South Korea’s Purple Island was named a UN Best Tourism Village in 2021. — UN Tourism website
Enveleloped by a kaleidoscope of colours as we go about our daily lives, we can come to take for granted the beauty created by the blending and harmonising of these various hues and shades.
Thanks to Maria Joao Durao, the founder-president of the Portuguese Colour Association who in 2008 proposed the adoption of a day to celebrate colours, there now exists a set date that reminds us to appreciate the wonders and whimsy that colours can bring.
The International Colour Association agreed to Durao’s proposal in 2009, and since then, March 21 has been marked as the International Colour Day.
The appreciation of colours has proved beneficial for tourism, among others, as places painted in an assortment of hues attract tourists to visit these unique destinations.
“Colourful destinations” can be a great theme for a travel itinerary, so allow us to suggest a few that you can add to your list.
For added fun, let’s do the “rainbow route”. By that we mean our suggestions will be based on the seven colours of the rainbow – red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet.
La Almazara in Spain is the world’s first signature oil mill. — Almazaralaorganic website
La Almazara (Spain)
Attention grabbing with its uniquely-designed and brightly-coloured exterior, La Almazara is duly dubbed “the world’s first signature oil mill”.
An imposing cube-shaped building painted deep red, reminiscent of the colour of the soil typically found in this area of Ronda in Spain, its adornments include a massive bull horn and a giant eye – which occasionally emits smoke from its centre.
The former is a nod to Andalusian bullfighting, while the latter references influential Spanish artist Pablo Picasso.
Oleotourism or olive oil tourism is the main draw here, as housed within is an artisanal olive oil mill and a thematic oil museum (Museo de la Almazara).
You would need tickets to enter, but the tour will include an olive oil tasting.
Carnevale di Ivrea (Italy)
Not a place per se, but Carnevale di Ivrea in Italy is a unique festival that revolves around orange. The city is tinted orange every March when the carnival takes place.
Specifically, this happens during the carnival’s central event: the Battle Of Oranges.
It is the largest food battle in Italy, with history rooted in medieval times as it celebrates Ivrea’s freedom from tyranny.
Participants are divided into two groups, who will then pelt one another with oranges. The group riding on carts represents the tyrant’s armies, while the other group, on foot, represents the people who fought against them.
This traditional celebration, which lasts for three days, can be considerably violent. Exercise caution if you are not participating, or you may just find yourself physically harmed by a wayward hurled piece of fruit.
Izamal is known as Mexico’s 'yellow city'. — Photos: Unsplash
Izamal (Mexico)
The colour yellow has always been significant to the small town of Izamal in Yucatan, Mexico. Its residents used to paint their houses yellow as the town was a pilgrimage site to the sun god, Kinich Kakmo.
A contradictory history to this states that the “yellow tradition” is relatively modern, in that Pope John Paul II’s visit in 1993 was what prompted the sunny makeover.
What is certain, however, is that since 2002 Izamal has been designated a Pueblo Magico or Magical Town. This programme by Mexico’s Secretariat Of Tourism is awarded to places that maintain their rich history, culture, folklore and natural beauty.
So, it’s unlikely that Izamal’s sunny charms will fade away anytime soon.
Sweden is one of the greenest countries in the world.
Gothenburg (Sweden)
Let’s give a nod to the environment by making this green entry all about eco-friendliness.
Technically, the “green” title here encompasses the whole of Sweden, which was named the greenest place on Earth in 2024 by Greenmatch.
The British solar energy company based their ranking on indicators like the Environmental Performance Index (on which Sweden ranked fifth) and the Green Future Index (ninth).
To narrow it down further, let’s focus on Gothenburg, the second-largest Swedish city after Stockholm and one of the most sustainable cities in the world. Its initiative – the Gothenburg Green City Zone, launched in 2021 – aims to be an emission-free urban area by 2030.
When in Gothenburg, have a relaxing picnic at the Slottsskogen City Park, or learn about sustainable developments at the public science centre Universeum. You can also stroll through its oldest neighbourhood, Haga, and admire the well-preserved wooden houses.
Chefchaouen is dubbed The Blue Pearl Of Morocco due to its unique hue.
Chefchaouen (Morocco)
“Blue his house, with a blue little window” ... so goes the lyrics to Eiffel 65’s 1999 hit Blue (Da Ba Dee). If you grew up listening to this earworm, we guarantee it’s the first thing that will pop into your head the moment you set foot in Chefchaouen.
This mountainside city in Morocco is aptly nicknamed The Blue Diamond or The Blue Pearl.
The monikers are derived from its striking blue-coloured buildings, which make this a dreamy destination if you’re looking for a peaceful vacation.
Blue is universally associated with calmness and serenity, which you are sure to find here as you meander along the streets surrounded by azure hues.
Take your time taking in the scenery and the culture – or taking lots of photos. This is the place for photo enthusiasts to go wild, as the blue buildings serve as backdrops that provide an interesting contrast in your holiday snapshots.
The Hmong people in Sapa, Vietnam are known for their indigo-dyed cloths. — Vietcraft website
Sapa (Vietnam)
The rice terraces in Sapa (or Sa Pa) in the Lao Cai province of Vietnam are usually what tourists gravitate toward on their visits.
If you’re planning to visit Sapa for its natural beauty, don’t forget to also carve in some time to discover its other unique wonder: the traditional indigo-dyed textiles.
Venture into the remote mountainside villages and you’ll encounter women with hands stained blue-purple. This is the result of dyeing their clothes in natural indigo dye derived from the Indigofera plant.
Many of Vietnam’s ethnic groups, such as the Hmong and Dao people, still practice this tradition.
Needless to say, purchasing the beautifully dyed textiles not only make for a lovely souvenir but you will also be supporting their livelihood and appreciating their heritage.
Purple Island (South Korea)
Technically, there is a difference between violet and purple, but we’ll cheat a bit for this entry as most people tend to deem them interchangeable.
When it comes to South Korea and purple, these two combined typically equal BTS, the popular K-pop band whose official fandom colour is purple.
Purple Island is not the work of BTS fans, however. It is the work of the elderly residents themselves, who painted their village the eponymous hue in honour of the bellflowers that grow in abundance here.
It was also done in an effort to boost tourism – and it worked. Prior to the rebranding, not many would venture out to either Banwol or Bakji island.
This changed after the two islands joined forces in 2015 and became collectively known as Purple Island, having painted everything in its now characteristic violet-purple shade.
This effort even earned Purple Island the recognition as one of the United Nations’ Best Tourism Villages in 2021.
