Colored sands of Chamarel

The “Seven Coloured Earth” is the name given to the vibrant sands of Chamarel on the island of Mauritius. They’re composed of basalt fragments expelled during a volcanic eruption, volcanic ash, and clay. This mixture formed soils in seven distinct hues — red, purple, brown, green, mauve, yellow and blue.

What’s truly remarkable is that these different layers, each bearing its own color, never blend together. They always preserve exactly seven separate bands, and the dunes painted in these shades look utterly surreal.