7 Coloured Earth

As we arrived late last night, we had no supplies for breakfast, so we walked into town and had an omelette and coffee at a local bakery/cafe.

After a quick supermarket visit, we headed off for the day towards the Chamarel 7 Coloured Earth Geopark. It is a relatively small area of sand dunes comprising sand of seven distinct colours and has become one of Mauritius' main tourist attractions since the 1960s.

In the same park is Chamarel Waterfall, the tallest single drop waterfall in Mauritius.

Heading towards the south coast, we stopped at Maconde Viewpoint, a small outcrop with views over the Indian Ocean. It is believed that the name Maconde originates from the slavery period, where runaway slaves from the Makonde tribe of Mozambique came to seek refuge. 

Our final stop was Le Morne, one of the most popular beaches in Mauritius, but also home to the Le Morne Brabant, a 550m monolith located at the southwestern corner of the island. It is seen as a symbol of the resistance to slavery, as it was used as a refuge by slaves after escaping their masters. Legend has it that when slavery was abolished, the slaves falsely belived the approaching police (who were going to inform them that they were free men), were going to recapture them, and jumped to their deaths rather than be recaptured. At the base of the Le Morne Brabant is the International Slave Route Monument.

The coast off Le Morne Brabant is often cited as the location of an underwater waterfall, which you can't see from the land... but it may be visible from one of the seaplane tours offered nearby.Lue lisää