The best rainbow-inspired travel destinations to reignite your wanderlust
Travel will still be there when lockdown is over.
If you’ve baked banana bread, done some DIY and struggled through online yoga, some jaw-dropping travel porn will probably come as a welcome relief during this coronavirus lockdown.
And what could be better than the most amazing, brightly-coloured destinations around the world? Red, yellow, pink, green and blue, these multi-hued, urban escapes are mood-boosting AND ideal inspiration for your post-lockdown holiday. It's about time you reignited your wanderlust, after all.
Blue: Chefchaouen, Morocco
Like a Smurf film set, EVERYTHING in this photogenic African city is blue, from the houses and sky to the stairways and flowerpots. An Instagrammer’s dream, Chefchaouen (prononuced Chef-sher-wen incase you were wondering) lies in the Rif mountains in the country’s north west and the forget-me-not-coloured buildings are repainted each year. Why blue? Well, some say it acts as a mosquito repellent; others that it was the shade Jewish refugees from Europe chose to paint their houses. Whatever the reason, this place gives us the urge to pose by a blue wall in a white flowing dress pronto.
Pink: Jaipur, India
Pretty in pink, Jaipur’s palaces, temples, shops, houses (basically anything that’s stationary) are colour-washed the shade of an epic sunset. Painted in the 1800s to impress Britain’s Prince Albert on tour, it became known as the Pink City and now it’s illegal to paint your house any other hue. Blimey.
Rainbow: Burano, Italy
A short vaporetto ride from Venice, Burano’s primary-coloured houses look like a child was let loose with the Crayola crayons. Vividly painted more than a century ago for returning fishermen to identity their houses through the thick fog of the lagoon, today it’s a joy to stroll beside the canals. Check out the leaning bell tower of San Martino, browse the lace shops (the island’s famous for its handmade lace) and enjoy seafood risotto at one of the many water-side restaurants. Yum.
Red: Marrakech, Morocco
Nicknamed the red city due to its rose-coloured Medina, Marrakech lies at the foot of the Atlas Mountains and is probably the most exotic place you can reach in less than four hours from the UK. Its trading souks and famous square, Jemaa el-Fnaa, where snake charmers and henna tattooists rub shoulders with mint tea sellers and storytellers, date back more than a thousand years. They're as thriving today as they were back then, only now it’s all about haggling for leather handbags and dancing til dawn at Theatro.
Green: Copenhagen, Denmark
Voted the greenest city in the world, Copenhagen has more than its fair share of parks and open spaces - channel your inner Greta Thunberg and explore by bike or solar-powered boat. It aims to be carbon neutral by 2025, which it will probably achieve thanks to its inspiring green scene, including eco-friendly hotels, sustainable restaurants and anti-plastic initiatives.
Yellow: Izamal, Mexico
Tulum? Playa del Carmen? Yawn. If you want somewhere a bit more off-the-beaten-track in Mexico, look no further than the sunshine-yellow town of Izamul, a couple of hours’ drive from Cancun. Painted yellow in honour of Kinich Kak Moo, which is a manifestation of a Mayan Sun God, you’ll love the cobbled streets, golden buildings and ancient pyramid dedicated to the god in the centre of town. Yes, you can climb to the top.
Curaçao, Caribbean
A kaleidoscope of candy-coloured houses line the waterfront of the island’s capital Willemstad, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Originally painted white, it’s said that a former Dutch governor ordered them to be painted another colour after suffering migraines caused by the dazzling whitewashed buildings. The result was the fabulous rainbow affect that today attracts tourists from around the world, though TBH the 35-plus white sand beaches are a major pull too.
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