With crescent-shaped pebble beaches, flat rocks and little meadows providing out-of-the-way places where you can set up for the day, other rivers in Occitania / Pyrenees-Mediterranean make great spots for a swim (no lifeguard service) and riverside picnic. This applies to the Célé, whose enchanting course is one of the charms of the Lot département, and also the Aveyron Gorge in places like Najac and Laguépie.
Beaches and open spaces
Midi-Pyrénées also boasts countless lakes, which make fantastic places for swimming. Here are just a few examples. Head for Aveyron, between Rodez and Millau, where you'll find the impressive Lacs du Lévézou, veritable inland seas with a total of 130 km of shoreline and lots of beaches.
Ariège is not to be outdone, with the Lac de Montbel, a 600-hectare lake with just enough of an untamed feel, beautifully crafted by Mother Nature.
In Haute Garonne, near the 'bastide' town of Revel, you can swim in the Lac de Saint Ferréol, created in the 16th century to provide the water supply for the Canal du Midi. Fringed with lawns, sandy beaches and maritime pines, it's like a mini-Mediterranean nestling at the foot of the Montagne Noir. These mountains, full of intensely bright greens and blues, are also the home of the bracing Lac des Montagnès above Castres (Tarn).
Note that most of these lakes also offer various water sports such as canoeing, sailing, wind surfing and more…
The Dordogne Valley, Saint Cirq-Lapopie and the Lac de Saint Ferréol are Great Tourist Sites.