The finest beaches on Lake Geneva with children: from Geneva to Rolle

Sand, pebbles or shaded lawn: Lake Geneva hides dozens of beaches where you can spend a summer day as a family without breaking the bank. We have gathered our favourites between Geneva and Rolle here, all tested with children.

Most are free, many are reachable by public transport, and each has its own character: shallow water for the youngest, jetties for jumpers, kiosks for improvised snacks.

On the Geneva side: the bay and its surroundings

• Baby-Plage, in Eaux-Vives: the name says it all. Sand, shallow water and a playground a stone’s throw away, right in the heart of the city. Free.
• Genève-Plage, at Port-Noir in Cologny: the great Geneva institution, combining outdoor pools, shaded lawns and a beach on the lake.
• The Belotte beach, in Cologny: a little corner of water and rocks with no crowds and no entrance ticket, easy to reach by bus.
• The beach in Hermance: pebbles, a shaded lawn, a kiosk and supervised swimming at the foot of a medieval village. One of our favourites for a full day.
• Port-Choiseul, in Versoix: a large wooded park at the water’s edge, free, perfect for a picnic.
• The beach in Céligny: between a small harbour and shaded grass, a quiet spot with a view of the Alps.
• The Vengeron beach, in Bellevue: a large free lawn by Lake Geneva, with a pontoon, a kiosk and a playground, very well served by public transport.
• The Reposoir beach, in Pregny-Chambésy: free public access to the lake facing Mont Blanc, with a big sandpit that delights the youngest.
• The Pointe-à-la-Bise beach, in Collonge-Bellerive: a lawn shaded by willows at the water’s edge, alongside a nature reserve where you can watch water birds.

On the Terre Sainte and La Côte side

• The beach in Mies: a large shaded lawn, shallow edges, a playground and barbecue areas. A simple, free day by the lake.
• The Promenthoux beach, in Prangins: real sand, shallow water and a summer kiosk. Ideal with little ones.
• The Trois-Jetées beach, in Nyon: quiet swimming, jumping off the jetties for older children and a lovely playground right next door.
• The La Falaise beach, in Gland: municipal, free and away from the traffic, with table tennis for breaks.
• The La Dullive beach, between Gland and Rolle: a well-kept secret of La Côte, intimate and quiet. Note that swimming is not supervised.
• The beach in Rolle: free entry, a playground, a lawn and a kiosk a stone’s throw from the centre. The summer meeting point for Rolle families.
• The Place d’Armes beach, in Saint-Prex: a large shaded lawn, a playground and a floating pontoon in summer, all free, at the foot of a pretty medieval village.

Pushing a little further towards Morges and Lausanne, two fine sandy beaches are also worth the detour:

• The beach in Préverenges: one of the largest sandy beaches in the canton, where the water stays shallow for tens of metres. Perfect with young children.
• The Pélican beach, in Saint-Sulpice: a small gravel beach and a large shaded lawn, free to access, a stone’s throw from Lausanne.

Choosing the right beach for your children’s age

• 0–3 years: go for the sand and shallow water of Baby-Plage, Promenthoux or Mies, and aim for the morning, when the light is soft and the crowds absent.
• 4–8 years: beaches with an adjoining playground (Trois-Jetées, Rolle, Mies) save the late afternoon, when the swimming is over but the playing isn’t.
• 9 and over: jetties to jump from in Nyon, big lawns for ball games at Port-Choiseul or Genève-Plage.

Safety and good habits on Lake Geneva

• Not all beaches are supervised, far from it: always keep young children within arm’s reach in the water.
• Lake Geneva stays cool even in high summer: pack an extra towel and a warm layer for when little ones come out of the water.
• Sunscreen, a cap, a parasol: natural shade doesn’t cover every hour of the day.
• Swim shoes are a great help on pebble beaches such as Hermance.

After the swim, extend your day by the water with a round at one of our best minigolf courses in French-speaking Switzerland, often set up right next to the lake. Want to explore further? Browse all our outdoor activities and our outing ideas in the canton of Vaud and in Geneva.

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