Ten (western) Swiss beaches you can't 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 their shores are surrounded by beautiful beaches with crystal clear water, like the ones I show you in this post.
The exceptional circumstances this year have put paid to many of our travel plans to remote destinations. However, it's the perfect opportunity to explore local places that we often dismiss as not exotic enough.
If you'll be spending this summer in Switzerland, here's a list of some of my favorite beaches. It's by no means exhaustive and focuses mainly on the beaches near Geneva, where we usually go with the kids, but I guarantee you'll find them fantastic.
1st Gletterens beach, near Neuchâtel
Let's start with the beach where I took the pictures for this post. It's the furthest from Geneva (about an hour and a half by car), but definitely worth the trip. Gletterens beach is located in the Grande Cariçaie, an area that includes eight Swiss nature reserves stretching along the southern shore of Lake Neuchâtel. It is home to around 800 plant species and 10,000 animal species.
As it is located in 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 that immediately reminded me of the ones in the Florida Everglades. You won't find a bar, so remember to bring a picnic.
2. beach of Céligny, Céligny
This is our favorite beach. Although tiny, it has everything you need for a perfect family day out. Thanks to its small size, it's not so easy to lose sight of the children, which is a great advantage. It has grass, shade, some sand for the kids to play on, a lovely 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 hire paddle boards.
3rd 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 kids. It's ideal for eating while the kids play in the park before going for a swim.
4th Prévérenges beach, near Morges
This beach near Morges is really beautiful: it is large and sandy and has a spectacular pontoon. It's one of the beaches where I almost feel like I'm by the sea. It also has a restaurant and you can hire water sports equipment. The sunset is impressive.
5th beach of Hermance, near Geneva
This beautiful beach is located on the left bank of Lake Geneva, almost on the border with France. It has everything you need for a great day out: a garden with trees providing shade for those who don't want to lie in the sun all day, a playground right on the lakeshore, a beach bar... There is a campsite next to the beach. You can even go diving!
6th Promenthoux beach, Prangins
It's small, there's not a lot of sand and you have to pay to get in, but the bar is open until late and offers a spectacular sunset. It's an ideal place for a late afternoon swim followed by dinner.
7th beach of Falaise, Gland
Another of my recent discoveries. This beach is hidden under a small hill, next to the Schilliger garden center, and the view is spectacular. It has little sand, but the grassy area overlooking the lake is ideal for sunbathing.
There is also a restaurant next door and an area with tables for picnics.
8th Reposoir beach, Geneva
This is a Geneva classic, but I didn't want to leave it off my list because at certain times of the day it can be surprisingly quiet and there are very few people around. Then it's great! A bar/restaurant by the lake serves food all day (something rare in Switzerland) and you can easily cycle there from Geneva.
9th Avenches beach, Lake Murten
This beach on Lake Murten is another of our recent discoveries. It's about an hour and a half from Geneva and is located within the Avenches campsite. We particularly loved its very soft sand, its shallow water (you can walk many meters - ideal for children), the real park and the access to all the bars and restaurants of the campsite, even if you are not staying there.
10. beach and swimming pool of Colovray, Nyon
There's nothing better than a pool by the lake. At Colovray, you'll find a heated outdoor pool for children, a 50-metre pool, a playground with water jets for the little ones, a park, a beach volleyball area, a table tennis table and much more...
Translated from the original by Marta Villacampa via https://lensandsensibility.com/blog/
