Terres de 7 Couleurs

Chamarel

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Chamarel Coloured Earths have become one of the sights on the island's usual tourist circuit. Some travellers (and we're among them) find them quite underwhelming but the queues to enter continue. If you temper your expectations, there's a greater chance of enjoying the variations of colourful sand – a result of the uneven cooling of molten rock. The site is 2km southwest of Chamarel. On your way through the reserve, stop at Chamarel Waterfall.

Tortoises are kept in an enclosure just below the coloured earths, which lie 3km inside the Terres de 7 Couleurs area.

The entire property was once the private estate of Charles de Chazal de Chamarel, who hosted Matthew Flinders during Flinders' captivity in Mauritius during the Napoleonic Wars.

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Nearby Chamarel attractions

1. Ebony Forest of Chamarel

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2. Chamarel Waterfall

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About halfway (1.5km) between the entrance gate to Terres de 7 Couleurs and the colourful sands is a scenic viewpoint over the waterfall, which plunges…

3. Curious Corner of Chamarel

1.06 MILES

This eclectic place is utterly unlike anywhere else on the island. Essentially an interactive gallery of illusions and art, it has an upside-down room, a…

4. Rhumerie de Chamarel

1.75 MILES

Set among the vast hillside plantations of Chamarel, the rhumerie is a working distillery that doubles as a museum showcasing the rum-making process. The…

5. Matthew Flinders Monument

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Standing on the shore 500m west of Baie du Cap, the Matthew Flinders Monument was erected in 2003 to honour the 200th anniversary of the arrival of the…

6. Gorges Viewpoint

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On a clear day, the views from here across the gorge and down towards the west coast rank among the best on the island.

8. Le Morne Public Beach

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The resort hotels of Le Morne may have grabbed long stretches of ocean frontage here, but this public beach, between Dinarobin and Lux Le Morne is just as…