We go on holiday, in part, to relax and rejuvenate ourselves. We travel to escape the standard, the day-to-day, the familiar routines. But we also travel to nourish ourselves. We travel in search of the new, the calm, the thrilling – the full spectrum of being. And with sight being one of our key senses, it’s no surprise that we often pick places for the view.
Whether you’re a photographer with a keen eye for vibrant places, or simply someone who derives a giddy joy from the technicolour potential of our varied world, you might be hoping to travel somewhere colourful. And you’re in the right place. The vividity of the following destinations put our dreary isle more or less to shame; any would be the perfect option to explore this year.
Chefchaouen, Morocco
First, then: to Morocco. More specifically, to Chefchaouen (pictured top – Image by MaRabelo) – one of the world’s most photogenic destinations, as decided by its distinctive blue tint. Here, everything’s a glorious shade of summer sky-blue, from the buildings to the stone streets themselves.
It’s a heady sight, and one which tracks all the way up the mountainside on which Chefchaouen sits. There’s a reason so many trips to Morocco take in Chefchaouen! Everything looks better against that stunning cerulean, and the vibrancy of the mountainous landscape that surrounds shows up all the greater too.
Jaipur, India. Image by Kzara Visual.
Jaipur, India
India is a country that contains multitudes – and which already has a fascinating relationship with colour, patterns, vibrancy and beauty. But there are some places that, somehow, appear more colourful than the rest. One such place is Jaipur, a city of pink that really must be explored on-foot to be understood fully.
Much like Chefchaouen, Jaipur’s buildings are also somewhat monocolour – this time, though, a pastel pink that balms the eye. Its Palace of Winds, otherwise known as Hawa Mahal, is a quiet cacophony of colonnades, all rendered – quite literally – in that beautiful hue. There’s much to see and to love in Jaipur, but this is an excellent and highly photogenic start.
Cartagena de Indias Colombia. Image by Ribeirorocha.
Cartagena, Colombia
Far more than an incidental plot point in Michael Douglas/Kathleen Turner vehicle Romancing The Stone, Colombia’s Cartagena is a deeply colourful destination worth your attention in its own right. Cartagena is a coastal city, jutting out into the Caribbean; it’s a beautiful place to be in the summer, and all the more so for its colourful old town, where bright colonial buildings, flower-filled balconies and lively plazas create an unforgettable atmosphere. Come for the colour, and stay for the tropical delights!
Burano, Venice. Image by Adisa.
Burano, Italy
Last but not least, we come to Burano, an island in the Venetian Lagoon, a World Heritage Site, and one of the most colour-saturated places in Western Europe. This Mediterranean escape is so colourful for its brightly painted fishermen’s houses, which, of course, are set off magnificently against the picturesque canals for which Venice is so popular.
