perfectly, a tailor-made tour offers full flexibility. We can focus on one place, combine several stops, or build the day entirely from scratch. I take care of the route and logistics, and the plan is adjusted to you—not the other way around.
Tour: Verdon Gorge
We travel to Verdon Gorge and Lake Sainte-Croix, where the water shifts from turquoise to deep green and the canyon walls reveal a scale photos cannot capture. Along the way there are viewpoints, small towns and places where you naturally want to stop and take it all in.
Tour: A Day Exclusively for You
This is a day without a preset plan. We can focus on one place, combine several towns or follow a specific theme. The route is shaped entirely around what you want to see – Nice, the coast, the hills or less obvious locations away from the main routes.
