The Lac de la Raviège is the largest lake in the Parc Naturel Régional du Haut-Languedoc and the most accessible swimming destination in the area. It was created in 1959 by damming the Agout river to supply drinking water to the growing cities of the Languedoc lowlands; the reservoir flooded a number of farms and a hamlet, and at low water the receding shoreline still reveals traces of the former landscape. Today the lake does double duty as a water supply and a leisure spot, ringed by chestnut forest and rarely crowded outside high summer.
A supervised beach with lifeguards operates in July and August. Outside those months you can walk the shoreline through the woods and find quiet coves to swim from unattended, with the water cold and clear and the far bank usually empty. The road around the lake passes through chestnut forest and opens now and then onto wide views over the water; in autumn the reflections of the turning leaves in the still surface can be very fine.
Sailing and kayak rental are available from the base nautique at La Salvetat-sur-Agout, the small town at the northern end of the lake, which makes a natural lunch stop. The lake lies about 20 minutes north of St Pons de Thomières on the road toward La Salvetat, an easy and rewarding half-day out from the town.