Looking for recreational land for sale in Isère (38) means moving from the ponds of the Bièvre-Valloire to the forests of the Chartreuse and the Vercors: meadows on the edge of woodland near Grenoble, chestnut groves in the Trièves, coniferous woods in Belledonne, isolated ponds on the Bièvre plain. On this page, ma-propriete.fr gathers the listings of recreational land for sale in Isère: a mountain meadow, a hillside wood, a plot with a pond or access to a mountain stream.
You will find price benchmarks drawn from actual sales, an overview of where these plots are found and the points to check before buying an agricultural or natural-zone parcel. First read our guide on how to turn agricultural land into recreational land: it explains what local planning rules allow, and what they forbid.
There is no such thing as a "recreational land price" in the French notarial records: the DVF database records sales of agricultural land, woodland and ponds, and a recreational plot is priced against these three benchmarks, higher or lower depending on what it adds (vehicle access, a water point, fencing, an existing shelter, a village nearby). The table below gives, for each benchmark, the sales recorded in 2025 in Isère (38), the median price and the range between the first decile (floor) and the ninth decile (ceiling), with the national figure for comparison.
| DVF 2025 benchmark | Sales | Median price | Range (P10 – P90) | France median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bare agricultural land (€/ha) | 79 | €4,000/ha | €2,497/ha – €7,089/ha | €5,307/ha |
| Woodland (€/ha) | 72 | €3,940/ha | €1,665/ha – €7,267/ha | €4,934/ha |
| Pond (€/m²) * | 313 | €2.54/m² | €1.03/m² – €6.90/m² | €2.54/m² |
Bare agricultural land is well below the national median (€5,307/ha), with the median price moving +9.4% between 2020 and 2025. Woodland trades well below the national benchmark (€4,934/ha), and a pond, a much rarer asset, is valued per square metre of water and banks. To compare a listing, bring everything back to the square metre: €4,000/ha of bare land is €0.40/m², against €2.54/m² for a pond. Recreational land, almost always classified as an agricultural or natural zone, generally sells slightly above bare agricultural land; but it usually remains subject to the SAFER land agency's right of pre-emption, and the SAFER may pre-empt with a downward price revision if the price is excessive compared with local land prices. These benchmarks therefore also help you avoid paying a price the SAFER would challenge.
Find the detail by department, plot size and year in our agricultural land price observatory and in the forest price observatory. Source: DVF (Demandes de valeurs foncières), 2025 sales, processed by ma-propriete.fr; medians published from 30 sales upwards. * Fewer than 30 sales in the department: the benchmark shown is the national figure for "Pond".
To the north-west, the Bièvre-Valloire plain is Isère's main pond area, the result of former extraction or farm reservoirs, surrounded by pine and oak woods; a plot with a pond is easier to find here than elsewhere in the department, though it remains a rare asset. Around it, hay meadows and cereal crops leave little room for amenity non-constructible land. This diversity, from farmland plain to Alpine massif, explains very contrasting uses and prices depending on the area.
To the south and east, the Chartreuse, Vercors and Belledonne massifs offer sloping coniferous woods and low-altitude alpine meadows, on the edge of the great Alpine ranges. The Trièves, further south towards Mens and Clelles, adds chestnut groves and bocage meadows, in a setting that remains rural despite its proximity to Grenoble.
The Bièvre-Valloire, around La Côte-Saint-André and Beaurepaire, concentrates the plain's ponds and woods, at a comfortable distance from the Grenoble conurbation. The Chartreuse and Vercors massifs, around Voiron, Villard-de-Lans and Saint-Marcellin, offer hillside woods sought after for hunting and quiet, reached via the A48 motorway and Grenoble station, served by TGV from Paris. The Trièves, towards Mens and Monestier-de-Clermont, remains more affordable and rural. The Grésivaudan valley, between Grenoble and Chambéry, concentrates economic activity and leaves few plots available.
The most affordable areas lie in the remote Trièves and the north of the Bièvre-Valloire, away from the conurbation; plots close to Grenoble, Voiron or the Vercors sell well above the national average for farmland, driven by urban pressure. The southern Trièves, towards Mens and Prébois, remains the most affordable area of the department for a meadow or a hillside wood.
First check the commune's local planning document (PLU): in an agricultural (A) or natural (N) zone, a cabin, a chalet or a light leisure dwelling cannot be installed freely, and long-term parking of a caravan or mobile home remains regulated. On the Bièvre-Valloire ponds, French water law governs the maintenance of the dam and the outlet, and some ponds fall under protected wetland status. In the mountains, access (rural track, right of way, landlocked status) and winter snow cover are worth checking. Buyers should also expect winter access to be limited on the higher plots, which affects when a viewing can realistically take place.
On land classified as agricultural, SAFER frequently exercises its right of pre-emption, with a risk of the price being revised downward if it strays from local farmland prices. Water and electricity are often missing on isolated mountain or plain plots. Finally, have the exact boundary survey checked, particularly on small plots resulting from an inheritance split. On small mountain plots, also check for a winter right of way, sometimes needed when snow closes the usual access. This is worth bearing in mind when comparing offers, as it can shift the timeline as much as the price.
The listings of recreational land in Isère published on ma-propriete.fr come from private sellers, estate agents and notaries. Filter by area, altitude and the presence of a pond, then set up an e-mail alert to be notified of new plots. You can also widen your search to recreational land for sale in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. Specify the preferred area, between the Bièvre-Valloire, the Chartreuse or the Trièves, to narrow your search.
