Chamarel was one of our most memorable day trips during our two-month stay in Mauritius. This is a unique geopark near the Black River Gorges National Park, 28 km from Flic en Flac, and 45 km from Port Louis.
It is named after the nearby village of Chamarel, which, in turn, takes its name from the Frenchman Charles Antoine de Chazal de Chamarel who owned the area in the early 19th century.
We reached Chamarel in about an hour from Mahebourg, via the scenic mountain route B103. Before heading to the park, we drove a little further down the main road to an observation deck for a stunning vista of the Morne and the Île aux Benitiers amid the turquoise lagoon (viewpoint’s location).
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The access road to the Chamarel Geopark starts from the village center, opposite the Church of Saint Anne, beside the nature lodge Chamarel Mirador Studio: the most economical accommodation option near Chamarel. The road was lined with many nice restaurants and posh hotels like Lakaz Chamarel Exclusive Lodge. It shortly led us to the park’s entrance where we each paid a 550 MUR ticket as foreigners. It was 250 for locals.
Driving past another neat lodge located within the park, we reached the first major sight. Dropping for 95 meters into a jungle-enshrouded, chasmic sinkhole, the Chamarel Waterfall is the tallest in Mauritius and arguably the most impressive. We saw it from two observation decks across the sinkhole: one beside the parking and a higher one we reached via a 5-minute hiking trail. The view was outright phenomenal. It was a pity they weren’t allowing drones. Abseiling down the fall can be organized by these guys.
We then continued to the park’s principal attraction: the Seven Colored Earths. Lying amid the surrounding lushness, this basically was a heap of mud mounds exhibiting seven red-brownish hues depending on the sediment’s consistency. There was a path around half its periphery to view it from different angles. Quite picturesque.
Aside, they also maintained a pen with giant tortoises. While some mudbathed, the enormous male chased the females, climbing on their backs and screaming as they strived to break away from him.
An expensive but cozy cafe overlooked the site. It showcased a freezer of Minimelts: an American company boasting of making the world’s coldest ice cream at -35 Celcius. That was the first time I heard about it and gave it a try. A small cup filled with globules of super-condensed ice cream came to 250 MUR. It was interesting, but I would prefer normal ice cream any day of the week.
The Chamarel compound also featured an adventure park and an ebony forest. We were planning to trek through the latter to Piton du Canot summit. However, it turned out they collected an additional 350 MUR for that. We said no thanks, especially since there is no shortage of beautiful places to hike in Mauritius for free.
Accommodation and activities in Mauritius
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Learn more about the Chamarel Geopark on their official website.
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Photos
View (and if you want use) all my photographs from Chamarel in higher resolution.
