Lac de Rillé (Lake Beach, Anjou border)

Lac de Rillé is a large reservoir lake set among forests and bocage farmland in northwestern Indre-et-Loire, approximately 40 kilometres northwest of Tours and close to the Anjou border in Centre-Val de Loire. The beach is a wide, sandy crescent on the lake's eastern shore, with fine pale-gold sand extending gently to the water's edge and shelving slowly into the lake's calm fresh water. The lake spans approximately 300 hectares, and on calm summer days the water takes on a luminous green-blue tone characteristic of French reservoir lakes in July and August. The beach is exposed to southerly breezes off the water but is generally sheltered from strong winds by surrounding woodland. Supervised swimming operates in July and August within a roped and buoyed zone; the shallow entry gradient makes the lake especially suitable for families and young swimmers. A playground sits alongside the beach, and canoe and paddleboat hire is available from the on-site seasonal operator during the high season. A restaurant on site provides meals and light refreshments, and camping facilities adjacent to the lake allow multi-day stays. The setting is genuinely rural — the lake is encircled by forest and farmland with no development visible from the water — lending it a wilder, more spacious feel than the Loire riverbanks nearer Tours. Access is by car only, taking approximately 40 minutes from Tours via the D749. The beach becomes popular with regional families in high summer but rarely reaches the congestion of Loire riverside venues. The combination of swimming, paddling, cycling trails through the surrounding forest, and lakeside camping makes Lac de Rillé one of the most complete leisure lake destinations in the Indre-et-Loire département.