Seven Colored Earths At Chamarel Park, Mauritius
The Seven Colored Earth is a natural phenomenon occurring at the Chamarel Park in Mauritius and is one of the most prominent tourist attractions in the place since the 1960s. It is a relatively small area comprised of sand dunes with seven distinct colors—approximated to be brown, red, violet, blue, green and yellow—which evolved through the conversion of basaltic lava into clay minerals.
What is more fascinating about this phenomenon is the fact that when you mix the colored earth together, they will eventually settle into separate layers, and you would be confounded as these colors would play tricks on you, appearing to be shadows.
At first glance, you would notice the shadows on the hills, seemingly creating the illusion of various colors, but you will soon realize that the colors are real and the shadows are the illusion. Geologists are still intrigued by these rolling dunes of multi-colored landscape that seems to never erode despite adverse climatic conditions and torrential downpours.
Today, the dunes are protected by wooden fences preventing visitors to climb on them, though you can look at the view from observation outposts that are placed along the fence. On the premises, you will find curio shops selling small test-tubes that are filled up with the colored earths, as well as a children’s playground and some giant tortoises. (See All : Mauritius holiday packages)