Chamarel South West Tour: Seven Coloured Earth & Gorges

The Seven Coloured Earths are striped dunes that shift color as rain carves patterns into them.

A full-day guided tour of Mauritius' South West, starting with hotel pickup and covering eight major stops including the Seven Coloured Earth Geopark, Black River Gorges National Park, the sacred lake at Grand Bassin, and Rhumerie de Chamarel. The tour runs seven to eight hours with an English or French-speaking guide, transport in an air-conditioned car, bottled water and lunch at a Mauritian restaurant included. Groups stay under five people per booking.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time at each

1. Trou aux Cerfs Volcano30m · entry included
2. Black River Gorges National Park20m · entry included
3. Seven Coloured Earth Geopark1h 20m

Explore South West Mauritius highlights

• Visit Trou aux Cerfs crater
• See handcrafted ship models
• Shop at diamond and jewelry store
• Visit sacred lake of Grand-Bassin
• Explore Black River Gorges National Park
• Tour Rhumerie de Chamarel plantation
• Discover Seven Coloured Earths

The experience

The tour starts at your hotel and moves through the South West in a single arc. You'll see Trou aux Cerfs, a dormant volcano crater ringed with vegetation that opens onto a 360-degree view of the island, and stop at a ship model factory and jewelry shop. From there the route heads to Grand Bassin, the sacred Hindu lake, then into Black River Gorges National Park, where the landscape shifts to dense tropical forest and steep gorge walls carved by water.

Chamarel itself sits in a fertile valley surrounded by sugar cane, pineapple and tropical fruit plantations. The Seven Coloured Earths are a geological formation of sand dunes in seven distinct colors (red, brown, violet, green, blue, purple and yellow) that naturally separate into layers. Rain has carved the hillside into patterns that look like earthen meringue. The Rhumerie de Chamarel, a rum distillery, sits nearby and is part of the stop. You'll also visit Plaine Champagne, Mare aux Vacoas, Floreal and the viewpoint at Le Morne before returning to your hotel.

The guide speaks English or French and drives an air-conditioned car. Lunch happens at a Mauritian Cuisine restaurant midway through the day. The tour is wheelchair accessible and can accommodate infants in specialized seats or strollers. A maximum of four people travel together per booking, which means smaller groups and more room in the vehicle.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup and drop-off.
• transport in an air-conditioned car.
• a live guide in English or French.
• bottled water throughout the day.
• lunch at a Mauritian restaurant.
• entry to all eight stops including the Seven Coloured Earth Geopark, Black River Gorges National Park, Grand Bassin, Trou aux Cerfs volcano, Rhumerie de Chamarel, and viewpoints at Plaine Champagne and Le Morne.

Before you book

Days and timesMonday to SaturdayDepartures at 08:30, 09:00 and 09:30

Book up to4h before

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish and French

Audio guideGerman, Italian, Arabic and Chinese

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated today

Good to know

Easy physical levelWheelchair accessibleStroller friendlyInfant seats availablePublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by PACO TAXI & TOURS

Is this one for you?You can choose between a private full-day tour or a group tour at checkout. The private option gives you the car and guide to yourself, while the group tour shares the vehicle with other travelers: both follow the same eight-stop route and include the same guide, transport and lunch.

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Top questions

What languages is the guide in?

Live guide in English and French.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What exactly are the Seven Coloured Earths and why do they have stripes?

The Seven Coloured Earths are sand dunes made up of seven distinct colors: red, brown, violet, green, blue, purple and yellow. Because the different colored sands naturally settle into separate layers, the dunes develop a striped appearance. Rain has carved the hillside into patterns that resemble earthen meringue.

Is lunch included in this tour, and where do we eat?

Lunch is included at a Mauritian Cuisine restaurant during the tour. The meal happens midway through the day as part of the full-day itinerary.

How many people travel together on this tour?

A maximum of four people travel per booking, so groups stay small and you have more space in the air-conditioned car.

What is Trou aux Cerfs and what can you see from there?

Trou aux Cerfs is a dormant volcano crater covered with lush vegetation. From the highest point in town, you can see the crater and get a 360-degree view of the island.

Does the tour include pickup from my hotel?

Yes, hotel pickup and drop-off are included. The guide will collect you from your accommodation and return you at the end of the day.