A crater lake more than 60 m deep at the northern end of the Chaîne des Puys, with two swimming areas and a woodland path to walk all the way round it.
North-west of Riom, between Manzat and Charbonnières-les-Vieilles, on the northern edge of the Chaîne des Puys, the Gour de Tazenat draws an almost perfect dark blue circle in the forest. It's a maar, a phreatomagmatic explosion crater: water came into contact with lava, and the explosions opened up a bowl 900 m in diameter. Today, an almost perfectly round lake, 700 m in diameter, fills it to a depth of more than 60 m. It's the northernmost maar in the Chaîne des Puys.
All around, the woods complete the "blue hole in the forest" feel that's typical of maars. You're in the Parc naturel régional des Volcans d'Auvergne. The lake is private: the walking paths belong to the commune, but the lake doesn't, and neither do the forests and meadows around it.
Our take
It's our favourite lake for a wild swim 35 minutes from Clermont: a real crater filled with water, forest all around, and that feeling of swimming above more than 60 m of nothing. If you like wild lakes, cool water and quiet walks round a lake, you'll love it. If you're looking for a lifeguarded beach, with a first-aid post and organised activities, this isn't the place: everything here is raw, and that's the point. What can disappoint: the crowds on Sundays in July and August between 11:00 and 17:00, and water that stays cool even in midsummer. Come early in the morning or on a weekday, and the Gour lives up to everything it promises.
Getting there
- From Clermont-Ferrand: 30 km via the D2009 then the D17 towards Manzat, allow 35 minutes.
- From Riom: 22 km via the D446 and D62.
- From Vichy: 50 km via the D2009.
- Parking: two car parks on site. They fill up on Sundays in July and August: arrive early, parking along the road is not allowed.
Good to know before you go
- Swimming: allowed, unsupervised (no lifeguard or first-aid post), at your own risk. Two swimming areas, one opposite the crêperie, the other along the path on the right. Cool water, even in midsummer. The commune has the water analysed regularly and publishes the results.
- Best season: May to September for swimming, but you can visit the site all year round.
- Lake loop: a woodland path, steep in places, goes all the way round the water. Two waymarked loops also start from the Gour: 4 km for families (1 hour 45 minutes) and 7 km (2 hours).
- Fishing: catch-and-release only, from 1 May to 30 September in 2026, with a permit sold at the crêperie (€5 a day, free for under-12s). Float tubes are not allowed.
- Canoes and pedalos: hire on site in July and August. Personal craft (paddleboards, inflatable boats, big rubber rings) are not allowed on the lake.
- Photographers: morning light on the south shore, spectacular morning mist from September to November.
- Avoid: fires and barbecues, sleeping in a tent, under the stars or in a hammock (it's all banned around the lake), taking anything away from the site.
Geology explained for curious visitors
A maar isn't a "classic" volcanic cone crater. It formed on the spot, through a series of explosions. Water meets lava and turns to steam violently: the pressure blows the ground apart and opens up a crater 900 m in diameter. The ejected material, no more than 15 m thick, fell back in a low crescent to the north-east of the Gour, which is why you can't see the Gour's outline from a distance. You come across it as you arrive.
Nearby places to combine it with
- Chaîne des Puys (UNESCO): Puy de Dôme 25 km away, Puy Pariou 28 km away.
- Châtel-Guyon: 15 km, spa town, naturally sparkling waters, walks in the park.
- Volvic: 18 km, spring water discovery centre.
- Riom: 22 km, medieval and Renaissance old town.
- Manzat: 4 km, the obvious stop for a bakery, a café, a meal.
What you will find
- The dark blue of the water, almost black seen from the edges of the crater
- The feeling of stumbling on it without seeing it coming from the path
- The cool water that surprises you even in midsummer
- The walk round the lake, on a woodland path
Local tip
There are two swimming areas: one opposite the crêperie, the other along the path on the right. Cool water even in August. To fish, get your permit at the crêperie: in 2026, catch-and-release fishing only, from 1 May to 30 September.
Good to know
- Arrive before 10:00 at weekends in summer, the car park fills up fast
- Come back late in the afternoon, around 17:00 to 19:00: the calm returns and the light changes everything
- Wear closed-toe shoes for the lake loop: the woodland path is steep in places
- Manzat is four kilometres away if you're looking for shops after the walk
