Lac de Serre-Ponçon: Paragliding, Camping & Slow Summer Days

There are places that are beautiful in photographs, and then there are places that make you want to stay a little longer once you arrive.

Lac de Serre-Ponçon is definitely the second kind.

Surrounded by the mountains of the Southern Alps, the lake has that almost unbelievable blue-green colour that changes with the light. One moment it is deep blue, the next turquoise. Mountains rise behind it, little roads twist along the shore, and somehow everything feels a little slower here.

It is the kind of place where you start the morning without much of a plan.

Maybe coffee outside.

Maybe a swim.

Maybe a drive around the lake.

And sometimes, you simply sit there and watch people jump off a mountain and fly over the lake.

Yes, really.

Watching the Paragliders at Saint-Vincent-les-Forts

One of my favourite memories from Serre-Ponçon was at Saint-Vincent-les-Forts, high above the lake.

The village is already worth coming to for the view alone. From up there, the landscape opens into mountains, valleys and an enormous stretch of blue water below.

But then you notice the colourful shapes moving through the sky.

Paragliders.

Saint-Vincent-les-Forts is a well-known paragliding location overlooking the Ubaye Valley and Lac de Serre-Ponçon. Flights from here can pass above the village, its fort and Vauban tower before opening onto views of the surrounding mountains and lake.

Standing safely back and watching from the ground was already quite an experience.

There is something strangely peaceful about it.

A person runs for a few seconds, the canopy catches the air, and suddenly they are floating above the mountains.

From below, it looks almost effortless.

I am not sure my stomach would describe it quite so peacefully if I were the one up there, though. 😄

For me, simply watching was enough — colourful paragliders drifting through an enormous blue sky, with the lake far below.

It is one of those scenes that stays in your head long after you leave.

Staying Right Beside the Lake at Huttopia

For this kind of trip, I like accommodation that keeps you close to nature.

Huttopia Lac de Serre-Ponçon does exactly that.

The campsite sits directly beside the lake, surrounded by mountains, with camping pitches as well as canvas-and-wood tents, chalets, roulottes and other ready-to-camp accommodation.

But what I loved most wasn’t really a particular facility.

It was waking up and remembering where we were.

Lake.

Mountains.

Trees.

Fresh air.

No complicated schedule waiting for us.

You can spend the morning near the water, come back for lunch, disappear for a little nap and head outside again later when the afternoon starts cooling down.

Huttopia also has direct summer access to the lake and its water-sports base, as well as a swimming pool overlooking the surrounding landscape.

But holidays here don’t necessarily need to be packed with activities.

Sometimes the best plan is having no plan at all.

And Then There Is the Bar…

One of our favourite little places at the campsite was the cool bar area we called Pope.

Nothing fancy.

And that was exactly why I liked it.

After a day outside, there is something particularly nice about finding a table on the terrace, ordering something refreshing and simply staying there for a while.

The official Huttopia Café-Comptoir is set around a large outdoor terrace overlooking the pool. During the summer season, there are food trucks serving simple things such as pizzas and sharing boards.

It has exactly the sort of atmosphere I want on a camping holiday.

You don’t need to dress up.

You don’t need to go anywhere.

You just sit outside, talk about what you did that day, decide vaguely what you might do tomorrow…and then completely forget to make an actual plan.

Those are often my favourite evenings.

A Lake Made for Slow Days

Of course, there is plenty to do around Lac de Serre-Ponçon.

You can swim, paddle, canoe, walk, cycle and explore the little villages scattered around the lake. The surrounding mountains also offer countless hiking possibilities.

But I think Serre-Ponçon is equally good at doing something else:

making you slow down.

Drive around the lake and stop when a view catches your eye.

Take your coffee outside.

Stay a little longer after lunch.

Sit beside the water when everyone else has gone back to their campsite.

Watch the mountains change colour as the sun gets lower.

Not every beautiful day needs an itinerary.

Saint-Vincent-les-Forts Is Worth the Detour

Even if paragliding isn’t part of your plans, I would still include Saint-Vincent-les-Forts when exploring this side of the lake.

There is a walking route from Huttopia up towards the village and fort, and from the heights you can look across the lake and surrounding landscape.

It also gives you a completely different perspective.

Down beside the water, Serre-Ponçon feels enormous.

From the mountains above, you finally see how the lake sits between the peaks, following the valleys through the landscape.

And when a few paragliders appear against the blue sky, the whole scene becomes even better.

The Kind of Summer I Want to Remember

When I think about Lac de Serre-Ponçon, I don’t really remember one big attraction.

I remember little things.

The colour of the water.

The mountains reflected in the lake.

Watching paragliders floating above Saint-Vincent-les-Forts.

Walking back through the campsite.

Sitting outside at the bar at the end of the day.

And that lovely feeling of not needing to rush anywhere.

Maybe that is what travelling slowly means to me.

Not necessarily travelling farther or staying for weeks.

Just giving ourselves enough time to notice where we are.

And Lac de Serre-Ponçon makes that very easy.

Chez Thao Hoang 🌿
Travel slowly. Make ordinary life beautiful.