Swimming

I'm 45 and my best swimming stroke is still the dog paddle.  And I don't float, so even treading water is a chore.  And I can't swim with my contacts in or they stick to my eyeballs, so I usually swim blind without my high octane glasses on.  Suffice it to say I'm not a huge swimmer, but my wife is.  And when she wants a good swim, there are three places we've discovered in the Mont Tremblant area.  Each calls for a small user fee (unless you have your Tremblant citizen's card) but are worth it.  Here they are:

Hidden jewel: Lac Raynaud at the Domaine St. Bernard

The Domaine St. Bernard is our favourite because it's close to our chalet, and fairly quiet.  Lac Raynaud is just a minute's walk from the welcome centre in the Domaine.  It has a small beach area, although seemingly always just big enough for the number of visitors, never crowded.  When we first saw the lake, it's size made us suspect the water would be soupy and algae-filled by high summer.  By contrast, the lake is deep, refreshing and ultra clean all summer long.  And, the lake is ringed by the Parcours Wheeler, a running trail with exercise stations, so the lake is often our reward after a couple laps of the parcours.  There are both shaded and sunny spots to sit depending on your preference, and nice private change rooms.

Beautiful Lac Mercier

A close second to Lac Raynaud is Lac Mercier, located in Old Tremblant.  Mercier is a much bigger lake, but just like Raynaud, it is a deep, clean lake offering excellent swimming.  The beach area is small and often busy, although we've never had a problem getting a spot to lay out our blanket.  The obvious appeal of Mercier is that there are many bars and restaurants nearby, so after you're done with fun in the sun, you're a two minute walk to a half dozen spots for a beer, including our favourite Old Tremblant watering hole, Au Coin.

The third swimming spot is of course, on Lac Tremblant.  We haven't actually swum here yet, but when we do, we'll let you know our experience [so far, we've only kayaked on Lac Tremblant].  The beach area is located near the Tremblant resort area, right across the street from the little historic chapel.

August 2014 Update:
Check out our write-up on Brebeuf beach...a hidden jewel!