Activities > The Valley of Colours unique in Mauritius
The Valley of Colours unique in Mauritius
The 23-coloured earth dates back to millions of years following the eruption of the Bassin Blanc volcano - its ashes, which bear witness to that event, are unique in the world.
Since the 23-coloured earth was discovered on the 4th of July 1998, "La Vallée des Couleurs Nature Park" has become one of the most famous and unique attractions of the island, which fascinates Mauritians as well as foreigners.
Nature lovers are bound to like this place; it is quite a unique experience with the indegenous fauna and flora that abound in the park. Visitors are treated with a range of natural landscapes, including plateaus, mountains, valleys, craters and crater-lakes.
For starters, there is our exhibition room which shows clearly what awaits adventurers in the park, immediately followed by our fern garden, without which any visit in the park would be incomplete, unless one wants to miss out on the the beauty of tree ferns, wild orchids or other native flowers like the Trochetia (Boucle d'oreille/Ear ring) and the Bouquet Banané (achna Mauriciana), which only blooms at the end of every year.
The park is also home to tortoises, monkeys, stags, fish and birds such as the Pink Pigeon, Paille-en-Queue and Câteau Vert, amongst others. Various endemic trees to the likes of Ebony, Bois de Natte, Takamaka and some other rare plants also contribute to the beauty of the park.
Cascade Vacoas, Cascade Bois de Natte, Cascade Cheveux d'Ange and Cascade Chamouzé are the four wonderful waterfalls where visitors can listen to water rustling, relax in natural intimacy and feel inner peace. The park also offers a captivating and breathtaking panoramic view of the South Coast.
The main attraction is the fascinating 23-coloured earth whose origin dates back to millions of years following the eruption of the Bassin Blanc volcano - its ashes, which bear witness to that event, are unique in the world.
Coloured Earth
When volcanoes erupt, there is a high level of gas pressure, causing magma (molten rock deep within the Earth) to come to the surface. During the eruption, the cooling lava solidifies quickly and combines its chemical elements with silica structures into vitreous, small crystals. The chemical composition of basalt, ancient dark igneous rock, changes according to the conditions of the original magma (high pressure and high temperature gas saturation).
After the eruption, volcanic molten rock is exposed to surface conditions - low pressure oxidising atmosphere, a temperature of 25°C and the presence of liquid water. These surface conditions have a major impact on the mineral and chemical composition of the rock.
The weathering process and different colours explained
Weathering is a series of transformations that progressively free the chemical elements in minerals according to their solubility in silica water present in basalt, which, when exposed to the sun, allows rainwater to develop into water-soluble metals such as sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium. When these metals are washed away thereafter, they penetrate the soil, into the groundwater, and start migrating to the sea. The remaining of silica is also phased out in a closed environment.
Silica, which may be completely eliminated by a long and intense alteration, combines with elements in water to form secondary minerals and what remains of the rock is simply insoluble oxide elements. Iron and manganese accumulate in the form of aluminium oxide, deposited in large quantities (in sheets or pieces) or mineral pigments on the residual.
The colours of ground iron, manganese and aluminium oxide form natural pigments of the earth:
- Iron oxides and hydroxides, haernatite, goethite, limonate and ferrihydrite generate a selection of colours from dark red to light yellow, including a variety of hues
- Manganese oxides are often deposited as thin films, producing an intensely black pigmentation and bluish metallic reflections
- Aluminium oxides, together with clay, range from pure white to yellow (produced by oxides of iron)
- Blue and green colours indicate the presence of silicate mineral containing iron and manganese (indicating past water saturation)
- Black often indicates the existence of organic matter (soil containing allophane).
Attractions:
- Coloured Earth
- Fauna & Flora
- Waterfalls
- Stones
Activities:
- Quad Biking
- Trekking
- Step Jet
- Zipline
Duration
02 - 03 hours