Paint a city one colour and people will come from all over the world to photograph it. But the most interesting thing about the world's most colourful cities isn't how they look. It's why. Behind almost every distinctive palette is a story: a royal decree, a religious tradition, a political act, a practical solution. Here are six cities whose colours mean something.
The Blue City – Chefchaouen, Morocco
The blue of Chefchaouen is not one shade but dozens – cobalt, powder, turquoise, indigo – layered across walls, steps and doorways throughout the medina. Its origin is genuinely disputed. Some credit the Jewish community, expelled from Spain in the 15th century, for whom blue held deep religious significance. Others say it repelled mosquitoes, or simply kept homes cool. Whatever the reason, the painting continues, and the entire medina is now a UNESCO World Heritage site.
The Pink City – Jaipur, India
In 1876, Maharaja Sawai Ram Singh ordered the entire old city painted pink to welcome the Prince of Wales – pink being a traditional symbol of hospitality in Rajasthan. By law, buildings in the walled city must still be painted the same terracotta rose today. The Hawa Mahal, the City Palace, the bazaars – all the same dusty colour. A single royal gesture, preserved in paint for 150 years.
The Rainbow Island – Burano, Italy
On this small isle in the Venetian lagoon, no two neighbouring houses can be the same colour, and residents must apply to the government before repainting. The origin is practical: fishermen needed to identify their homes through the fog. Each family claimed a colour and the tradition became regulation. The result is one of the most photographed streetscapes in Europe, vivid enough to look artificial until you're standing in it.
A Bold Statement – Bo-Kaap, Cape Town
Bo-Kaap's cobblestone streets are lined with houses painted in bold lime greens, canary yellows and cobalt blues. Under apartheid, the Cape Malay community here was restricted in almost every aspect of life. When those restrictions were lifted, residents painted their houses in bright colours as a deliberate act of reclamation. The colours were never decorative, they were a statement. The community that fought to stay here continues to live in it.
The Political Mandate – Santorini, Greece
The famous whitewashed walls and blue domes of Santorini are no accident, and the origin is not as romantic as the image we see today. This design scheme was actually mandated by the Greek military junta during the 1930s, who decreed buildings be painted in the colours of the Greek flag as a nationalist statement. The practical effect was that white walls reflected the fierce Aegean sun, keeping interiors cool. Rules about maintaining the colour scheme remain strict today, which is why every photograph of Santorini looks like it was taken from the same spot.
An Accidental Masterpiece – Valparaíso, Chile
Valparaíso's colour was never planned. The port city was built on 42 steep hills by waves of immigrants who used whatever they could find, including discarded paint from ships in the harbour. Artists later made the patchwork intentional. Pablo Neruda lived here and wrote about it. Street murals now cover entire hillsides. Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2003, Valparaíso has always made something vivid from whatever it had.
Read more about these cities, and discover a few more colourful towns worth adding to your list.
The 13 Most Colourful Cities in the World |
The Story Behind the Morocco's Blue City |
The Top Things to Do and See in Bo-Kaap |
Not every place gets its colour from paint, some find their hue in the land itself. The latest stop on the Mother Road is one of them.
Our Route 66 journey rolls into Oklahoma. The second-longest stretch on the whole route is 432 miles of red dirt roads, golden prairie grass and bright blue Great Plains skies. This is cowboy country: cattle ranches, rodeos and small towns that still move at the pace of the Old West.
