Vallee des Couleurs

Vallee des Couleurs sits on a private estate near Chamouny and has its own patch of coloured volcanic earth, marketed as showing 23 shades against the seven at Chamarel, though the two sites are the same geological phenomenon of weathered basalt where iron and aluminium oxides have separated into bands. The estate has built a park around it: several waterfalls including the 83-metre Ravine Sable drop, a nepenthes and native plant area, giant tortoises, deer, and a set of ziplines and a Nepalese suspension bridge that are the main draw for many visitors. Buggy and quad trails run through the grounds. It is more of an activity park with a geological feature than a natural site with facilities.

What you actually see

• The coloured earth - the banded volcanic soil the park is named for.
• The waterfalls - several drops including the tall Ravine Sable fall.
• Ziplines and bridge - the aerial circuit across the valley.
• Tortoises and deer - the animal enclosures on the estate.

When to go

May to December for the drier weather and better zipline conditions. Waterfalls run stronger in the wet season from January to April. Mornings are quieter and cooler.

Honest expectations

This is a commercial activity park and priced as one, with each attraction charged separately. The coloured earth patch is smaller and less striking than Chamarel's. Ziplines have weight and age restrictions. The site is spread out and needs a shuttle or a lot of walking.

Nearby

Bassin Blanc lies west; La Vanille park is east.