The Seven Coloured Earths in Mauritius (known in French as “Terres des Sept Couleurs”) is a bizarre geological oddity that tampers with the notion that brown is the only colour of dirt.

The psychedelic dunes were formed due to a rare instance of volcanic activity. In the resultant formations a number of different elements were brought together, each with their own distinctive hue.

The result – well a fantastic tourist attraction and a set of rolling sand dunes that have seven different colours combined, (red, brown, violet, green, blue, purple, and yellow).

Over time the sand particles containing the different elements settle together, creating patches of red iron or blue aluminium.

Another strange feature of the dunes is that they do not seem to erode, despite Mauritius’ heavy and frequent rains.

All the same, they have since been fenced in to protect them from the elements, meaning they will hopefully be around for curious sightseers for generations to come.

(Image Credits: National Geographic, Wikipedia, Mauritius Tourist Guide)