Eau Bleue Waterfall

Eau Bleue is a series of falls and pools on a river in the hills behind Cluny, and it takes its name from the colour of the water, an unusually strong blue-green held in basins scooped from the rock. There are several tiers, with the upper pools reached by scrambling along the river bed and the largest offering deep water for swimming and a cliff to jump from. Nothing is signposted: the site sits on private and estate land, the path down is steep and slippery, and most visitors either go with a local guide or follow directions from someone who has been. That informality is what has kept it quiet compared with the roadside falls.

What you actually see

• The blue pools - the turquoise basins the site is named for.
• The waterfall tiers - a sequence of drops along the river.
• Cliff jumps - the ledges above the deeper pools.
• Forest gorge - the wooded valley the river runs through.

When to go

May to December for safer footing; the wet season from January to April raises the river dangerously and makes the descent hazardous. Weekdays are quieter than weekends, when local groups come.

Honest expectations

There is no marked path, no signage and no supervision, and the descent is genuinely steep and slippery. Access crosses private land and permission is informal. Flash flooding after rain is a real risk. Litter is a problem at the main pool.

Nearby

Vallée de Ferney lies east; Grand Bassin is west.