Travel and Leisure has ranked the world’s most colorful cities, which include pastel paradises on many different continents.
Burano, Italy
“It’s easy to spot the Venetian Island of Burano from the sea,” writes T&L. “The jewel-colored homes act like a beacon, which is what they were intended to be. According to island lore, local fisherman started painting their homes in bright colors—hues of orange, red, yellow, and purple—so they could see them while out fishing in the fog and could follow their colors back home. Now, the practice has become law, and if you live on the island and want to paint your home, you must ask for permission from the government, who will assign your home a color. For visitors, the homes are just a welcome dose of cheerfulness.”
Bo-Kaap, Cape Town, South Africa
Formerly known as the Malay Quarter, the beautiful buildings of Bo-Kaap stand out among Cape Town’s more traditional structures. “The mosques and homes in Bo-Kaap, a historically Muslim quarter, are a dazzling rainbow of blues, fuchsia, sunshine yellows, and neon greens,” writes T&L. “While the neighborhood is one of the city’s oldest—it dates back to the 16th-century—the residents only recently started transforming their homes. It’s an expression of freedom, a celebration of Ramadan and Eid, and, perhaps, just a matter of whatever can of paint is on sale.”
Other winners in this colorful contest are Willemstad, Curaçao; Jodhpur, India; La Boca, Buenos Aires, Argentina; and Trinidad, Cuba.