Photo : Christian Deschênes / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Gouffre de l'Oeil Doux
The Gouffre de l'Œil Doux is in the commune of Fleury, in the Clape massif, in the Aude. Formed after a collapse, it is what is called a cenote: a natural well with steep limestone walls about 40 m high, covered with vegetation, framing emerald-green water. This water is brackish; its salinity and level vary with rain and sea movements, the sea being about 1,500 m away. The depth is about 14 m, with a bed of rock blocks, and explorations found no passable gallery.
A listed site since 1978, it is part of the Narbonnaise en Méditerranée Regional Nature Park. It is reached on foot from the Oustalet estate, passing the sheepfold, or from a car park on the road between Fleury and Saint-Pierre-la-Mer. Swimming is forbidden.
