Chamarel itself is small enough to walk around — the Seven Coloured Earth, the waterfall viewpoint, and the village centre are all within reasonable distance of each other. However, the terrain is hilly and the roads are narrow, so walking between the main sights and the Rhumerie de Chamarel or the Ebony Forest involves some uphill effort in the heat.
Most visitors arrive by rental car or taxi and keep their vehicle with them for the day. Parking is available at the Seven Coloured Earth site and at the Rhumerie. If you have a car, you can comfortably reach all the main sights in a morning and continue to the coast in the afternoon.
For hiking in the Black River Gorges National Park, a car is needed to reach the trailheads. The main park visitor centre is about 10 kilometres from Chamarel. Trail distances within the park are significant, and some of the best walks are one-way routes that require either a return journey on the same path or an arrangement with a driver to collect you at the other end.
Taxis in Mauritius do not use meters — agree on a price before departure. Many taxi drivers are willing to wait while you visit a site and then drive you to the next one; this is a practical arrangement and not much more expensive than dropping you off and calling another taxi.