About this experience

In the hills above Case Noyale, the Seven Coloured Earth is one of the strangest landscapes in Mauritius. Volcanic basalt, broken down over millions of years into clay minerals rich in iron and aluminium oxides, has left a series of bare dunes streaked in red, ochre, violet, brown and blue-grey. The colours shift with the light and the seasons, and the sands famously separate back into their own layers if mixed. The park is laid out for walking rather than climbing. Boardwalks and viewing platforms bring you to the dunes without disturbing them, and the surrounding grounds hold a colony of giant Aldabra tortoises, mature forest and shaded paths. The other highlight is the Chamarel Waterfall, which drops around 100 metres into a gorge below — the tallest single-drop fall on the island, seen from a purpose-built lookout. Chamarel sits in the volcanic heart of the south-west, close to Black River Gorges and Le Morne, and combines easily with either. Allow around ninety minutes for an unhurried visit.

Highlights

• The seven coloured earth dunes, a geological formation found in very few places on earth
• The Chamarel Waterfall, roughly 100 metres in a single drop
• A colony of giant Aldabra tortoises within the grounds
• Boardwalks and viewpoints throughout — easy walking, suitable for all ages
• Views over the volcanic landscape of the south-west
• Combines well with Black River Gorges, Le Morne or the Chamarel rum distillery