Is Chamarel worth visiting? An honest answer
Chamarel is worth visiting for most people staying in the south-west of Mauritius, provided the Seven Coloured Earth is one stop in a half or full day rather than the whole reason for the trip. The coloured earth itself is a fenced area of about 7,500 m², seen in 45 minutes to 2 hours for Rs 800 per non-resident adult (checked on 29 October 2026), and anyone who expects a vast rainbow landscape leaves disappointed. The day works when you arrive early in sunshine and add the waterfall, a rum tasting, a forest walk and the views.
Read the guide
Is Chamarel worth visiting?
Chamarel is worth visiting if you treat it as a half or full day on one hill, and much less so if you drive an hour or more each way just to see the coloured earth. Within a few kilometres of the village are the Seven Coloured Earth and Chamarel Waterfall on one ticket, the Rhumerie de Chamarel, the restored native forest of Ebony Forest, and two well-known viewpoints, one over Le Morne Brabant and one over the Black River Gorges. In October 2025 UN Tourism named Chamarel one of its 52 Best Tourism Villages, one of two in Mauritius.
Distance decides a lot. By road Chamarel is about 14 km and 18 minutes from Le Morne and about 27 km and 30 minutes from Flic en Flac, but about 63 km and an hour and five minutes from Grand Baie and about 66 km from Belle Mare. From the south-west coast the trip is easy to justify, while from the north or east it needs a full day to be worth the drive.
| If you are | Verdict |
|---|---|
| Staying on the south-west or west coast | Yes, as an easy half day from Le Morne or Flic en Flac |
| Staying in the north or east | Only as a full day that adds the plateau and other sights |
| Travelling with children | Yes, for the tortoises, though the basalt paths are awkward for strollers |
| Keen on photography | Yes on a sunny morning, not under grey skies |
| A walker | Yes, with Ebony Forest or Black River Peak added |
| Hoping to swim at the waterfall | No, the foot of the fall is guided only and not on the ticket |
Is the Seven Coloured Earth worth it?
The Seven Coloured Earth is worth it as a stop of 45 minutes to 2 hours that also takes in Chamarel Waterfall and the giant tortoises, but not as a destination on its own for anyone expecting the scale of the photographs. The bare ground covers about 7,500 m², roughly a football pitch, seen from a fenced walkway, and the Rs 800 non-resident adult ticket (checked on 29 October 2026) pays for the whole Chamarel 7 Coloured Earth Geopark, including a waterfall of about 95 to 100 m, with 83 m also on record, the tallest single drop in Mauritius.
Opinions split along those lines. For some the coloured earth is underwhelming, and the crowds keep coming anyway; for others it is worth stopping for a short visit; for many the visit is quick, crowded and commercial. Price has changed the sum too, because the same ticket cost Rs 200 to 250 in 2018 and 2019.
Who comes away underwhelmed
The visitors most often disappointed by Chamarel are those who expect a large, walkable rainbow landscape, those who arrive under grey cloud or in the afternoon rush, and those who see only the dunes before driving away.
- Visitors who know the Seven Coloured Earth from saturated close-ups find the real thing small, and the fence keeps everyone at the edge.
- Visitors who come on an overcast day see dull browns, because the colours depend on direct sun and look muddy under grey skies.
- Visitors who arrive in the afternoon meet the taxis and small coaches that fill the car park.
- Visitors who come between September and November, the driest part of the year, find Chamarel Waterfall thinner, because the fall is fullest from December to April and can split into two streams in the drier months.
- Visitors who drive an hour or more for the dunes alone spend longer in the car than at the site.
- Visitors hoping to swim under the waterfall or walk down to it alone cannot, because the foot of the fall is reached only on a guided hike that the geopark ticket does not cover.
How to avoid being disappointed
The surest way not to be disappointed is to arrive at the 08:30 opening on a sunny day, knowing the coloured earth is small, and to build the rest of the day around the other sights on the hill.
Pick the day
Choose a dry, bright day and check the forecast for the plateau the evening before. The Chamarel 7 Coloured Earth Geopark closes in cyclone warnings and very heavy rain, the Rhumerie de Chamarel is closed on Sundays, and weekdays are quieter than weekends.
Start at the geopark
Be at the gate of the Chamarel 7 Coloured Earth Geopark for 08:30, see the waterfall viewpoints first because they come first on the park road, then walk round the coloured earth and visit the tortoises, which are most active in the cooler hours. Allow 45 minutes to 2 hours.
Add the rum or the forest
The Rhumerie de Chamarel runs tours with tasting from 09:30 to 16:30, Monday to Saturday, for Rs 800, and lunch at L’Alchimiste includes the tour. Ebony Forest’s self-guided hikes take 1 to 4 hours, and the reserve recommends arriving before 14:30 (both checked on 29 October 2026).
Finish on a view
Stop at the roadside Chamarel viewpoint over Le Morne Brabant on the way down to Case Noyale, or drive up to the Black River Gorges viewpoint if the plateau is clear, because cloud builds over the plateau as the day warms.
What makes a day in Chamarel worthwhile
What makes a day in Chamarel worthwhile is the variety on one hill, from rum made with the estate’s own cane and a native forest being restored to coffee grown at about 280 m and views over Le Morne Brabant and the lagoon.
The Rhumerie de Chamarel, opened in 2008, makes its rum only from the juice of its own cane, grown on about 220 ha, and the tour ends with a tasting. Ebony Forest has been weeding and replanting native forest since 2006, has reintroduced four endemic bird species across the forests it manages, and runs a raised walkway about 300 m long, with trails on to the west-facing Sublime Point. The geopark’s coffee plantation offers a guided walk and tasting, and the village itself had 755 residents at the 2022 census.
With children, the giant tortoises come on the same geopark ticket, and for walkers Black River Peak, at 828 m the highest point of Mauritius, starts from the Plaine Champagne road above the village.
When to skip Chamarel or save it for another day
Skip or postpone Chamarel on days of heavy rain or a cyclone warning, when the Chamarel 7 Coloured Earth Geopark closes and the plateau views are lost in cloud, and think twice if you are based on the north or east coast with only one free day.
The road up from Case Noyale climbs about 300 m in about 4 km of hairpins that are slippery when wet. Cyclone season runs roughly from November to April, with warnings possible until mid-May. If the forecast is grey, spend the day on the coast below and save Chamarel for the first clear morning.
Questions people ask
Is Chamarel worth visiting?
Chamarel is worth visiting for most people staying in the south-west of Mauritius, as a half or full day that combines the Seven Coloured Earth, Chamarel Waterfall, the Rhumerie de Chamarel, Ebony Forest and the viewpoints. Visitors who drive a long way to see only the coloured earth, or who come under grey skies, are the ones most often disappointed. Arrive at the 08:30 opening on a sunny day.
Is the Seven Coloured Earth worth the entrance fee?
The Seven Coloured Earth is worth its Rs 800 non-resident adult ticket (checked on 29 October 2026) if you use all of it, because the same ticket covers both Chamarel Waterfall viewpoints, the giant tortoises and the endemic garden. Seen on its own, the coloured earth is a fenced area of about 7,500 m² that takes little time to walk round.
Why are some visitors disappointed by the Seven Coloured Earth?
Visitors are mostly disappointed by the size of the Seven Coloured Earth and by the light. The bare ground covers about 7,500 m² and is seen from a fenced walkway, while photographs often frame it tightly in strong colour. Under grey cloud the bands look muddy, and afternoons bring taxis and coaches. A sunny morning visit with realistic expectations avoids most of the disappointment.
Is Chamarel Waterfall flowing in October?
Chamarel Waterfall flows in October, but October falls in the driest part of the year in Mauritius and the fall is at its fullest from December to April. In the drier months the water can split into two thinner streams. There is no record of the fall running completely dry, and the geopark ticket covers both viewpoints whatever the flow.
How much time should I spend in Chamarel?
Allow 45 minutes to 2 hours for the Chamarel 7 Coloured Earth Geopark alone, the range the geopark gives. A half day adds the Rhumerie de Chamarel or Ebony Forest, and a full day can include both, plus the Black River Gorges viewpoint and the roadside Chamarel viewpoint over Le Morne. From the south-west coast, a half day still leaves the afternoon free for the beach.
What do reviews of Chamarel say?
Reviews of the Seven Coloured Earth are mixed. The common complaints are that the coloured earth is small, quick to see and underwhelming, and that the visit is crowded and commercial; the common praise is that it is worth a short stop, with the waterfall and the tortoises on the same ticket. The non-resident adult price has also risen, from Rs 250 in 2019 to Rs 800 (checked on 29 October 2026).
Is Chamarel good for children?
Chamarel suits children who enjoy animals and short walks. The Chamarel 7 Coloured Earth Geopark ticket includes the giant tortoises, children under 5 enter free and non-residents aged 5 to 11 pay Rs 400 (checked on 29 October 2026). The basalt paths can be awkward for strollers, and the Rhumerie de Chamarel publishes no visit price for children under 16.
Plan the day that works
The day plan gives a half day and a full day in an order that beats the crowds and the cloud.