The most colorful towns around the world

Stef Zisovska
Bo-Kaap area of Cape Town with its distinctive pastel-colored houses in the foreground with the city centre to the left and Table Mountain in the background - Author: SkyPixels - CC BY-SA 4.0
Bo-Kaap area of Cape Town with its distinctive pastel-colored houses in the foreground with the city centre to the left and Table Mountain in the background - Author: SkyPixels - CC BY-SA 4.0

Some towns and cities in the world offer natural landscapes and divine architectural wonders, while others attract people with a different kind of charm. Colorful towns are beautiful phenomena that pop up in all the continents. In some parts, colorful houses are a part of the culture and the religion, while in others is just the matter of buying the cheapest paint. However, all the colorful towns around the world are extremely attractive and make the perfect touristic spots. When we travel, we always like to visit places that we can’t see back home, and the more colors included in the picture, the better. Here are some of the most colorful towns around the world that you can visit.

Manarola, Italy

View of Manarola – Author: chensiyuan – CC BY-SA 4.0
View of Manarola – Author: chensiyuan – CC BY-SA 4.0

Manarola is a clinging, colorful town, the oldest in the Cinque Terre group. The five towns are literally hanging from the rugged cliffs, mixing their bright colors with the blue sea. Manarola is a popular touristic spot for everyone that comes to the province of La Spezia in northern Italy. The colorful town looks like a flower bouquet when watched from the seaside.

Jodhpur, India

Jodhpur panorama, seen from the Mehrangarh Fort – Author: Premaram67 – CC BY-SA 4.0
Jodhpur panorama, seen from the Mehrangarh Fort – Author: Premaram67 – CC BY-SA 4.0

Jodhpur is a blue-colored town at the foot of the gigantic fortress of Mehrangarh settled in the Thar Desert in India. In the past, the blue color houses indicated the homes of the higher class population, while today that significance doesn’t have any religious connotation. This old city has a heavenly look visible from the top of the gigantic fortress, which is open to visitors. The area is also famous for the numerous palaces including Umaid Bhavan Palace, Jaswant Thada, and the Clock Tower.

La Boca, Buenos Aires, Argentina

La Boca, Buenos Aires, Argentina – Author: Ester Inbar
La Boca, Buenos Aires, Argentina – Author: Ester Inbar

La Boca is the most colorful district in Argentina’s capital, Buenos Aires. Since the beginnings of the city in the 16th century, this part of Argentina is one of the most diverse and cultural cities. It was inhabited by Italian immigrants who build the first colored houses that are the strongest landmark of the city. The tradition of painting the houses in various colors continues today. Many painters and sculptors helped define the look of the Boca district.

Ittoqqortoormiit, Greenland

Ittoqqortoormiit – Author: Hannes Grobe, AWI – CC BY-SA 2.5
Ittoqqortoormiit – Author: Hannes Grobe, AWI – CC BY-SA 2.5

One of the world’s most isolated regions is home to the warm-colored village of Ittoqqortomiit. It consists of colorful houses that look like former barns. The town is actually an entrance to the enormous Northeast Greenland National Park that is big enough to fit 100 Yellowstone parks within its territory. The reason for painting the houses in bright colors is a psychological need of the inhabitants of the village who live in eternal winter and don’t see anything but white and gray.

Willemstadt, Curacao

Penha Building, built in 1708 – Author: Evandria – CC BY-SA 4.0
Penha Building, built in 1708 – Author: Evandria – CC BY-SA 4.0

Do you remember the doll cities that you imagined when you were a kid? Well, Willemstadt looks exactly like that, only real and in the Caribbean Sea. The oldest records of Willemstadt date back to 1634 when the island was invaded by the Dutch. When Dutch architecture mixed with the Caribbean colors, the result was a rainbow-looking city with a unique charm.

Bo-Kaap, Cape Town, South Africa

Bo-Kaap primary colors – Author: Witstinkhout – CC BY-SA 3.0
Bo-Kaap primary colors – Author: Witstinkhout – CC BY-SA 3.0

Bo-Kaap is a district in Cape Town known for its candy shop look. If you look at the town from far away, you will think it’s a giant candy bar with different fruit flavors. If you want to learn more about the town’s past, visit the Bo-Kaap Museum that still exists in the original building from 1760.

Tenby, Wales

St Mary’s Street, a typical old town street in Tenby – Author: Colin Bell – CC BY-SA 2.0
St Mary’s Street, a typical old town street in Tenby – Author: Colin Bell – CC BY-SA 2.0

Tenby is a seaside resort town in Wales. During the Middle Age, the high walls protected Temby from all sorts of attacks, while today they can barely hide the colorful houses that are visible from the sea. Tenby is one of the cutest colorful towns in the world that attracts plenty of visitors every year. Tourists can walk through the narrow streets and feel the spirit of Tenby’s past.

Longyearbyen, Svalbard, Norway

The town center of Longyearbyen – Author: Bjørn Christian Tørrissen – CC BY-SA 3.0
The town center of Longyearbyen – Author: Bjørn Christian Tørrissen – CC BY-SA 3.0

If you’re looking not only for colorful towns but also secluded ones, then Longyearbyen has a good chance to win your heart. The town belongs to Svalbard archipelago, and it’s one of the most Nordic settlements, being close to the Arctic Circle. Longyearbyen is a former mining town where today people live in identically built houses in different colors. The old mines are open for visitors, and some of the locals say that the town is a home for Santa Claus. The colorful houses stand out from the grey surroundings and give the town a fresh look.

If a colorful home in a colorful neighborhood is what you’ve been looking for, now you know where to direct your flight. These are some of the most colorful towns around the world that also offer rich architecture, history, art, and lots of fun. Choose your favorite spot from the list and start planning a trip!

stef-zisovska

stef-zisovska is one of the authors writing for Outdoor Revival