Wild Swimming France Book

Wild Swimming France second edition 3D - 280

Daniel Start’s dazzling travel guide book to France, for families and adventurers alike.

Dip in to the emerald-green plunge pools of Provence and swim beneath the great châteaux of the Loire and Dordogne.
Discover the unspoilt crater lakes of the Massif Central or relax in secluded hot springs in the woodlands of the Pyrénées.
Recommendations for canoe trips, bike rides, campsites, restaurants and farmshops.

Wild Swimming France contains all the practical information you’ll need to lure you off the beaten track to over 400 amazing locations. With stunning photography, 15 maps, and detailed directions, grid references and walk-in times.

Buy the Print Book here.

You can also buy the pdf versions of Wild Swimming France here

Also available as an app for Android or Apple

You can buy the Kindle or print book from Amazon here.

France has one of the most diverse and magnificent landscapes in Europe – with a cuisine and culture to match. Its rivers, lakes and waterfalls are the cleanest in Europe and its summers reliably hot – and all just a train ride away.

Wild Swimming France

Wild Swimming France takes you on an aquatic voyage to the wild side of the world’s favourite holiday destination and introduce you to parts of France you never knew existed. It provides all the practical information you’ll need, from

* overview maps and directions,
* grid references and walk-in times, to
* tips on the best campsites,
* places to rent canoes,
* farm-shops for picnic supplies,
* rural bistros for lazy lunches,
* even the best places to skinny-dip

In vast areas of unspoilt French countryside there is so much to discover, from the tranquil river beaches of the Ardèche and the secret waterfalls of the Languedoc, to the shimmering aquamarine pools of Corsica and the Alps.

Wild Swimming France covers 14 regions:

Jura
Central Alps
Alpes-Maritimes
Corsica
Haut Var and Verdon
Vaucluse and Haute Provence
Ardèche
Languedoc
Cévennes
Corbières and Roussillon
Pyrénées
Lot, Célé and Aveyron
Dordogne
Loire and Normandy

Daniel Start is an award-winning writer and photographer, author of Wild Swimming (2008) and Wild Swimming Coast (2009). He has spent the last three years camping and swimming in France, seeking out its natural wonders and getting sunburnt along the way. Married with a baby daughter, he works as an environmental consultant and lives at the confluence of two rivers in rural Somerset.

Buy the Print Book here.

You can also buy the pdf versions of Wild Swimming France here

Also available as an app for Android or Apple

You can buy the Kindle or print book from Amazon here.

Our Books

Alexander Alonso says:

August 1, 2016 at 8:38 pm

Hi,
I am from the “cevennes” region in fance and This book has been my bible for the past 5 years. Each year i go off on a 5 day solo trip and i always plan according to this book. It has brought ne countless adventures and memories, thank you!!!!
I wanted to share something with all those who have found this book. 2years ago i showed this book to my “chambre d’hote” hosts when exploring the ganges region rivers. It just so happened that they knew a local river expert/scientist from the “river conservation fund”. He asked to meet me as he was afraid that the book might fall into the wrong hands and explained the following:
-The ecosystem of a river is much more fragile than we think
– the simple act of walking in a river causes damage that takes months or even years to repare itself
– micro organisms that live under the rocks or in the bed of the river are what makes a river “healthy”
– Human activity even at a moderate level kills this ecosystem.
– another huge issue is sun screen, it is terrible for the rivers (and oceans). We don’t realize that it washes off directly into the river and it is highly polluting. If you can avoid putting it on or maybe buy a biodegradable one that would be great.

St laurent le minier is a perfect example of a magnificent place (huge waterfall, pool and everything) that has become a dead river (in that area) because of human activity…

I could go into more detail but it would be too long.

I am sure that the people that buy this book are nature friendly, but i wanted to make a point that when exploring these rivers please be extra careful not walk in groups in a river, swim as much as possible in order not hurt the river bed and if you have to walk in the river prefer going from rock to rock in order to impact the micro organisms as little as possible…

Of course i don’t mean to be a downer or tell people not to buy the book. On the contrary.

I am extremely grateful to Daniel Start for taking the time and having the passion to document all these amazing places, i am his #1 fan…

Rivers are the most beautiful thing (in my opinion) natures has to offer.
Please tell people around you about this.

Daniel, if you read this it would be great if you could include this “warning” on your site on in your book if you publish again.
Don’t hesitate to contact me (alex.alonso03@gmail.com) if you’re ever in paris, i would love to have dinner or a drink to talk river!!!!

Sincerely

Alexander

James Madelin says:

August 27, 2015 at 11:08 am

Absolutely ASTOUNDING book… just got back from France having swam at four of the sites (coincidentally two are photographed above; Chenonceau and Pont Du Diable). Brilliant brilliant accurate guide to swims of a lifetime.

Eric John says:

August 21, 2015 at 8:08 am

LOVE this book. Waiting for ‘Wild Camping France’…

Charlie Pocock says:

July 11, 2015 at 1:52 pm

Have hard copy. Superb book. Has inspired countless adventures. Thank you for opening up a new way to see a country and escape the tourist hordes.

Dean Rush says:

July 10, 2015 at 9:22 am

Done it !!Thanks I am off to France!

Dean Rush says:

July 10, 2015 at 9:22 am

Bought download now can’t find download!?

Catherine Grose says:

June 19, 2014 at 11:34 am

We have used this heavily in our exploration of the South East of France. We live in Antibes and there are many clues (canyons) here. Great for planning beautiful Hikes as well as swims. Best used in conjunction with a topo map but even Google Maps is enough to help with the directions.

Catherine Grose says:

June 19, 2014 at 11:34 am

http://www.citeulike.org/profile/KazukoHaskinsmdc says:

November 15, 2013 at 10:15 pm

This is the Sports tours truth your mother and father doesn’t want one to find out

Jules says:

September 8, 2013 at 1:18 am

Just spent an idyllic 2 weeks in Provence. Planned many of our days using Wild Swimming France. What can I say….
Swam though Le Styx in the Verdon gorge, canyoned the Haut Jabron, dived into the main pool at Sillans La Cascade, rafted from Castellane to Couloir Samson, got lost looking for the gorges of ChateauDouble, lept into the lake at Bauduen, and even spent a couple of hours by the pool!

funny babies laughing says:

August 7, 2013 at 10:58 am

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H. Walker says:

July 28, 2013 at 8:20 pm

This book added a new dimension to our Annecy holiday; the locations were accurately described and inspired us off the beaten track and into some beautiful water.

I can’t believe I reached 30-something before I experienced night swimming; just glorious!

Fabulous book, thank you!