Colors make everything so much more beautiful – even dreamlike vacation spots. We introduce you to the 10 most colorful cities in the world for your next trip!
From the colorful facades of Chile to an actual blue Smurf village to a slum turned rainbow – many a city on earth presents itself as a veritable sea of colour. If you not only want to be enchanted by art, culture and beautiful landscapes during your next vacation, but also by colorful houses, then these destinations are just right for you!
Valparaíso, Chile
Right at the beginning we would like to take you to Chile, more precisely to the central coast of the country: around 100 kilometers from Santiago you will find the pretty port town of Valparaíso, which is characterized by two things in particular: its unmistakable cable cars and the colorful houses, that determine its slopes. Valparaíso’s architecture is an eclectic mix of colonial and local styles, while the city is bursting with cultural institutions – from exciting museums like La Sebastiana, dedicated to Chilean poet Pablo Neruda, to the numerous art galleries that line the hillside pass through the neighborhood. Incidentally, as the name suggests, you have the most beautiful views here from Cerro Bellavista, and if you want to go to the beach after the high-altitude flights, you can drop by Playa Las Torpederas or drive to nearby Reñaca Beach.
Chefchaouen, Morocco
We continue into the mountains of Morocco, straight to the blue city of Chefchaouen. Founded in the late 15th century, Chefchaouen was for many years considered a holy city, where foreigners were forbidden to enter – the result is a city that is not only wonderful to look at but has retained its medieval features pretty much unchanged to this day. The most beautiful sights here are the Kasbah Fortress, which also dates from the 15th century, the Great Mosque and the Ethnographic Museum. In northern Chefchaouen you will also find the small, idyllically babbling Ras El Ma waterfall and around the town the Rif Mountains are waiting to be hiked and explored by you, just like the Talassemtane National Park in the east.
Jodhpur, India
And we have another city that shines in glorious blue for you: Jodhpur in India. Located in the Thar Desert, Jodhpur is defined by its impressive monuments – most notably the Mehrangarh Fort and Museum, which towers over the rest of the city from the region’s central hill. You should also visit the beautiful Jaswant Thada Mausoleum from the late 19th century and the magnificent Umaid Bhawan Palace, which is truly reminiscent of 1001 and nights, but is now primarily used as a first-class hotel where you can relax from start to finish be pampered at the back. You can admire the colorful nature of the city, especially when you walk through the picturesque little streets of Jodhpur, for example when you are looking for cozy little restaurants where you can also enjoy the delicious local cuisine.
St. John’s, Canada
In the far east of Canada, on the eastern tip of Newfoundland, is the next colorful place on our list – and here it is indeed colorful again. The cute wooden houses of the picturesque coastal town of St. John’s shine in all kinds of bold colors – and all against the fantastic backdrop of lush green hills and sparkling waters. In other words: It is rare to find such a beautiful spot of urban earth as here. Around St. John’s you can enjoy the wonderful nature and its views, take a trip to nearby Cape Spear or the Cabot Tower and go on long walks and hikes, while you can explore the pubs and restaurants of St. John’s in the city itself – Culinary highlights included.
Gamcheon Culture Village, South Korea
Behind the brightly colored facades of South Korea’s Gamcheon Culture Village lies a less cheerful story: the hilltop village was built in the 1920s and 1930s to relocate the working-class poor of nearby Busan—out of the city into an area that was visually secluded , but was still close enough to make it easy to travel to work every day. Gamcheon was therefore given little importance for a long time; In recent years, however, thanks to public funding and its colorful houses, the place has become one of the most popular tourist destinations in the entire region and is particularly popular with photographers and Instagrammers.
Juzcar, Spain
The story of the next colorful village on our list is also a very special one – albeit a completely different one from that of the previous colorful city: Júzcar has only been presenting itself as wonderfully blue as it does today for a few years, more precisely since 2011 – and the reason? Back then, the entire formerly white town was painted blue to serve as a backdrop for a Smurf film. Yes, that’s right: Júzcar is blue because it’s a real Smurf village. After filming, people got used to the color so much – or just liked it – that it has remained until today and Júzcar has not only become a tourist magnet, but also the location of curious events such as a Smurf wedding. If that doesn’t make you curious…
Kampung Pelangi, Indonesia
Of all the colorful places that we would like to introduce to you, none is as colorful as this one: the rainbow village of Kampung Pelangi in Indonesia. And here, too, there is a curious – but hopeful – story behind it: Kampung Pelangi started out as a slum of Gunung Brintik, where the poorest in the region lived in makeshift accommodation – until the Indonesian government invested around 200,000 euros in the village and converted it into one permanent rainbow – the Rainbow Village or Kampung Pelangi was born. In this colorful place, not only the houses themselves, but also all streets, parapets, bridges, parasols, lanterns and even shore stones are painted with bright colors, patterns and motifs and Instagrammers and photographers from all over the world flock here to photograph the sea of colours . There is no better example that creativity and imagination can really make the world a better place.
Guatape, Colombia
Not quite as colourful, but still incredibly colourful, is the next place on our list: Colombia’s Guatapé, just a few kilometers east of Medellín. The old town of Guatapé is adorned with reliefs that let the facades of the houses shine in all possible colors and thus create a very special, wonderful atmosphere. The colorful architecture of the city is particularly impressive around the Plazoleta de Los Zócalos, where you will also find many a delicious restaurant to try the regional cuisine. And if you fancy exploring the surrounding area as well, then you should definitely check out El Peñón de Guatapé, or Rock of Guatapé – an inselberg that can be climbed and offers fantastic views of the surrounding area.
Procida, Italy
There are many colorful places to visit in Italy – just think of the wonderful Cinque Terre or the Venetian Burano – but none is as colorfully idyllic as the small island of Procida in the Gulf of Naples. The island is home to a medieval-style settlement where you can lose yourself in the authentic Mediterranean atmosphere, or take walks at Procida’s two ports. And of course Italy wouldn’t be Italy if you couldn’t taste all sorts of delicacies here too. For relaxing days on the coast you can also visit the Spiaggia Pozzovecchio or sunbathe on Chiaiolella Beach.
Las Palmitas, Mexico
Until now we have had blue villages, colorful villages, villages in which not only the houses are colorful – but a city that presents itself as the only huge, colorful picture that only exists in Las Palmitas in Mexico. Until a few years ago, Las Palmitas was a city like many others, but then the artist collective German Crew came on the scene: together they painted the town’s houses and transformed it into a gigantic mural that stretches across the facades of the entire city and can be admired from the foot of the hill on which it is situated. Dedicated to the wind, the beautiful rainbow motif is nicknamed “la bella airosa” or “the airy beauty” by locals – and you can admire it too during your visit.
