Lyon Beaches: 4 Lake Shores for a Swimming Day

Published on Updated on 6 min read
A sandy beach beside Lac des Eaux Bleues, with the lake beyond.
A beach on Lac des Eaux Bleues in Grand Parc Miribel-Jonage, east of Lyon.

For a natural-swimming day near Lyon, head to Lac des Eaux Bleues in Grand Parc Miribel-Jonage. Its four recognised beaches offer different days out: Morlet for a simple swim and picnic, L’atol’ for sand and facilities, Baraka for a calmer setting and Fontanil for a beach visit beside nature walks.

Choose your beach around its supervised swimming season, not just whether the shore is open. Seasonal buses make the park easier to reach from central Lyon, but outside their service windows, the bus journey involves a substantial walk.

Morlet, L’atol’, Baraka or Fontanil?

CriterionMorletL’atol’BarakaFontanil
Shore and water entryGravel; rough footingWhite sand; sandy entryGravel; rough footingGravel; rough footing
AdmissionFreePaid in seasonFreeFree
Choose it forSimple swim and picnicSand, play and facilitiesCalmer lakeside dayBeach and nature walk
From Bellecour: off-season bus and walkabout 20 km; about an hour and a halfabout 20 km; about an hour and a halfabout 21 km; about an hour and a halfabout 21 km; about an hour and a half
From Bellecour: drive and final walk (L’atol’: driving to arrival point only)about 20 km; about three quarters of an hourabout 19 km; about 36 minutesabout 17 km; about 41 minutesabout 20 km; about three quarters of an hour

These four beaches on Lac des Eaux Bleues in Grand Parc Miribel-Jonage offer natural swimming near Lyon. Choose L’atol’ for sand and facilities, or Morlet for a straightforward free outing. The off-season connections above are separate from the seasonal park buses. Sand is easier underfoot than gravel, but children’s play equipment is a shore-side attraction: supervise children closely in the water.

Plage du Morlet

Plage du Morlet makes a practical choice when swimming and a picnic matter more than organised activities. Bring water shoes for the gravel footing at the water’s edge. A towel and picnic kit suit this simple outing. You need not build the day around the leisure base.

From Grand Parc Le Morlet bus stop, the final approach is about 150 metres, about 2 minutes on foot. If you drive to the main park arrival area used for Morlet, leave room for a longer walk: about 900 metres, about 12 minutes. Keep picnic luggage easy to carry rather than assuming you can unload directly beside the water.

Name
Plage du Morlet
Location
All. du Morlet, Vaulx-en-Velin Maps
Essential fact
A gravel beach on Lac des Eaux Bleues in Grand Parc Miribel-Jonage, near the park’s ford.
The shore and water at Plage du Morlet in Grand Parc de Miribel-Jonage.
Plage du Morlet on the Lac des Eaux Bleues, in Grand Parc de Miribel-Jonage near Lyon.
Romainbehar · CC0 · Edited

L’atol’ Plage

L’atol’ Plage offers imported white sand and a sandy water entry, with children’s play equipment and sports facilities to give the day more variety. Choose it for the sand and shore-side facilities, and supervise children closely when they enter the water.

Admission, 09:00–17:30
€8.50 ages 12+; €4 ages 4–11
Admission after 17:30
€5 ages 12+; €2.50 ages 4–11
Under 4
Free; ticket collected at reception, not reserved online
Daily opening in operating season
09:00–20:00

Admission includes available beach furniture, changing rooms, showers and children’s play equipment, alongside outdoor table tennis, volleyball and pétanque. Furniture is subject to availability, so arriving with a towel still makes sense. Other land and water activities, and equipment rentals beyond the included facilities, cost extra.

Shore and amenity access is free from 7 September 2026, including the changing rooms and showers. For a swimming visit, plan around L’atol’s supervised season.

From Grand Parc Le Morlet bus stop, walk about 750 metres, about 10 minutes, to L’atol’. By car, head to the L’atol’ arrival point on Chemin de la Bletta. This brings you to the leisure base rather than the main arrival area used for the Morlet approach.

Name
L’atol’ Plage
Location
Chem. de la Bletta, Vaulx-en-Velin Maps
Essential fact
The sandy beach at L’atol’ leisure base on Lac des Eaux Bleues in Grand Parc Miribel-Jonage.

Plage de la Baraka

Plage de la Baraka is the choice for a calmer beach day away from the leisure base, with a different view across the lake. Choose Baraka when the shore itself is the attraction, rather than a programme of play equipment and sports. Gravel footing continues into the water entry, so water shoes are useful here too.

From Grand Parc Le Morlet bus stop, the approach is about 1 km, about 14 minutes on foot. Driving to Baraka’s own parking area puts you much closer: the final walk is about 150 metres, about 2 minutes. That shorter carry is helpful if you bring a picnic.

Name
Plage de la Baraka
Location
Chemin des grands, Vaulx-en-Velin Maps
Essential fact
A gravel beach on Lac des Eaux Bleues in Grand Parc Miribel-Jonage.

Plage du Fontanil

Plage du Fontanil suits a day split between the water and a nature walk. Combine the beach with Promenade des Colverts, beside the Grands Vernes nature area, rather than making facilities the focus of your outing. The gravel water entry calls for careful footing, so pack walking footwear as well as whatever you wear for swimming.

From Grand Parc Le Morlet bus stop, the final walk is about 1.5 km, about 20 minutes. From Fontanil parking, allow about 1.1 km, about 15 minutes on foot. Keep your beach kit light enough for that approach and for any walk you add afterwards.

Name
Plage du Fontanil
Location
Plage du Fontanil, All. de la Plage, Vaulx-en-Velin Maps
Essential fact
A gravel beach on Lac des Eaux Bleues in Grand Parc Miribel-Jonage, near the Grands Vernes nature area.
The shore at Plage du Fontanil in Grand Parc de Miribel-Jonage.
Plage du Fontanil, one of the lake beaches in Grand Parc de Miribel-Jonage near Lyon.
Romainbehar · CC0 · Edited

Lake access and swimming seasons

Metro from Bellecour
A to Vaulx-en-Velin La Soie
Seasonal park buses from La Soie
N83: 28 March–30 August; N180 to Grand Parc Le Morlet: 31 August–27 September
TCL single journey
“1 voyage”, all zones crossed; from €1.60, depending on zones
Ticket validity
1 hour for 2 zones; 2 hours for 3 or more zones
Parking
Free at Grand Parc, including Morlet, L’atol’ and Fontanil
Morlet water, 2026
Unclassified; latest sample good, 17 August 2026
L’atol’ water, 2026
All listed samples good; latest 24 August 2026
Baraka water, 2026
All listed samples good; latest 24 August 2026
Fontanil water, 2026
Latest sample good, 17 August 2026

Use the seasonal buses for a swimming-day visit. N83 serves Le Morlet, L’atol’ and Le Fontanil. The off-season alternative runs via C15 and 107 to Vaulx Louis Duclos, followed by a long walk to the Grand Parc arrival point. Metro A from Bellecour to La Soie takes about 23 minutes over about 8.4 km. The onward bus-and-walk connection to the park arrival point takes about an hour over about 11 km.

The ticket permits transfers and return trips. Validate each time you board. You may finish after expiry if your last validation was within the ticket’s validity period. Leave room in your day for interchange waits and for the return journey.

Choose the car arrival area for your beach, rather than simply heading to the park. The main arrival area for Morlet leaves you with a longer carry to the shore than Baraka’s parking, so pack your picnic and swimming kit accordingly.

  • For Morlet, drive to the main park arrival area: about 19 km, about 36 minutes from Bellecour, then take the beach approach described above.
  • For L’atol’, drive directly to its leisure-base arrival point.
  • For Baraka parking, the drive is about 17 km, about 39 minutes from Bellecour.
  • For Fontanil parking, the drive is about 18 km, about 35 minutes from Bellecour.

For the Rhône and Saône, bathing rules depend on the municipality: swimming is prohibited on stretches covered by municipal bans, rather than throughout both rivers. Bathing is also prohibited in the Canal de Jonage and other artificial waterways, at dams and locks, and in Port Édouard-Herriot. Use a designated lake beach for your swimming day, rather than treating a central riverbank as an alternative.

Outside the supervised season, one day in Lyon offers a central sightseeing alternative, with the old town and the city’s major sights instead of a lake swim.

Sources & fact-checking

Checks against the sources below cover: fares and charges and services.

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