Most visitors to Mauritius spend their days on a sun lounger and their evenings at a beachside restaurant. That’s a perfectly good holiday. But if you’re the kind of traveller who wants to actually see the island, not just the bits visible from a resort pool, then Chamarel is worth a full day of your trip.
Tucked into the southwest highlands about an hour from most beach hotels, Chamarel sits roughly 600 metres above sea level. The drive up alone is worth it: winding roads through sugarcane fields, misty hilltop views, and a landscape that looks nothing like the coastal Mauritius you’ve probably seen in photos. It also runs a few degrees cooler than the coast, and cloud cover can roll in quickly by mid-afternoon, so bring a light layer.
What is Chamarel best known for?
Chamarel is best known for the Seven Coloured Earths, a geological oddity where volcanic soil has formed in distinct shades of red, brown, violet, green, blue, purple and yellow, all within the same small area. It’s genuinely unlike anything else you’ll see on the island. Beyond that, the area packs in a surprising amount for a single day:
- a waterfall viewpoint
- a rum distillery
- a well-run adventure park
- a wildlife park with Aldabra giant tortoises
- and one of the more unusual experiences on the island: feeding crocodiles at Crocodile Affamé
How to get to Chamarel
You’ll need your own transport. Public buses don’t reach most of the sites, and the distances between them make walking impractical. Rent a car, or book a half-day or full-day tour from your hotel. Most resorts offer organised transfers that bundle the main sites together. If you book a tour, just check which attractions are included, as some skip Crocodile Affamé.
From Grand Baie or Trou aux Biches on the north coast, allow about 90 minutes each way. From south coast hotels near Blue Bay or Le Morne, you’re looking at closer to 45 minutes.
The Seven Coloured Earths
Good for: All ages. Easy walking, short visit, highly visual.
This is the headline act and genuinely worth seeing in person, even if you’ve already seen a hundred photos of it. The viewing area is well set up with paved walkways, barriers to protect the dunes, and a couple of platforms that give you the best angles. Budget about 30 to 40 minutes here.
Admission is around $6 per adult, with discounted rates for children. Your ticket also covers the Chamarel Waterfall viewpoint, a short drive inside the same reserve. The waterfall drops roughly 100 metres and is most dramatic after heavy rain. The viewpoint platform has the kind of sweeping valley view that makes for a very good photo.
Arrive before 10am if you can. By mid-morning, tour buses start rolling in and the viewpoints get busy.
Book a guided Chamarel half-day tour here
Chamarel Adventure Park
Good for: Older kids (8 and up), teens, and thrill-seeking couples. Minimum height and age requirements apply per activity.
If you’re travelling with older kids or you and your partner want some adrenaline in your itinerary, Chamarel Adventure Park is the most complete outdoor activity complex on the island. It sits in the forested hillside above the village and runs ziplines, aerial rope courses, quad biking through forest trails, and buggy rides for younger guests who can’t yet manage the bikes alone.
The zipline circuit is the star attraction: a series of cables through the forest canopy with valley views between each run. You don’t need to be particularly fit or brave to do it. The guides are experienced and the briefings are thorough. Expect to spend 2 to 3 hours here if you’re doing a combination package.
Prices run from around $35 to $65 per person depending on which activities you combine. Family packages are usually better value than booking separately. The main zipline requires participants to be at least 10 years old and 30kg, so check requirements before you go if you have a mixed-age group.
Younger kids (under 8): The buggy rides and nature walk options work well for younger children. Don’t assume the whole park is off-limits if you have a mixed-age group.
Short on time? You can skip the adventure park and still have a full day with the coloured earths, the waterfall, and Crocodile Affamé. You’re not missing out.
Check availability and book Chamarel Adventure Park here
Crocodile Affamé at La Vanille Nature Park
Good for: Families with kids aged 5 and up, and couples looking for something a little different.
Crocodile Affamé is part of La Vanille Nature Park, a wildlife park housing a substantial population of Nile crocodiles alongside Aldabra giant tortoises, deer, and various bird species. The name translates roughly to “hungry crocodile,” which gives you a fair idea of what’s on offer.
The main draw is the feeding experience. You’ll use a stick with a piece of meat attached, supervised closely by handlers who clearly know exactly what they’re doing. Kids generally love it, and the handlers give commentary throughout so you come away having actually learned something, not just watched a spectacle.
The Aldabra tortoise enclosure is genuinely lovely. These tortoises can weigh over 200kg and live for well over 100 years. Young children tend to spend more time here than anywhere else on the site, and the tortoises seem completely unbothered by the attention.
Entry is around $15 to $20 per adult with a reduced rate for children under 12. Feeding sessions happen at scheduled times, so check the day’s timetable when you arrive and plan your visit around it.
Eating crocodile at Crocodile Affamé
And yes, once you’ve fed them, you can also eat them. The on-site restaurant serves crocodile meat as a specialty, and it’s worth trying if you’re even slightly curious. The meat is lean and mild, somewhere between chicken and firm white fish in texture. It’s most commonly served as a skewer or in a sauce, and the kitchen does it well. This isn’t a gimmick restaurant; the food is genuinely good and the setting, right next to the enclosures, makes for a memorable lunch.
Most dishes run around $15 to $25. The menu also includes non-crocodile options for anyone in the group who’d rather not.
Book your La Vanille Nature Park entry here
Rhumerie de Chamarel
Good for: Couples and adults. The distillery tour and tasting is genuinely interesting.
Mauritius produces excellent rum, and the Rhumerie de Chamarel is the best place on the island to understand how it’s made. The guided tour takes you through the production process from sugarcane to bottle, finishing with a tasting of their flavoured rums. The estate sits on a ridge with views down across the valley, and there’s a restaurant on site that works well as an alternative lunch stop if you’re not eating at Crocodile Affamé.
Tours run throughout the day and cost around $20 to $25 per person including tastings. If you’re here with kids, the tour works well for older children. The tasting is for adults, but the setting and the views make it a worthwhile stop for the whole group.
Book a Rhumerie de Chamarel tour here
How to plan your day in Chamarel
Chamarel works best as a full day out. The plan below follows a sequence that works for most groups, with a fork in the middle of the day depending on who you’re travelling with.
| 8am | Seven Coloured Earths and Chamarel Waterfall. Get here early before the tour buses arrive. The light is better in the morning too. Allow 45 minutes and you’ll have the viewpoints almost to yourself. |
| From 9am, the day splits depending on who you’re travelling with. | |
| 9am: With older kids or couples | Head straight to Chamarel Adventure Park while you still have energy. A zipline and rope course package takes 2 to 3 hours. Younger members of the group can do buggy rides while older kids tackle the ziplines. Finish around midday. |
| 9am: With young children | Go straight to La Vanille Nature Park in time for the morning feeding session. Check the timetable when you arrive. The tortoise enclosure easily absorbs 90 minutes, so don’t rush this one. Finish around midday. |
| 12pm: Lunch | If you started at the adventure park: head to La Vanille, eat at the Crocodile Affamé restaurant, and try the crocodile meat while you’re there. If you started at La Vanille: head to the Rhumerie for lunch, or grab something at one of the village restaurants on the main road. |
| 2pm | If you started at the adventure park: this is your La Vanille slot. If you started at La Vanille: head to the Rhumerie now. Either way, allow 90 minutes to 2 hours. |
| 4pm | If time and energy allow, finish with the rum distillery tour and tasting before the drive back. If you have young children and the day has caught up with them, skip it and head home. An earlier finish on a big day out is never the wrong call. |
| 4:30pm | Drive back to your hotel. Allow 45 to 90 minutes depending on where you’re staying. Build in a buffer if you have an early dinner reservation. |
Practical tips before you go
- Wear comfortable shoes. Some of the terrain at the adventure park and La Vanille involves uneven ground. Flip flops won’t do.
- Bring a light layer. Temperatures are cooler than the coast, especially in the morning and late afternoon.
- Bring sunscreen and a hat. The altitude is deceptive. It feels cooler, but the UV exposure is just as high.
- Book the adventure park in advance if you’re travelling in July or August. The school holiday peak fills slots quickly.
- Cash is useful. Most sites accept credit cards, but a few hundred Mauritian rupees (roughly $5 to $8 USD) is helpful for small purchases and parking.
- Consider a guided tour. If this is your only inland day trip, a guide is worth it. They’ll handle parking, timing, and admission at each site, and they’ll know exactly when the crocodile feeding starts.
Chamarel is one of those days that ends up being the part of the trip everyone talks about. The beach is wonderful. This is the part people remember.
Ready to plan your Mauritius itinerary? Browse recommended hotels in Mauritius here. We’ve picked the best options for families and couples across the island.