A rolling landscape of dunes where the sand shifts from red to violet, entirely naturally. Here's where the colours come from, what the ticket includes, how much it costs, and whether it's worth the detour.
My main focus is Reunion Island: activities, places to stay and practical guides. But Mauritius is the destination most often paired with Reunion Island, and many travellers combine both islands in a single trip. Chamarel comes up a lot in questions about Mauritius, hence this article and my dedicated Mauritius hub.
The Seven Coloured Earths lie within the Chamarel geopark, in the hills of south-west Mauritius, a stone's throw from the Le Morne peninsula and Black River Gorges National Park. It's one of the island's best-known sights, easy to fit into a day exploring the area.
Nothing here is artificial or dyed: what you see is the result of a very slow geological process. Chamarel's ground is ancient basaltic lava. Under south-west Mauritius's hot, very humid climate, this basalt broke down over millions of years into a clay rich in metallic oxides.
These oxides create the palette. Iron oxide produces the reds and browns, the most visible colours on site. Aluminium oxide gives bluish and violet tones. Because their concentration varies from spot to spot, you get a range of shades within a few square metres that you rarely see side by side in nature.
Chamarel's sand has another, more puzzling quirk: if you mix grains of different colours in your hand, they eventually settle back into separate layers. This comes down to differences in the density and size of the particles. It's partly to preserve this balance that visitors are strictly banned from walking on the dunes.
A single ticket covers three separate sites within the geopark. The route is partly on foot and partly by car, signposted and easy to follow.
The heart of the site: a rolling landscape of bare dunes where the sand shifts from brick red to violet, through ochre, brown and bluish tones. You walk round on wooden walkways and a covered viewpoint, never on the sand itself. Allow 30 to 45 minutes for this part, including photos.
A few minutes' drive away, a viewpoint overlooks Chamarel waterfall, a double cascade of about 100 metres plunging down a basalt cliff in the middle of the forest. You see it from a platform, with no way down to the bottom. It's one of the best views included in the ticket, so don't miss it.
The site also has an enclosure of giant Aldabra tortoises, the Indian Ocean's emblematic species. Kids enjoy it, but it's small: think of it as a bonus, not a reason to come in its own right.
Chamarel waterfall, about 100 metres tall, viewed from the geopark's platform.
The practical details for fitting Chamarel into your plans. Prices in Mauritius change often, so treat these as a guide.
Expect about 750 rupees per adult (nearly €14) and 375 rupees per child (around €7), a non-resident rate in early 2026. Free for toddlers. Prices go up regularly, so check the current rate on the official website.
Open every day, from 8.30am to 5pm from April to December, and until 5.30pm during the southern summer (December to March). Last entry about 30 minutes before closing.
Mostly by hire car: about 1 hour from the airport near Mahébourg, 1h10 from Port Louis, 50 min from Flic-en-Flac. Book ahead and your car can be waiting at that same airport, SSR International, when you land: compare hire cars. The site is also included in most organised day trips to the south-west.
First, to avoid disappointment: the colours are real, but noticeably softer than the heavily saturated photos you see online. You're looking at ochre, rust and violet-tinted dunes, not a neon rainbow. To see them at their best, come under clear skies and mid-morning, when the light brings them out.
Second, the site is a victim of its own success. Tour coaches mostly arrive around midday and it quickly gets touristy. The smart move is to be there right at opening, 8.30am, or in the late afternoon, to enjoy the walkways in peace.
Seeing just the dunes is quick (45 minutes). To get your money's worth, take the time to see the waterfall viewpoint and the tortoise park too, then move on to another sight nearby. The tortoise enclosure is small, so don't go just for that.
My advice to help you decide: Chamarel is worth the detour if you're already in the south-west, combined with Le Morne and the Black River Gorges. But crossing the island just for these dunes may leave you underwhelmed. It's a curiosity to fit into a day out, not a destination in itself.
The Chamarel area has more to offer than almost anywhere in Mauritius. Here are my guides to fill out your day and plan the rest of your stay.
Le Morne, Île aux Cerfs, Pamplemousses, Black River: the top spots to build into your programme.
The Black River Gorges and south-west trails, 8km from Chamarel.
Parks, reserves and Mauritian nature beyond the beaches and resorts.
The south's hidden coves and the island's iconic beaches.
All 12 months in detail: temperatures, rainfall, cyclone season and the best windows.
Activities, places to stay and advice for planning a trip to Mauritius.
Prices, visit length, getting there, geology: straight answers before you go.
Yes if you're already in south-west Mauritius, no if it means crossing the island specially. The site is intriguing and the colours are real, but the visit is short and the colours look softer than the heavily saturated photos online suggest. The appeal lies mostly in combining the dunes, the waterfall and the tortoises, plus being close to Le Morne and the Black River Gorges.
Expect about 750 Mauritian rupees per adult (nearly €14) and 375 rupees per child (around €7), the non-resident rate in early 2026. Entry is free for toddlers, and Mauritian residents pay less. Prices go up regularly, so check the current rate on the official website before you go.
45 minutes is enough if you only want to see the coloured dunes. To make the most of the full ticket (dunes, waterfall viewpoint and tortoise park), allow more like 1.5 to 2 hours and take your time.
The ground is ancient basaltic lava that has broken down over millions of years under a hot, humid climate. This weathering released metal oxides: iron oxide gives the reds and browns, while aluminium oxide produces the bluish and violet tones. The result is this unusual palette, all within a few metres.
No. The sand is fragile and you can only see the site from walkways and a viewpoint. That protection is exactly what keeps the colours distinct: if people walked on it, the layers would mix. Taking a sample home is forbidden too.
A hire car is by far the easiest option. Allow about 1 hour from the airport near Mahébourg, 1h10 from Port Louis and 50 minutes from Flic-en-Flac. The road up to Chamarel village is winding but well surfaced. Without a car, the site is included in most organised day trips to the south-west.
It's one of the richest areas on the island: the Le Morne peninsula and its UNESCO-listed mountain about 5km away, Black River Gorges National Park about 8km away for hiking, and Chamarel village itself, known for its coffee and its rum distillery. Enough to fill a whole day.
To go further, my Mauritius hub brings together my activity and accommodation guides, and the best places to visit page helps build a complete itinerary.
Page updated on 25 September 2026.