Swimming lane: swim facing the Dourdou forest

Swimming twelve metres, facing the forest, with no sound but the valley itself. The swimming lane at Lalalandes is not a resort pool. It is a 12-metre basin set alongside a 75 m² wooden terrace that looks out over the Dourdou valley. The water is not heated: it follows the seasons, and that is precisely what makes it so invigorating. The basin stays open all year round, a 7-minute drive from Conques-en-Rouergue. Together with the Nordic bath and the wood-fired sauna, it completes a genuine wellness circuit in Aveyron.

Twelve metres facing the valley

The basin is 12 metres long. That is enough to swim real lengths, yet discreet enough not to overwhelm the landscape. The 75 m² wooden terrace extends it and faces the valley. In the evening, coloured LED lighting transforms the whole atmosphere: you swim beneath the trees, in the light. All around there are no neighbours and no road, only forest. That, in fact, is what our guests remember most.

Swimming in every season

The water is not heated. In other words, it stays cool in spring, pleasant in summer and decidedly bracing in autumn. Many guests come for that very reason: alternating between the cold basin and the Nordic bath at 38 °C. The swimming lane therefore remains accessible all year round, winter included, for anyone who enjoys short, invigorating swims. And when the weather discourages you, the terrace is still the best vantage point over the valley.

Relaxation ritual: swimming lane, Nordic bath, sauna

The three facilities complement one another naturally. Start with the Nordic bath at 38 °C, heated by a wood fire. Continue with the sauna, also wood-fired, to release the tension. Then finish with a few lengths in the swimming lane. This alternation between hot and cold wakes up the circulation and soothes tired muscles after a day of hiking. Afterwards, all that remains is to sit on the terrace and let time drift. For those who prefer the river, the Dourdou gorges are a five-minute walk away.