Guide to the islands of the Indian Ocean, Mauritius, Chamarel: Mauritius for tourists. Sightseeing, excursions Mauritius. Colored sands: the Seven Coloured Earths of Chamarel.
It is possible to see with your own eyes a piece of an alien surreal landscape on earth. It is enough to go to the island of Mauritius located in the Indian Ocean and visit the village of Chamarel. It is there, in the southwestern part of the island, that the most iconic landmark of Mauritius, which can be included in the list of unusual places on our planet, is located - this is the Seven Colored Earths.
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| Seven Coloured Earths Mauritius |
In the vicinity of the small village of Chamarel, perhaps the largest number of Mauritius attractions is concentrated: next to Chamarel you can find a real rainforest with endemic biological species, a picturesque 100-meter waterfall, a rum factory where the best rum in Mauritius is made, and in the village itself there is a popular among tourists chapel built in the 19th century.
However, the most important attraction of Chamarel, attracting hundreds of thousands of tourists to this place, is the sand dunes made of multi-colored sand or the Seven Coloured Earths.
The Chamarel dunes are formed by sands of seven colors : red, brown, purple, green, blue, purple and yellow. Grains of different colors are not mixed with each other, but are clearly divided into multi-colored layers that form bizarre patterns.
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| Seven Coloured Earths Mauritius |
The phenomenon of the Seven Coloured Earths of Chamarel
Scientists concluded that the colored sand was formed as a result of the decomposition of volcanic basalts. Mauritius is rich in volcanic rocks. Their gradual cooling at various temperatures dyed the Chamarel Earths iridescent colors. So, the red shades of sand were obtained due to the content of iron oxide in the earth, and blue-green shades appeared due to the presence of aluminum oxide.
However, the most important secret of the multi-colored sands of Chamarel is their ability not to mix with each other and always separate into colored layers, and it still remains unsolved.
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| Seven Coloured Earths Mauritius |
The phenomenon of the "land of seven colors" is that, despite the effects of heat, wind and rain, the bizarre color patterns on the sands of Chamarel are not destroyed.
Moreover, the multi-colored layers of sand are very clear and they do not mix with each other, despite all the aggressive environmental influences.
Seven Coloured Earths
Unusual Seven Coloured Earths were discovered relatively recently, in the 60s of the XX century. The top layer of soil was washed away by the rains, as a result, a unique creation of nature appeared in front of people.
Now the dunes of colored sand are the main attraction not only of Chamarel, but of the whole of Mauritius.
The colorful Earths are protected, a natural park has been created on the site of the dunes. The territory of the "Land of Seven Colors" park belongs to the Bel Ombre Sugar Estate company, the entrance to the park is paid.
There are special paths for visitors in the park. Walking here is allowed only on them.
For a convenient view of the dunes, a special observation deck has been built, from where you can perfectly see the Seven Coloured Earths and take great photos.
The colored Earths themselves are fenced: it is strictly forbidden for tourists to violate the boundaries of the fences, especially to walk on the sand and collect colored sand as souvenirs.
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| Seven Coloured Earths Mauritius |
The best time to visit the park of the Seven Coloured Earths of Chamarel is sunrise. At dawn, the landscape here changes literally every minute, thanks to the play of light and shadow in the rays of the rising sun.
The worst time to explore the colorful sands of Chamarel is cloudy days, since it is the rays of the sun that create a play of light on the surface of the dunes, making natural colors the brightest.
Souvenir in memory of Mauritius
The list of souvenirs in memory of Mauritius is headed by the flasks with the multi-colored sand of the Chamarel dunes. A flask with such sand is a truly unique souvenir of the island, since sand with such amazing properties is nowhere else in the world.
Flasks filled with seven-colored sand are sold in the souvenir shops of Mauritius, but it is most pleasant to buy such a souvenir in the village of Chamarel, directly in the homeland of the multi-colored dunes.
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| Seven Coloured Earths Mauritius |
It is noteworthy that sand of different colors is never mixed in souvenir flasks. Even if you shake the flask well, as soon as the sand settles in it again, it will necessarily be divided into seven layers, where each layer of sand will have its own color.
How to get there
Chamarel is a small settlement located in the southwestern part of Mauritius. The nearest large settlement, the city of Chemin-Grenier, is located 25 kilometers from the village of Chamarel. At the Chemines-Grenier exit, take the B9 and then take the B104, which leads directly to Chamarel.
You can also visit the Chamarel Seven Colored Earth Geopark as part of an organized tour. Since the seven-colored land of Chamarel is one of the main attractions of Mauritius, visiting these places is necessarily included in the program of excursions offered by travel companies.