Colorful Places in the World

When thinking about what I wanted to write this week, the thought of COLOR came to my mind and how much I’ve enjoyed seeing colorful places throughout my travels.

I’m a fanatic when it comes to colors. I love anything with lots of colors, be it clothes, flowers, jewelry, and buildings! Speaking of colorful clothes, do you know the Desigual clothing brand? It’s my favorite brand and takes up most of my closet! Some people say the clothes are for eccentric older ladies, but that doesn’t keep me from buying them!

For this blog post, I will be showcasing some of my favorite COLORFUL PLACES in the world!

I hope you enjoy seeing my vibrant photographs and hearing about my experience in these cheerful travel destinations.

Burano, Italy

Have you heard of Burano? It’s a neighbor island of Venice, reachable by a 45-minute boat ride from the heart of Venice. Burano is not as well known as its neighbor island, Murano, where the famous blown glass is made.

It’s definitely worth the excursion to see the brightly colored houses on the island. We were there in August of 2017 and combined the visit to Murano and Burano in one day. It’s easy to get around by water taxi between the islands of Venice, Murano, and Burano.

The island of Burano is quite small, less than one square mile (2.6 square kilometers), with only 3000 inhabitants. It is known for its colored buildings and for the fabrication of delicate lace. They say that the houses in Burano were painted in bright colors so that local fishermen could find their way home in the foggy lagoon.

Once we arrived in Burano, we decided to have lunch at an outdoor restaurant next to the canal. It was delightful to be in this adorable setting! After some cocktails and a tasty lunch, we walked around the island to see the other buildings and canals, and of course to do a bit of souvenir shopping!

I especially liked Burano because it didn’t seem overrun by tourists. It was a quiet, quaint, and colorful place to discover! To learn more about my travels all over Italy, refer to my dedicated Italy page!

Marrakesh, Morocco

Another colorful place we visited was Morocco. We toured around different places in this country in April 2017, but most of the vibrant colors were found in Marrakesh. Marrakesh is the fourth largest city in Morocco with a population of approximately one million.

Morocco is notorious for its ornate and colorful tiles arranged into beautiful patterns, known as zellij. Zellij is a craft that has been passed down through generations since its origins in the 700s. It is often referred to as Moroccan mosaics. These tiles are used to decorate walls, floors, and other surfaces like fountains, columns, and pools.

We were able to see many examples of the tiles during our guided visit to the Bahia Palace, a late 19th-century palace in the center of Marrakesh. It’s mindblowing to think about how long it took to construct these detailed tiles and elaborate palaces so many years ago.

While visiting the city, we were able to walk around many structures and fountains to take in all the fascinating colors. The Koutoubia Mosque (shown below) stands out among many of the sights. This mosque is the largest and most important one in Marrakesh. Construction of the mosque started in 1141 and was completed in 1158.

You will see many colors and hear many sounds at the main market in Marrakesh, called Jama El F’na. We walked through the market area and saw snakes and monkeys being shown to the tourists. I found out quite quickly that you can’t take pictures or videos of these animals unless you’re willing to hand over some money.

We walked through endless market stalls admiring the antiques and handmade souvenirs. I bought some saffron in a spice shop to bring back home for a friend. After a fun afternoon of walking and shopping, we sat down to relax with a coffee at a perfect lookout restaurant.

I loved seeing all the different colors in this country!

To see more about my travels to Morocco, refer to my dedicated Morocco page!

Amsterdam, Netherlands

Ah, one of my favorite places in Europe is Amsterdam. I was first there in 1994 and have been back a few times since then. It’s such a unique, vibrant, fun city! You will see colors everywhere you look, from the canal boats to the tulips, the cheese, and the many boutique shops.

If you like to walk along quiet canal streets, you will fall in love with this place. The best thing to do is to rent a bike for the day and explore every canal street you can. Even though this city is full of bikes, you have to watch out for the cars! They come around the corners very quickly and don’t seem to like the bikers very much.

On my first visit to Amsterdam, I took the 1.5 hour train ride to Keukenhof where all the tulips are found. Keukenhof is known as the Garden of Europe and is one of the world’s largest flower gardens. The park area covers 32 hectares and there are approximately 7 million flower bulbs planted in the gardens each year.

Keukenhof Gardens is a photographer’s paradise as well as the nearby fields of tulips. Haven’t we all seen those breathtaking tulip field photos like the one below?

If you aren’t visiting during peak tulip season (April-May), you can still find tons of tulips in the flower markets in Amsterdam. There are tulip bulbs to buy in almost any store in the city or even at the airport.

I bought some bulbs there to plant in my garden during Autumn and was thrilled when they bloomed the following Spring. Being a tulip lover, I never miss the annual tulip festival where I live (see this post about it!).

You can’t talk about Amsterdam without mentioning the unique area called the Red Light District. It’s a definite tourist attraction if you’re not too embarrassed to see the scantily dressed ladies in the windows. De Wallen is the largest and best known red-light district in Amsterdam. Spread across a few alleys, it has around 300 one-room cabins that prostitutes rent to offer their services. There are also sex shops, peep shows, strip clubs, and coffee shops in this area. Although I found it very interesting, I personally just liked seeing the colorful lights along the canals at night.

If you like cheese, you will find lots of it in Amsterdam, especially the famous Gouda cheese that originated in the Netherlands. You will find cheese shops where you can sample many variations of flavored cheese. My favorite cheese flavors were pesto and jalapeño!

Another interesting activity in this city is watching all the street artists and performers. On almost every corner, you will see people dressed up or acting silly in the hopes to make some money.

Amsterdam is a must-visit destination if you come to Europe. You can enjoy popular museums such as the Anne Frank House, Heineken Experience, and Van Gogh Museum. I also recommend taking a boat cruise through the canals to see the city from the water. I’m sure you’ll find this city to be colorful and fun!

Barcelona, Spain

My final featured colorful destination is Barcelona! I’ve been here three different times and never get tired of this colorful town. The architecture from Antoni Gaudi is spectacular and well worth the visit to this Spanish city. Gaudi was a Spanish architect and is known as the face of Catalan architecture. 

No trip to Barcelona is complete without spending some time in the famous Park Güell that is perched above the city. You will see the famous mosaic lizard at the entrance. The park is a great example of Gaudi’s playful and colorful style.

You will find many tourists at the Park Güell. The park is not within easy walking distance from the center of town, but you can take a taxi or metro train to reach it. I would recommend going early in the day to avoid the crowds and get some nice mosaic photos without people in the background.

Not knowing about it, we happened to stumble upon the giant red archway called Arc de Triomf. You can find it near the waterfront and Parc de La Ciutadella. This impressive arch was built in 1888 as part of the Barcelona World Fair. The size of this towering structure is 29.8m × 27.7m × 12.4m (98 ft × 91 ft × 41 ft).

Another must-see tourist spot and work of Gaudi is the ornate La Sagrada Familia. It is a Roman Catholic basilica that started construction in 1882. Gaudi oversaw the building of this church until he died in 1926 at the age of 73. His sudden death was tragic when he was hit by a tram on the way to the construction site. Gaudi was buried inside the church that he had committed his life to.

Even though the construction of the church wasn’t completed, it was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984 due to its unique architecture and Gaudí’s ability to create something so innovative and artistic. The cathedral is planned to be completed in 2026, the one-hundredth anniversary of Gaudi’s death.

Even the food in Barcelona is colorful! You can have a typical paella dish with seafood, meat, and rice. The term Paella refers to the pan that it is cooked in. The pan is flat with two large handles and is traditionally used over an open fire.

Barcelona definitely makes my list of the most colorful places in the world.

Do you like colorful places?

I hope you enjoyed seeing my picturesque places filled with bright colors. Do you have some favorite colorful places like these? If so, just drop a comment to share with all of us!

For more info on different destinations, refer to ‘My Travels’ page listing all the countries I’ve been to. You can click on each country to see my photos and read about my experience there.

You may also be interested in reading about my 10 Unique Places to Stay!

If you are looking for assistance to plan your next trip, I am here for YOU! I love to plan travel itineraries for myself and others. For more details on how I provide this service, please check out my Itinerary Planning page and drop me a quick email at jan@janadventures.com to get started!