The colorful land: a natural phenomenon in Mauritius. How to get to the colored lands of Chamarel on your own? Seven-colored sands

In the southwest of Mauritius there is a village called Chamarel, in its vicinity is almost the main feature of the whole island - the seven-colored sands (The Seven-Colored Sands Of Chamarel). They were formed from the remains of balsate as a result of a volcanic eruption, mixed with volcanic ash and clay, so the seven-colored earth was born. It is remarkable in that the multi-colored layers do not mix even after heavy rains due to the different density and mass. Scientists believe that the different colors came from the fact that the layers of lava cooled at different temperatures.

There is an alternative point of view: the local earth is red due to the oxidized iron it contains, it also contains oxidized aluminum, which has a blue-green tint, hence the different colors.

In the 60s, the sands were fenced off to protect them from the surging tourists; now you can admire them, or buy them in a test tube as a souvenir. Even if the test tube is mixed, after a while the sands again clearly separate into seven colors: red, brown, violet, green, blue, purple and yellow.

If you go looking for information on the attractions of Mauritius, you will come across millions of beautiful photographs of the colored sands of Chamarel. Something like this:

Now there are many such photos and I have.

In general, photoshoppers are not asleep :) In the original, the seven-colored Chamarel sands look like this:

Of course, they are still beautiful and unusual, but, you see, they are no longer so incredibly impressive.

The coolest on the seven sands is the huge century-old turtles living there behind the fence.

10. Well, she's ugly)))

11. Yes, here's another beautiful waterfall, which is brought along the road to the sands.

Everything here is amazing and unique - nature, as a true master, creates real masterpieces. The seven-colored sands of Chamarel on the island of Mauritius, like such phenomena as in Australia or China, are one of the natural wonders of the world.

The land of seven colors Chamarel got its name from the name of the village, near which these multi-colored dunes are stretched. They were formed from igneous rocks (basalt), transformed into clay, and then, as a result of hydrolysis, turned into ferralite soils (with a high content of iron in it).

As a result, such natural chemical processes revealed to the world a seven-color palette of sand, in which there are literally all the colors of the rainbow - brown, purple, red, green, blue, yellow. Interestingly, scientists explain the difference in shades as a consequence of the fact that molten volcanic rocks cooled at different external temperatures. But the fact why the colors of the Chamarel sands do not mix under any conditions, be it tropical rains or winds, there is still no answer to this question. That's why she is a mystery of nature, to excite the imagination and awaken our imagination.

Chamarel (Mauritius) - detailed description, location, reviews, photos and videos.

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Perhaps visiting the village of Chamarel, located on the island of Mauritius, is the best and easiest way to contemplate the lunar landscape with your own eyes. In this amazing place sand dunes naturally dyed in seven different colors, giving them a completely unearthly look.

The small village of Chamarel on the famous beaches of the island of Mauritius, located in Indian Ocean, is famous for several attractions, but the main one is the multi-colored sands.

Colored sands Chamarel

The sand dunes spread out here really amaze the imagination - red, yellow, purple, green, as if someone had painted them with an unknown hand. Many, who see these places for the first time, initially mistake colors for volumetric shadows. It is striking that the "color boundaries" of the sands are very clear. They do not mix with each other, but lie in even layers, despite strong and prolonged torrential rains, gusty winds and very intense heat.

The secret of the colored sands is in the chemical processes and climatic conditions that have taken place in these places for a long time. The island of Mauritius is rich in volcanic rocks, and their gradual cooling has painted the land of Chamarel in such bright bizarre colors. True, geologists and other researchers have not fully solved the mystery of the origin of the Valley of the Seven Flowers.

The multicolored sands of Chamarel create beautiful patterns that suggest other planets.

The multicolored sands create beautiful patterns that suggest other planets and give the local landscape a unique flavor and a complete sense of unreality.

The most better time for walks in these marvelous places - sunrise. The rising luminary gives an indescribable atmosphere, and the multi-colored sands are especially good at this time. At dawn, the landscape changes here every minute, thanks to the play of light and shadow on the sands in the rays of the rising sun. In addition, in the morning it is not as hot as in the daytime, and there are fewer tourists.

Chamarel

Visiting rules, souvenirs

While walking in the Seven Flowers Park, do not forget that walking directly on the sand is prohibited (this can disrupt the unique ecosystem and destroy the dunes), and it is also forbidden to take it with you. There are special hiking trails and flasks filled with sand are sold as souvenirs throughout the Chamarel village. By the way, the sand in the flasks does not mix either.

And even after shaking, after a while the sand will again lay down in even layers and clearly divide into seven colors.

The rainbow sand dunes were discovered here in the mid 60s of the last century and since then have been the main attraction of the Chamarel settlement and are under protection. The territory of the park belongs to the Bel Ombre Sugar Estate, and the Park of Seven Flowers begins directly behind the company's office, where you have to pay a visit.

What else to see

Among the tourists visiting Chamarel, local rocky mountains and a beautiful waterfall falling from the cliff enjoy a huge polarity, which are considered the second attraction of this place after the colored dunes.

How to get there

Chamarel is located in the southwestern part of Mauritius, near big city Shemin-Grenier (25 kilometers away), the most convenient way to get to the village is by car. At the exit from Chemin-Grenier, take the B9 highway, then turn onto the B104 road, which will lead you to Chamarel. Another option is on a guided tour.

This place is considered one of the most popular in Mauritius. The colored lands of Sharamel, or as they are also called the Land of the Seven Flowers, is located near the small village of Sharamel. This natural landmark is one of the most unusual places on the planet. The area around this village is rich in all sorts of attractions. This includes not only colored lands, but also a large 100-meter waterfall, a unique forest, a rum factory (this factory produces the best rum in the country). In the village itself, tourists are attracted by an old chapel.

But in any case, the main attraction is the sand dunes of multi-colored sand (purple, brown, green, red, purple, yellow and blue). The sand of different colors is not mixed with each other, but is divided into separate layers that form interesting patterns. If you mix all types of sand in your hand, they will still separate into multi-colored layers. Why this happens, scientists have not yet been able to figure out, and this phenomenon is the biggest mystery of this natural phenomenon.

According to scientists, this natural beauty was formed as a result of the decomposition of volcanic rocks (basalts). The island of Mauritius is rich in various volcanic rocks and their decomposition has occurred under the influence of different temperatures. For example, blue and green colors were obtained due to the presence of aluminum oxide in the ground, and red due to the content of iron oxide.

This natural miracle was discovered not so long ago, about 50 years ago, after the topsoil was washed away by rains and people saw many layers of multi-colored sand. Now it is the main attraction of the whole of Mauritius, which is under state protection and is now created on this place nature Park and the entrance to its territory is paid. There are pedestrian paths in the park, and walking is allowed only on them. In order for the sand dunes to be viewed as conveniently as possible, a observation deck, from where a gorgeous view of this attraction opens and the most beautiful photographs are obtained. Walking on the sand and taking sand with you as a souvenir is strictly prohibited. The land itself is fenced. Dawn is considered the best time to visit these lands, as at this time the sand shimmers in different colors and the landscape changes almost every minute. At the same time, cloudy days are considered the worst time to visit these lands, since on such days it is impossible to watch the play of colors.

If you want to buy a souvenir to commemorate your visit to this place, then flasks with colored sand are in the first place in popularity. The souvenir is not just original, but unique, as there is nothing like it anywhere else in the world. These flasks can be bought in different parts of Mauritius, but it is best to buy them in the village of Charamel. No matter how you shake the flask with sand, the sand will not mix in it, and as a result, there will be all the same seven layers of sand.

The village of Charamel is located in the southwest of Mauritius, 25 kilometers from the nearest town. There are several ways to get to the village. The easiest way to buy excursion tour or get there on a rented vehicle... There are several options with by public transport, but in this case, a lot will depend on which part of the island you stay in. Once there, you can easily navigate and decide how best to get to this natural park.

The village of Chamarel in southwest Mauritius is home to two natural wonders - magnificent waterfalls and colorful lands. The multicolored earth is truly unique - created by volcanic rocks that have cooled at different temperatures, it is painted in all the colors of the rainbow

The Colored Lands of Chamarel were declared the first attraction of Mauritius back in the 1960s. Even today, test tubes with colored earth are sold throughout the island. This area is owned by Bel Ombre Sugar Estate, which charges a small fee to visit this miracle. A giant multicolored land is right behind the campaign headquarters. Bel Ombre was founded by Charles Telfair

You just need to look around the area to see how real and clear all seven colors are. But this bizarre color is not the only distinguishing feature of this place, which can be safely included in our list of the most unusual places on the planet.

Sunrise - best time to contemplate the Colored Lands. Geologists are still intrigued by the constantly moving dunes of the multicolored moon-like landscape.

Reds, browns, purples, greens, blues, purples and yellows never fade despite heavy rainfall and adverse climatic conditions... These phenomena are never fully understood, but the colored soil is believed to be composed of mineral-rich volcanic ash.

These lands are one of the most popular attractions in Mauritius. Unusual geological formations emerged after volcanic rock cooled at different temperatures, forming layers of different colors. The rains have formed the rock into small hills that look like sand dunes. If you look at them for the first time, it will seem that the colors are just shadows of the correct form.

Geologists have been fascinated by the Colored Lands ever since they were discovered, but they cannot explain why they never collapse despite heavy rainfall and heat. Chamarel also has a unique layering feature. If you take a handful of each of the seven-colored sands and mix them together, they will eventually divide again into seven layers of different colors.

Not far from the colored lands is another attraction of Mauritius - the rocky mountains

The Chamarel waterfall is also famous, falling from a cliff several tens of meters high.

The national trade of the people of Mauritius is the cultivation of sugar cane, it grows here almost everywhere, even on the sides of the roads

Hundreds of thousands of tourists visit the Chamarel lands every year. To prevent damage to the fragile layers of the colorful land, it is forbidden to enter and it becomes, this place is sacred to the inhabitants of Mauritius