Anyone who’s been following me for any time at all knows I’m obsessed with color—especially as it manifests in travel.
Colorful places are about so much more than just providing perfect back drops for your #travelgrams. They tend to speak to the character of a place, beyond just its appreciation for beauty. Colorful places often mean colorful people, which often make for colorful experiences. And when you start to understand the reasoning that certain places live in more color than others, it makes the travel experience even more interesting.
I came across a quote the other day that pretty much sums up the role color plays in this life:
“Color is a power which directly influences the soul.” —Wassily Kandinsky
So in my endless endeavor to nourish as many souls as I can (including mine) here are 10 of the most colorful places around the world. Also known as the travel bucket list of my dreams.
Bermuda
Bermuda has to be, hands down, one of the prettiest places I’ve ever been, and also one of the most colorful. The quaint island in the beautiful middle of nowhere off the East Coast of the United States, is known for its beloved pink sand beaches.
Why it’s so colorful: Bermuda residents have been painting their limestone-roofed houses pastel since the 17th century, and some say the colors are in keeping with the flowers on the island. Either way, they’re certainly a reflection of the island’s positive vibes.
Bo-Kaap, South Africa
Bo-Kaap is an area of Cape Town, South Africa most known in Insta-fame for its brightly colored homes with Table Mountain as a backdrop. The homes were once quarters for slaves when the area was called the Malay Quarter, as many of the enslaved people were brought in from Malaysia, Indonesia and other parts of Africa.
Why it’s so colorful: After Apartheid, emancipated slaves painted their homes in colorful hues in celebration, as before their days of freedom, the homes could only be painted white.
Havana, Cuba
Havana, Cuba is known for its historic everything—architecture in particular, which stayed more or less as is over the years as things largely remained as is under communist rule. Now, with relations somewhat restored between the U.S. and Cuba, it’s a treat to witness both the city and the country.
Why it’s so colorful: The colors of Havana’s ornate buildings are a relic of its past, when structures were painted brightly in the 16th and 17th centuries, thanks in part to Dutch, French and Spanish settlers.
Burano, Italy
Burano, is an island in the Venetian lagoon in northern Italy, known for its strikingly colorful homes. The 2,777 residents that live on the small isle have surely grown fed up of the constant Instagrammer posing in front of their places.
Why it’s so colorful: As the story goes, fishermen started painting their homes in the bright colors so they could make them out through the fog when returning home.
Chefchaouen, Morrocco
Chefchaoen (pronounced: chef-sha-wen), the city in northern Morocco, is known for its all-blue-everywhere buildings. Visiting Chefchaouen means you can wind through the stone steps and walls of the city built in the 1400s, discovering beautiful handicrafts and hideouts.
Why it’s so colorful: There seem to be several theories about why the buildings are painted blue. As one goes, the Sephardi Jews that settled there in the 1500s brought with them the tradition of painting things blue. As another theory goes, the blue may symbolize sky and heaven, a reminder of spirituality.
Jaipur, India
Also known as the Pink City, Jaipur is one of India’s most colorful spots, known for stunning grand palaces so beautiful they could only be found in the majestic country.
Why it’s so colorful: When the Prince of Wales and Queen Victoria were set to visit Jaipur in 1876, Maharaja Ram Singh painted the whole city pink to welcome them, since it’s the color of hospitality.
Jamaica
The Caribbean is generally one of the most colorful regions of the world, and Jamaica is one island in particular where that color abounds. From homes to roadside food stalls or rum shops, color is everywhere.
Why it’s so colorful: The Caribbean just rolls like that.
Cinque Terre, Italy
Cinque Terre in Italy’s Liguria region, is known for its coastal beauty, plus grapes, olives and pesto. And because of the few and windy roads to get there, it’s been largely untouched by corporate anything.
Why it’s so colorful: As with other fishing villages, the word goes that fishermen painted their homes to easily be able to locate them.
Lavender Fields, France
If you’re looking for color and nature at the same time, you’ll do best to find yourself in the lavender fields in Provence, France. The lavender blooms in the region between the end of June and early August, with its peak usually in July, though exactly when is dependent on the year’s rainfall.
Why it’s so colorful: Well, it’s lavender. And there’s lots and lots of it.
Cartagena, Colombia
Cartagena, Colombia is known for its color, its charm and its culture. The Old Town of the city on the Caribbean coast captivates most who go there and its recognized by visitors—and Colombians alike—as the country’s best destination.
Why it’s so colorful: Though there doesn’t appear to be a pointed reason, we know (as evidenced by this list) colonized places and coastal places often ended up slathered in color, and since Cartagena is both, that may have been reason enough.