The most beautiful beaches in Western Switzerland

Ten (West)Swiss beaches you must not miss this summer

When you think of Switzerland, snow is usually the first thing that comes to mind, but the country is rarely associated with beaches. Switzerland has no sea, but its 175 lakes (not bad for such a small country!) and its shores are surrounded by beautiful beaches with crystal clear water, like the ones I will show you in this article.

The extraordinary circumstances this year have ruined many of our travel plans to remote destinations. However, it is the perfect opportunity to explore local places that we often dismiss as not exotic enough.

If you are going to spend this summer in Switzerland, here is a list of some of my favourite beaches. It is by no means conclusive and focuses mainly on the beaches near Geneva, where we usually go with the kids, but I guarantee you will find them fantastic.

1. Gletterens beach, near Neuchâtel

Let's start with the beach where I took the pictures for this article. It is the farthest from Geneva (about an hour and a half by car), but it is definitely worth the trip. The beach of Gletterens is located in the Grande Cariçaie, an area comprising eight Swiss nature reserves that extend along the southern shore of Lake Neuchâtel. It is home to around 800 plant species and 10,000 animal species.

As it is a nature reserve, it is very well preserved and you can combine your visit with a walk, watching exotic birds and enjoying nature.

To get there, you have to walk for a while (10 minutes) on beautiful wooden pontoons, which immediately reminded me of those in the Florida Everglades. You will not find a bar, so remember to bring a picnic.

2. beach of Céligny, Céligny

This is our favourite beach. Although tiny, it offers everything you need for a perfect family day. Thanks to its small size, you won't easily lose sight of the children, which is a great advantage. It has grass, shade, some sand for the children to play on, a nice pontoon with rocks and last but not least a beach bar, La Belle Célignote, with great cocktails and a very friendly owner. You can also rent paddleboards.

3. beach of Crans, Crans-près-Céligny

The beach is tiny, but it has a huge garden, a volleyball court and a lakeside restaurant with a playground for the children. It is ideal for eating while the children play in the park before going swimming.

4. beach of Prévérenges, near Morges

This beach near Morges is really beautiful: it's big and sandy and has a spectacular pontoon. It's one of the beaches where I feel almost like I'm at the sea. It also has a restaurant and you can rent water sports equipment. The sunset is impressive.

5. beach of Hermance, near Geneva

This beautiful beach is located on the left bank of Lake Geneva, almost on the border to France. It offers everything you need for a nice day: a garden with trees that provide shade, for those who don't want to lie in the sun all day, a playground right on the lakeshore, a beach bar... Next to the beach, there is a camping site. You can even go diving!

6. Promenthoux beach, Prangins

It is small, there is not much sand and you have to pay to get in, but the bar is open until late and offers a spectacular sunset. It is an ideal place for a late afternoon swim followed by dinner.

7. beach of Falaise, Gland

Another of my recent discoveries. This beach is hidden under a small hill, next to the garden centre Schilliger, and the view is spectacular. It has little sand, but the lawn overlooking the lake is ideal for sunbathing.

Next door there is also a restaurant and an area with tables for picnics.

8. Reposoir beach, Geneva

This is a Geneva classic, but I didn't want to cross it off my list, because at certain times of the day it can be surprisingly quiet with very few people around. Which is great! A bar/restaurant on the lake serves food all day long (something rare in Switzerland) and you can easily get there by bike from Geneva.

9. beach of Avenches, Lake Murten

This beach at Lake Murten is another of our latest discoveries. It is about an hour and a half from Geneva and is located inside the Avenches campsite. We especially loved its very soft sand, shallow water (you can walk in many meters - ideal for children), the real park and the access to all the bars and restaurants of the campsite, even if you're not staying there overnight.

10. beach and swimming pool of Colovray, Nyon

There is nothing more beautiful than a pool by the lake. In Colovray you will find a heated outdoor pool for children, a 50-metre pool, a playground with water jets for the little ones, a park, a beach volley area, table tennis and much more...

Translated from the original by Marta Villacampa via https://lensandsensibility.com/blog/