Photo : Thythy / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Le Lac de Sainte Croix du Verdon
Lac de Sainte-Croix is an artificial reservoir on the Verdon, between the départements of Var and Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, at the entrance of the Verdon gorges. It was born from the building of the Sainte-Croix dam by EDF, filled from August 1973 and reaching its final level on 15 November 1973. With about 22 km², or 2,200 hectares, about ten kilometres long, 3 km wide and up to 93 metres deep, it is the largest of the Verdon lakes and the fourth in mainland France by area.
It borders the villages of Sainte-Croix-du-Verdon, Bauduen and Les Salles-sur-Verdon, whose original village was drowned and rebuilt higher up. The lake is a hotspot for water sports: sailing, windsurfing, catamaran, pedalo, canoe-kayak, fishing and boat trips. Only electric motors and sails are allowed, petrol engines being banned. Nearby stretches the Valensole plateau, known for its lavender.
