Color is an essential element in our lives, better don’t to live in black and white, today, we will stroll through the most colorful cities in the world.
Visiting the most colorful cities in the world can be a source of inspiration. If you are thinking of changing the color of the facade of your home, that of the community of neighbors, the industrial building where you work or the office building where you spend many hours, and no, you do not want it to have the same tone, nor have it one similar to that of the neighbors, speaking in silver: you want to stand out. Well, congratulations! You have arrived at the right place at the right time, because here you can enjoy (today) the most colorful cities in the world (take note).
It is best to order them alphabetically, so they can never accuse us of bias, although, of course, there is bias in the case of colors … Who does not have his favorite? Or do blue, red, turquoise or yellow tell you the same? Don’t you prefer one for your dresses, another for your vehicles, the one for footwear and the one beyond for hats? Yes, it happens to all of us: colors influence us, so let’s use them!
The first site we will visit is in Istanbul, it is one of its oldest and most traditional neighborhoods: the district of Balat, located in the European part, next to the district of Fener, another that draws attention for its color. This part of Turkey is transforming, adapting to fashion with new bohemian-style coffees, vintage shops and craft workshops. In addition, the two neighborhoods are part of the UNESCO World Heritage list.
The second has a European aroma, it is Burano (also with B, beauty), a small population of 5,000 people who live on the island of the same name and who are obliged to keep its facades painted with bright colors. They say that fishermen painted them like this to recognize them with the fog. Today, it is a powerful tourist attraction (as if another were missing from Venice).
We change the continent: We go to Africa to discover the cheerful facades of the Bo Kaap neighborhood, in Cape Town (South Africa), one of the most photographed places in the country, and it is not for less. Its peculiar configuration has its roots in slavery, since there were established Malaysian slaves carried by the Dutch centuries ago, today, the majority of the population is Muslim and is a mandatory place to visit if you go to Cape Town .
That you don’t know how the blue will look in your building? Forget about doing the typical color tests! Embark on the first plane bound for Morocco and approach the municipality of Chauen (Chefchaouene), there you will enjoy narrow cobbled streets painted in different shades of this color … Breathe the centennial air of a city founded in 1471, but be careful before relaxing and enjoy the ride, you must decide if the blue convinces you for your home, lest you forget the reason for your trip!
But the beautiful thing is the contrast, and you know it, so now we are going to propose you to cross the Atlantic, to the island of Curacao, in the Caribbean. Prepare the swimsuit and your smartphone to take the best snapshots of the bright colors that adorn the facades of the place. They say that in the nineteenth century, Governor Albert Kikkert issued a decree forcing any color other than white (which gave him a headache), how it has not occurred to more than one mayor!
And as we are in the vast American continent, it is best to take advantage and visit Guanajuato, in Mexico, another place that is a World Heritage Site, in addition to being the capital of the state of the same name and university city … Take good note of its green buildings, red, yellow and orange that make you navigate its narrow streets, well, and since you are, take a selfie in front of the Collegiate Basilica of Our Lady of Guanajuato and upload it to Instagram.
Have you already forgotten what blue was like? Don’t worry about it! To the nearest airport, ask for a ticket to Jodhpur, in India, and rediscover that color in a totally different atmosphere. They say that the blue pigment was used to indicate the social status, although it is also said that it drives away mosquitoes … the case is that it achieves a super magical atmosphere … especially at night!
The neighborhood of San Juan, in Las Palmas de Gran CanariaYou don’t want to leave the homeland? Then approach the eastern capital of the Canary Islands, the neighborhood of San Juan, in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, a cliff that was inhabited by the humblest citizens. Its winding and narrow streets are full of bright colors, whose first brush strokes were made with the paintings used in the boats docked at the Port of La Luz, yellow, red or blue tones that join the last generation orange or mauve. A historic neighborhood that is worth visiting, too, for the views it offers from the capital.
What do you like more ocher tones? Well, nothing, you ask and in The Luxonomist we look for, start now (not to be late) and travel to Menton, in France, a powerful tourist destination where orange, cherry, pink, salmon and all that incredible pastel branch predominates . If this is joined by its wonderful tile roofs … nothing can stop it … Be careful to consider moving your residence!
Color in Rio de JaneiroYou still haven’t found anything? Well, we propose something, take advantage of the carnivals, go to Rio de Janeiro and, when you get tired of dancing, visit the Favela de Santa Marta, where the Favela Painting Foundation has changed the face of 34 homes with a colorful fan-shaped design . So you can contrast how the colors look without respecting the orthogonality of the buildings. Of course there are more colorful cities in the World, and, with your help, at the next count, maybe … let’s find yours!