Sweet beaches of Ardèche Hermitage

The Lake of Champos

A sandy beach, a large shaded area with trees, a supervised swimming area: welcome to the Champos leisure centre! Located between the towns of Saint Donat sur l'Herbasse and Charmes sur l'Herbasse, the lake of Champos is the perfect place for a family outing. Spend an afternoon or even a day there, sit and relax on the sandy beach by the lake or in the shade of the trees, enjoy your picnic and relax.

You will find there various activities to please the whole family! Water slides are available for the children and a pool with water jets is reserved for the youngest ones. The leisure area also offers canoe and pedalo hire as well as paddle boarding.  A playground and beach volleyball court are also located right next to the lake.

The Champos lake leisure centre allows you to spend a day at the water's edge with comfort, tranquillity and activities for the whole family.

More about Lake of Champos 

Ah ! The swimming pool !

The Linaë Aquatic Centre* is a place dedicated to leisure and relaxation! The sports pool (25m) is ideal for those who love to swim laps, the play pool will please the whole family and the paddling pool is perfect for the little ones! Everyone will be charmed by this place! A water slide with 3 lanes is also accessible all year round. During the summer, the pool has a roof that can be partly opened. Outside, a water playground with atomisers and water jets will delight children for sure.  If you enjoy sunbathing, a solarium with sunbeds are also accessible on the site. The Linaë aquatic centre also has a fitness area with cardio, fitness and weight machines as well as a wellness area with hammam, sauna and jacuzzi. You can relax during your holidays in Ardèche Hermitage.

Linaë

If you prefer an open air pool, the pool in Saint Victor is open during the 3 months of summer. It is supervised and very affordable! With a large pool and a paddling pool, you will find everything you need to refresh the whole family. We all have good memories of the municipal swimming pool, don't we? Do not hesitate!

* Reopening on 9 June unless otherwise indicated by the government.

Bathing in a natural environment

Discover the Doux river, an affluent of the Rhône, and its exceptional landscapes. Between Arlebosc and Colombier le Vieux, a pretty road (D209) runs alongside the river. There are a few nice places for a little break. However, wild swimming is not supervised, so be careful. The real pleasure here is to find your own little corner of paradise, to enjoy the singing of the birds, the lapping of the water, the sun that warms the sand of the beaches, the wind that plays in the trees, the laughter of the children and the whistle of the Mastrou. That's what holidays in Ardèche Hermitage are all about.  However, it is important to respect private property as well as the environment (collect your rubbish properly) and the ban on fires during dry periods.

The Daronne, a small tributary river of the Doux, is renowned for its beautiful and protected gorges, which also have some lovely beaches. It is ideal for picnics by the water's edge and for soaking your feet in, as the low water flow does not allow for real swimming. For hiking enthusiasts, the Daronne Gorges is definitely a must !

So what about “Douce Plage” in all this ?

An open-air café, also called "guinguette" in French, was instrumental in the success of the place called "Douce Plage". Tourists come from all over the region to enjoy this place.

Since 1995, a municipal decree prohibits swimming and diving at the place called "Douce Plage" as well as at the “Pont de César” for safety reasons due to a low water level, a risk of drowning and the absence of a car park to welcome bathers correctly and without danger.

Municipal decree prohibiting swimming at the place called "Douce Plage"

Are you ready? Just a quick checklist before you leave: sun cream, beach towel, swimsuit, water shoes, anti-UV t-shirt, parasol, hat... Yes, do not forget to protect yourself from the sun, we are already in the south!

The mild evenings are beautiful in Ardèche Hermitage, so do not hesitate to consult our agenda for outings with your partner, friends or family.