Our obsession with technology can be a bit of an issue, especially when we’re traveling. We are often so busy trying to capture the whole experience that we have our eyes glued to our phones, following the maps, updating Instagram and checking Trip Advisor for where we should eat lunch. Inevitably, you miss out on quite a few awesome things like badass graffiti, cool store facades, or adorable puppies. Ready to snap out of your tech addiction with some serious color therapy from around the world. From zebra-striped mountains in China to candy-colored coasts in Canada, these are 20 of the most colorful places in the world that will are a remind you to look up from your phone for a change.
1. Via Galuppi, Burano, Italy
Venice usually gets all the fame for being romantic and scenic, but the tiny island of Burano has some serious photogenic treasures. History has it that the technicolor houses were painted to distinguish one family’s property from another during fog season. (via Italy Magazine)
2. Rua Luis de Camões, Águeda, Portugal
Portugal is famous for scorching heat during the summer. can border on unbearable. The annual Umbrella Sky Project has it covered- literally- with hundred of umbrellas suspended on cables across several blocks. Start planning your trip to Portugal now: the 2015 installment is set to launch in July. (via Silvana Regina Ferreira)
3. Rue Targui, Chefchaouen, Morocco
The Blue City of Morocco is so remote that it has remained closed off to the rest of the world for almost half a millennium. Why is it so blue? The aqua paint was said to to ward off mosquitoes but even if it doesn’t, you’ll definitely get some killer photo ops. (via Avax News)
4. Balat Istanbul
Once Istanbul’s old Jewish quarter, Balat used to be Istanbul’s old Jewish quarter, but the neighbourhood has become more diverse over time. It’s easy to spend a few hours wandering, through the old architecture, admiring the dilapidated yellow and pink buildings decorating with billowing red or green curtains, all against the cerulean sky. (via The Distant Ships)
5. Rio de Janeiro
Artists Jeroen Koolhaas and Dre Urhahn create community art by painting entire neighborhoods all around the world. In 2010, they turned a favela in Rio de Janeiro into a giant canvas. Enlisting the help of the local youth, they converted the homes of Favela Santa Maria into a rainbow of colorful rays. (via Viator)
6. Vernazza, Italy
Every photo you take will look like a postcard. Pastel pink, lemon yellow, and sea green façades dot the coastline of Vernazza and the four other scenic waterfront villages that make up Cinque Terre. (via Kleberly)
7. Jodhpur, India
A long time ago, Brahmin families painted their homes blue, a royal color, to distinguish themselves from the commoners. But soon, everyone else followed suit, to result in one royally blue city. (via David with a Movie Camera)
8. St. John’s, Newfoundland
This colorful stretch is called Jellybean Row; back in the day ship captains would assign their homes a distinct candy color to make them easier to spot from the sea. (via Destination St. John’s)
9. Old San Juan, Puerto Rico
You won’t find the same two shades ever repeated in this seven-block neighborhood. Palm trees add a decidedly Caribbean element to the charming old-world European architecture, which hosts some of San Juan’s finest restaurants and, naturally, a vibrant night life. (via Pedro Lastra)
10. La Boca, Buenos Aires
Almost every color in the paint box seems to have been used in this section of La Boca. The neighborhood was built with scrap materials from nearby shipyards, including leftover paints found by residents to create this visual treat. (via Minnesota Prairie Roots)
11. Procida, Italy
This tiny island is stacked with candy-colored homes displayed against the brilliant blue backdrop of the Mediterranean. (via Francesco Riccardo)
12. Zhangye Danxia Landform Geological Park, China
The striped, technicolor mountains in China look more like something out of a Dr. Seuss book then an actual place. The stripes come from layers of mineral and sandstone to create the very cool zebra effect. (via CJ Who)
13. Amsterdam, Netherlands
Utrecht is an ancient city with many of its buildings are going back to the early Middle Ages. Everything here has been given a colorful update and the Netherlands is one of the best countries for solo travel if you’re thinking of venturing out on your own. (via Scoopers)
14. Santorini, Greece
This little island off Greece’s southeastern coast is famous for its blue-roofed, whitewashed architecture, killer sunsets, and of course the amazing Greek food. (via Paow Magazine)
15. Bo-Kaap, Cape Town Africa
Bo-Kaap was one of the original hubs of Malay culture and today it’s one of the trendiest, most expensive neighborhoods with lots of restaurants and wine bars. (via Friendly Rentals)
16. San Francisco, California, USA
If you’ve always dreamed of living in a bubble gum pink Victorian house, San Francisco is your best bet to make it happen. The Painted Ladies are one of the most recognizable works of color in the city, but bright colors can be found anywhere throughout the city. (via Designing Disney)
17. Stockholm, Sweden
The vibrant modern capital city is a collage of orange terracotta-coloured buildings shining between blue water and bluer skies all summer and then covered with snow and dotted with lights in winter. (via Chamber Trade)
18. Brighton Beach, Melbourne, Australia
Exactly 82 brightly colored bathing boxes line the perfect white sand at Brighton Beach. They were originally built so Victorian women could slip into their bathing costumes and race to the water discretely. But now they are the perfect backdrop to model that new swimsuit. (via Anh Dinh)
19. Reykjavik, Iceland
You’ll want to get a bird’s eye view to take full advantage of all the colorful roofs. Reykjavik is like a rainbow in the steel blue skies of Iceland. The city lies on the coast with colorful buildings set against the blue sea.
20. Hong Kong
A colorful city doesn’t just have to be painted houses against a blue sky. During the day, Hong Kong is just an ordinary city, but at night, it lights up like a Christmas tree. The glittering lights reflected by the tall glass towers and the horde of pink and yellow neon signs add an expanse of glitter. (via In the World)
