Ayer’s Cliff Public Beach Ayer's Cliff Open Water Swimming

Ayer’s Cliff Public Beach, also known as Massawippi Beach, provides sandy beach access to Lac Massawippi, one of the deepest lakes in Quebec’s Eastern Townships region. The beach is accessed via Route 141 Sud at 473 rue Main in Ayer’s Cliff, with paid parking available for visitors. This public beach belongs jointly to the municipalities of Hatley, Canton de Hatley, Sainte-Catherine-de-Hatley, and Ayer’s Cliff, and is managed by the La Régie intermunicipale du Parc régional Massawippi. The beach features lifeguard supervision during the summer season (typically June through early September), a boat launching area, and one of Lake Massawippi’s designated boat washing stations to prevent the spread of invasive species. The beach area includes picnic facilities and public washrooms, and the surrounding Eastern Townships region offers excellent cycling routes and charming villages to explore.

The beach is a key venue for the Kingdom Games’ NEK Swim Week, hosting open water swim events in August with distances up to 9 miles (15km), including historical “double crossing” events of 18 miles (29km). All swimmers participating in these events must be accompanied by an escort kayaker. The lake itself is renowned for its depth, reaching 86 meters at its deepest point, and spans 18.7 square kilometers. During fall months (October and November), the lake serves as a rest area for thousands of Canada geese, making it a beautiful destination for nature observation.

Swimming conditions are generally favorable, though the lake has occasionally experienced blue-green algae blooms that can temporarily affect water quality. Water quality is monitored by Blue Massawippi, which provides regular updates on swimming conditions.