5 Colorful Cities to Visit This Summer

Cities are the pinnacle of achievement for civilization, but all that concrete and steel? Well, it is not always so pretty. However, just because many cities are rushing towards a sort of dull functionality, there are still cities that prize color over functionality. From bright favelas in Rio de Janeiro to the stunning Blue City of India, there are worlds of urban color out there, you just have to know how to find them.

Jodhpur, India

Picture courtesy of: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:1_urban_regions_of_Rajasthan_India_the_blue_city_of_Jodhpur_April_2014.jpg

Long ago, the priest caste of Brahmins in Jodhpur painted their homes blue to separate them from the average citizens. However, after the caste system fell, everyone began to pain their homes blue. Sadly, the trend did not continue as the city expanded, but rather left a wondrous blue dot in the center of Jodhpur.

Old San Juan, Puerto Rico

Picture courtesy of: Brad Clinesmith

Although Puerto Rico’s capital is broaching on the overly modern, take a few steps into its original city, and it is an explosion of color in all directions. The streets are lined with faded red brick brought in by Spain in the 16th century while the buildings are painted every hue in the spectrum by the culture-rich descendants of the city’s Taino people and European explorers.

Valparaiso, Chile

Photo by Loïc Mermilliod 

With nicknames like the “Ocean’s Sweetheart” or the “Jewel of the Pacific,” you can and should expect a lot from this city. Like the country itself, Valparaiso is a bit short on space. Its brightly colored buildings seem to practically rise out of the Pacific and snake up into the mountains above. A view of Valparaiso is best done from the ocean to get the full scope of its colorful majesty.

Cinque Terre, Italy

Photo by Linh Nguyen 

The colorful gem of Italy’s Riviera is not one city, but rather a collection of five grouped together as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Cinque Terre is made up of Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore, all of which are tucked away in the hills overlooking the Mediterranean below, their brightly colored buildings enhancing the naturally bright colors of the surrounding landscape.

St. Johns, Newfoundland, Canada

Picture courtesy of: Emmanuel Milou

Not all of the world’s most colorful cities are found somewhere warm and tropical. Sometimes colorful buildings can be the right cure to help keep terrifyingly cold things, like the Canadian winter, at bay. However, the colorful buildings of Newfoundland’s capital match its cultural prowess. These colorful buildings highlight the many museums, art galleries, and hit nightclubs nestled in this hilly coastal environment. In fact, when visiting, you can always spot the hip sections of the city by how brightly colored its buildings are.

These colorful cities and so many more are out there just waiting for you to explore them. However, a city whose citizens have shown such a dedication to color requires you to have the fashion sense to explore them. We have created a blog section focusing on What to Wear on Vacation so that you will never be unprepared for your trips.