“Colors, like features, follow the changes of the emotions.”
–Pablo Picasso
Colors affect us. Humans are more comfortable in spaces with color than in those without. We are attracted to the beautiful colors in nature, but we are also drawn to colorful objects that are man-made. From the cheerful hues of Burano Island in Venice to the sun-kissed tones of Santorini and other Mediterranean islands, to the symphony of colors that brighten the bustling streets of Singapore, travelers the world over are drawn to the world’s most colorful towns and cities.
People tend to like colors they associate with objects they love or consider to be good things—they might like red, for example, because they love strawberries. Blue is a universal favorite because it reminds people of positive sites such as a clear blue sky or a deep and clean blue lake.
Colors cheer us up, make us feel warm, and force us to open our eyes wide to absorb them completely. During your travels both near and far, pay attention to how colorful the places are that you visit. Think about what colors most appeal to you and what emotions they stir inside you.
Check out this slide show for some of these beautiful places captured by UIG’s terrific contributors.
Morocco, Chefchaouen : Elderly man in black and white burnous with hood going up the stairs in a lane of the Old Town. Houses with blue walls. (Photo by: Soudan E/Alpaca/Andia/UIG
Burano. lace island. Venice. Veneto. Italy. Europe. (Photo by: REDA&CO/UIG)
The entrance to the Convent of San Antonio or Saint Anthony of Padua in Izamal, Mexico. (Photo by: Jon G. Fuller/VW PICS/UIG)
Birds. San Francesco square. Havana, Cuba.
(Photo by: Riccardo Lombardo/REDA&CO/UIG)
Along Calle Osbispo. Havana, Cuba. (Photo by: Riccardo Lombardo/REDA&CO/UIG)
Colorful houses across the harbour at Hotwells in Bristol, England, UK. (Photo by: Andrew Michael/UIG)
Oia, Santorini island. Cyclades islands. Greece. (Photo by: Mikel Bilbao/VWPics/UIG)
Morocco: Chefchaouen, the blue city. Overview of a lane of the medina. (Photo by: Duffour/Andia/UIG)
Marina Corricella, Procida Island, Campania, Italy. (Photo by: GiuseppeGreco/REDA&CO/UIG)
Entrance of a house in Burano. Venice. Veneto. Italy. (Photo by: Eddy Buttarelli/REDA&CO/UIG)
Burano island. Venice. Veneto. Italy. Europe. (Photo by: Giuseppe Greco/REDA&CO/UIG)
Moroccan traditional shirts shop. Kasbah. Chefchaouen – ‘The blue pearl’. Village northeast of Morocco. (Photo by: Eddy Buttarelli/REDA&CO/UIG)
View of Guanajuato, University and Basilica de Nuestra Senora de Guanajuato, Guanajuato, Mexico. (Photo by: Lucas Vallecillos/VWPics/UIG)
Hawa Mahal (Palace of Winds). Jaipur. Rajasthan, India. (Photo by: Lucas Vallecillos/ VWPics/UIG)
Jodhpur as seen from Mehrangarh fort, Rajasthan, India. (Photo by: Lucas Vallecillos/ VWPics/UIG)
Senso-ji Temple, Five Storied Pagoda and Hozo-mon Gate, Asakusa district, Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by: Lucas Vallecillos/ VWPics/UIG)
Colorful fishing village near St. john’s, Newfoundland, Canada. (Photo by: Matthew Bailey/VWPics/UIG)
Burano island. Venice, Veneto. Italy. (Photo by: Giuseppe Greco/REDA&CO/UIG)
Romania, Mures County, Sighisoara City, The Citadel, Clock Tower. (Photo by: Prisma Bildagentur/UIG)
Juzcar, Genal Valley, Genal river valley, Serranía de Ronda. Smurfs Village, Málaga province, Andalusia. Spain. (Photo by: Jose A. Moreno/UIG)
Africa. South Africa. Cape Town. Bo-kaap Malay Muslim District. (Photo by: Giuseppe Masci/AGF/UIG)