Booking choice: The Nice day trip with lake time, from $143 per person. Check dates Tour details
Pont du Galetas is the road bridge where the Verdon leaves the gorge and opens into Lac de Sainte-Croix. Under it, rental bases hire out pedal boats, kayaks and electric boats. The best known, Pédalos chez Nounet, has rented boats here since 1975.
Swimming is another matter. The lake is for swimming. The river inside the canyon, below the dams, is not.
The quick answer
A pedal boat at Pont du Galetas costs €25 an hour for up to five people. Part of the fleet can be booked online a week ahead; the rest is first come, first served. You can go roughly 2 km into the canyon, to a line of yellow buoys. Swim at the lake beaches, never in the river inside the gorge, where EDF dam releases can raise the water within minutes.
Can you pedal boat into the Gorges du Verdon?
Yes, from Pont du Galetas, roughly 2 km up the lower canyon to a line of yellow buoys. Past them, no boats are allowed.
The buoys protect the apron du Rhône, a critically endangered fish that lives in the river above. Allow about two hours for the round trip at an easy pace, with stops to look up. Life jackets are provided and you need no experience.
What you see: limestone walls rising straight out of green water, and plenty of other boats. What you don't: the deep central canyon below Point Sublime and the Route des Crêtes. That part lies far upstream and is only seen from the rim or on foot.
How much does a pedal boat cost at Pont du Galetas?
€25 for one hour at Pédalos chez Nounet, and €25 for each extra hour. Each boat takes up to five people.
Prices as listed by the base:
| Rental | Price per boat | Each, with four on board |
|---|---|---|
| 1 hour | €25 | About €6 |
| 2 hours | €50 | €12.50 |
| 3 hours | €75 | About €19 |
| 4 hours | €100 | €25 |
Pay by card or cash and leave an ID on site as a deposit. The minimum is one hour, and life jackets are compulsory and free for anyone under 18. Two hours is the right length to reach the buoys and come back without rushing. Every boat has a canopy, which you will want in July.
Do you need to book a pedal boat in advance?
Not always, but in July and August it helps. Pédalos chez Nounet takes online bookings up to a week ahead for part of its fleet, and keeps the rest for people who turn up.
- April to June and September: 9:30 to 18:00, first boat out at 9:30, last at 17:00.
- July and August: 9:00 to 19:00, first boat at 9:00, last at 18:00.
- Season: boats run from about early April to late October.
Go early or late in high summer. On a day tour you can't promise an arrival time, so walk up and hope, or skip the boat and swim.
Lake time included: a free afternoon at Lac de Sainte-Croix on the Nice day trip, boat rental extra.
Check dates for the Nice day trip with lake timeWhen are the boats closed?
In strong wind, in thunderstorms and in droughts. The prefecture can close navigation from Pont du Galetas at short notice, and the rental bases stop when the mistral blows hard.
- Wind: gusts can push light boats into the gorge. On Saturday 15 August 2026, storms with gusts of 60 to 80 km/h closed part of the gorge to boats, reported Fréquence Sud.
- Drought: from 5 August 2022, with the water more than 5 m below normal, the prefectures banned swimming and all boats upstream of Pont du Galetas.
- Off season: from about November to March there are no rentals at all.
Check the forecast for wind, not just rain. A sunny, gusty afternoon can end the boating.
Can you swim in the Gorges du Verdon?
In Lac de Sainte-Croix, yes. In the river inside the canyon, no: EDF releases water from the dams upstream at any time, and the level can rise within minutes.
EDF warns that releases happen even in fine weather, covering gravel banks and islands, and ecoguards patrol the Verdon in summer. Swimming is strictly banned along the Blanc-Martel trail. It is also banned in the dam exclusion zones and near water intakes, which are marked by lines of yellow buoys. Further downstream, in the Basses Gorges, the local tourist office warns that the Quinson plant causes sudden changes in level and temperature.
The rule is simple: swim in the lake, at a beach.
Where are the best places to swim at Lac de Sainte-Croix?
At the three supervised beaches, in Sainte-Croix-du-Verdon, Bauduen and Les Salles-sur-Verdon, or at the beach by Pont du Galetas.
The regional tourist board lists the three village beaches as equipped and supervised, each with parking close by. The beach at Pont du Galetas has a large car park and shade, and the canyon view thrown in.
On a tour, bring a swimsuit and a towel. The Aix and Cannes listings both mention swimming at the lake, and the Nice lake day gives free time there.
A swim stop is built in: a Valensole producer, Moustiers, then free time in Lac de Sainte-Croix and the view from Pont du Galetas.
Explore the day trip from Aix Tour detailsIs there time for a pedal boat on a day tour?
Sometimes, for an hour. Most tours give free time at the lake, not two hours at Galetas, and rental is never included.
The Nice lake day lists kayak or pedal boat rental as an option at your own cost, and the Cannes tour mentions canoes, pedal boats and electric boats in summer, also extra. In July and August, the queue can eat your free time before you leave the dock.
The only day with a canyon boat built in is the private boat day from Aix: two hours on an electric boat you drive yourself, with a picnic, $1,430 for up to six.
Two hours on your own electric boat in the canyon, with a Provençal picnic and local wine. Private, up to six.
Explore the boat picnic day from Aix Tour detailsHow else can you get into the water in the Verdon?
With a guide near Castellane: aqua trekking or rafting on the upper river, where the guide picks the stretch and brings the gear.
Aqua trekking with Haute Provence Outdoor lasts 3.5 hours, including a 15-minute walk to the start. You walk, float and swim through gentle rapids to the Tusset bridge, with pools and small optional jumps. Wetsuit, helmet and life jacket are included; groups are eight at most, from age 6, and you need moderate fitness. It rates 4.9 and costs $74.
The meeting point is Camping Huttopia on the Route des Gorges du Verdon outside Castellane, so you need your own way there. See the Verdon without a car.
In the river, safely: 3.5 hours of aqua trekking near Castellane, wetsuit and helmet included.
Check dates for aqua trekking near CastellaneFrequently asked questions
Can you take a dog on a pedal boat at Pont du Galetas?
Yes at Pédalos chez Nounet, as long as you keep an eye on it and clean up after it. Dogs are banned on the Blanc-Martel trail and its shuttle.
Can children go on a pedal boat?
Yes. Life jackets are compulsory and free for under-18s at Pédalos chez Nounet, and up to five people fit in one boat.
Is the water cold in the Verdon?
The lake warms up through the summer and is pleasant for swimming in July and August. The river is another story: dam releases change its level and temperature suddenly, which is one more reason to swim in the lake.
How far can you go by pedal boat into the gorge?
Roughly 2 km from Pont du Galetas, to a line of yellow buoys that protects a rare fish. Allow about two hours there and back.
Ready to book
Choose your day
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before on every option. Prices are from-prices in USD and move with the season.
Gorges du Verdon & Lake Sainte-Croix from Nice
- Pickup at your Nice hotel around 8 a.m.
- Driver-guide in an air-conditioned minibus
- Castellane, Moustiers and Lac de Sainte-Croix
Lavender, Canyon Boat Picnic & Villages from Aix
A private day for up to six, with an electric boat and a picnic
Verdon Aqua Trekking near Castellane
Wade, float and swim the river in a wetsuit, from age 6
