La Mer des Rochers, Natural limestone formation in Sauve, France
La Mer des Rochers is a limestone rock formation on the Coutach plateau with hundreds of boulders rising between Mediterranean shrubs and plants. The landscape is broken and uneven, with passages weaving through craggy stone surfaces.
In 1776, naturalist Gesanne documented this seemingly harsh landscape and discovered it produced excellent quality fruits. This record revealed that people had thrived and harvested crops in this rocky terrain for generations.
The dry stone walls and mule paths here show how people have lived and worked in this landscape for centuries. You can still see the old water systems and traditional pathways that were part of everyday life.
A marked trail of about 5.5 kilometers winds through the rocks, starting from the upper part of Sauve village. The ground is steep and rocky, so good hiking boots and careful footing are necessary.
The rock formations were created over thousands of years through natural acid weathering, where carbonic acid slowly dissolved the limestone beneath the surface. This gradual geological process sculpted the entire 'sea of stones' that visitors see today.
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