The Most Colorful Places in the World, From Morocco to Vietnam
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How often do you think about the most colorful places in the world? Is it on a daily basis? Do you day dream about them at work? On your commute? It can be easy to overlook in your everyday, sure, but according to science, we may be more attentive to color when we visit somewhere new. It may give us a sharper eye on safari, for example, or leave us feeling calmer by those Santorini whites and blues. All the more reason to travel, we say.
Here, we’ve rounded up some of the most colorful places in the world, all guaranteed to brighten up a dreary winter day.
This gallery has been updated since its original publish date.
All listings featured on Condé Nast Traveler are independently selected by our editors. If you book something through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
- FG Trade/Getty
The Amazon
The Amazon Rainforest is the world’s largest forest, with a massive footprint of more than two million square miles across nine countries in South America: Brazil, Ecuador, Venezuela, Suriname, Peru, Colombia, Bolivia, Guyana, and French Guiana. Its estimated 390 billion trees are credited with producing 20 percent of the world’s oxygen, earning the rainforest the nickname of “The Lungs of the World."
Get the shot: Hop on the flight from Lima to Iquitos, Peru and grab a window seat: The last hour of the flight delivers awe-inspiring views of the Amazon River from above.
- James Randklev/Getty
Hoh Rain Forest, Washington
Olympic National Park is by no means a hidden gem, but the Hoh Rain Forest is like the quiet eye in the tourist-heavy storm. (And we mean that literally: The forest is reportedly the quietest spot in the contiguous 48 states.) The space is dominated by greenery, with ferns, mosses, and lichen-covered trees at every turn.
Get the shot: Venture through the Hall of Mosses Trail (just under a mile long) for some of the best views of maple trees draped in bright green moss.
- NanoStockk/Getty
Mu Cang Chai Rice Terrace Fields, Vietnam
Some 175 miles northwest of Hanoi, these rice paddies in Vietnam’s isolated northern reaches have gained Instagram fame for their impressive angles in a topographically challenging region. Each year, the colors change from green (in late spring and summer) to yellow (in October) as the rice ripens.
Get the shot: Visit at the beginning of October, when the rice harvest begins, and stop by the fields twice: once early in the morning before the crowds arrive, and a second time at sunset.
- Christoph Wagner/Getty
The Faroe Islands
Grass-roofed houses are something of a symbol of the Faroe Islands, appearing everywhere from sporadic seaside villages to the capital city of Tórshavn. They are more than just Instagram fodder, however: The Faroese use the architectural style to protect dwellings from the rainy climate (300 rainy days per year is no joke).
Get the shot: We see your turf-roof houses and raise you a turf-roof hotel: Hotel Føroyar, to be exact. This property is not only a photo op in and of itself, but it offers easy access to other grassy villages nearby, including Kirkjubøur and Velbastaður.
- Places to Stay21 Best Airbnbs in Austin for Group Trips, Solo Stays, & Wellness GetawaysKristi Kellogg
- Alexander Spatari/Getty
Arashiyama Bamboo Forest, Japan
This lush bamboo grove on the outskirts of Kyoto is not only a dizzying, peaceful respite from Japan’s often busy energy: In 1996, the Ministry of the Environment included the audio from here—wood creaking, leaves rustling—as one of the top 100 Soundscapes of Japan.
Get the shot: Arrive after 10 a.m. and you’ll run into the hordes. Go earlier, around 7:45 (thanks, jet lag!), and walk toward the densest sections in the back for a few moments of peaceful immersion.
- Cristaltran/Getty
Halong Bay, Vietnam
Vietnam’s UNESCO-listed Halong Bay is one of the most beautiful places in the world, featuring 1,600 islands, blue-green water, and spectacular limestone karst landforms. Board a Chinese junk boat to experience the beauty (and associated myths and stories) of the mist-shrouded basin for yourself.
Get the shot: Halong Bay, often visited by bikini-clad youth in warmer weather, becomes infinitely more romantic, quiet, and introspective as temperatures drop. And the relative lack of crowds means your photos won’t be interrupted by the heads of other tourists.
- Places to Stay21 Best Airbnbs in Austin for Group Trips, Solo Stays, & Wellness GetawaysKristi Kellogg
- Gregobagel/Getty
Old San Juan, Puerto Rico
The colorful city of Old San Juan is an Instagram darling, thanks to a harmonious blend of cobblestone streets, Spanish colonial architecture dating back to the 1500s, and vivid, Caribbean-inspired paint jobs. The historic district is small and walkable, so explore on foot to get the best views of ornate, colorful buildings like these.
Get the shot: Keep an eye out for Fortaleza Street, where an installation of hundreds of colorful umbrellas is strung overheard.
- Matteo Colombo/Getty
The Maldives
A chain of 26 atolls and more than 1,000 islands in the Indian Ocean, the Republic of Maldives is one of the most sought-after tropical destinations in the world. With world-renowned diving sites and resorts that are the definition of luxury, the country offers the perfect combination of relaxation and adventure. Add to that a true left-the-real-world-behind feeling, and you have yourself the vacation dreams are made of.
Get the shot: No image defines the Maldives quite as distinctly as a row of bungalows sitting over almost impossibly blue water. Do yourself (and your Instagram followers) a favor, and book an overwater suite at Niyama Private Islands Maldives or COMO Cocoa Island, where paradise waits literally right outside your front door.
- Places to Stay21 Best Airbnbs in Austin for Group Trips, Solo Stays, & Wellness GetawaysKristi Kellogg
- Cavan Images/Getty
Blue Lagoon, Iceland
The Blue Lagoon is otherworldly in appearance—black lava rock punctuated with milky blue waters, and steam billowing like clouds. The visual appeal is only part of the experience, however. A soak in the 100-degree water (which comes from the output of a nearby geothermal plant) is like a spa experience, with silica mud masks and mineral salts ensuring your skin will look—and feel—better than it did when you got there.
Get the shot: It's hard to get that perfect Instagram shot without a bunch of other tourists appearing somewhere in the background. To trick the world into thinking you had the entire pool to yourself, check into the Retreat at the Blue Lagoon: The 62-suite luxury hotel has a private swimming hole that’s an extension of the Blue Lagoon, letting you enjoy those glowingly blue waters (mostly) free of other people.
- Ron Watts/Getty
Great Blue Hole, Belize
Located about 60 miles off the coast of Belize, the Lighthouse Reef has beautiful coral and shallow turquoise waters—and a vertical drop that's more than 400 feet deep. Meet the Great Blue Hole, a 1,000-foot-wide, perfectly circular sinkhole in the middle of the atoll. Ocean explorer Jacques Cousteau helped make the spot famous in 1971, when he declared it one of the best diving sites on the planet.
Get the shot: While an aerial shot is enough to convince anyone of its beauty, scuba divers are the ones who get to experience the wonders that lie beneath—massive, 40-foot limestone stalactites and stalagmites that formed during the last glacial period. Go between January and March to avoid the rainy season, and beat the crowds by hiring a boat early in the morning, which you can take from nearby Ambergris Caye.
- Places to Stay21 Best Airbnbs in Austin for Group Trips, Solo Stays, & Wellness GetawaysKristi Kellogg
- Blanchi Costela/Getty
Júzcar, Spain
This tiny Andalusian town, about two hours south of Seville, hasn’t always been blue. In fact, the entirety of Júzcar was painted blue as part of a publicity stunt for The Smurfs movie in 2011, creating a real-life Smurf village in the Ronda mountains. Originally, the movie’s production studio said they would return the town to its original white, but the town voted to keep the blue.
Get the shot: Wander the cobblestone streets past blue churches, homes, and offices, or stop by the tiny mushroom building to pretend to be a Smurf yourself.
- Blickwinkel/Getty
Scotia Sea, Antarctica
Want to see something crazy? Look no further than the massive ‘bergs in Antarctica, where these sharp-edged behemoths practically glow with iciness. And fortunately—at least according to one climate scientist—it’s still okay to make a pilgrimage to see them.
Get the shot: One of the best ways to see Antarctica (and its icebergs) is by boat, so a cruise may be the best way to go. Quark Expeditions, which readers voted one of the best expedition cruise lines during this year’s Readers’ Choice Awards, offers several cruises around the Antarctic Peninsula.
- Places to Stay21 Best Airbnbs in Austin for Group Trips, Solo Stays, & Wellness GetawaysKristi Kellogg
- Izzet Keribar/Getty
Chefchaouen, Morocco
While not easy to get to, this 15th-century fortress town in the Rif Mountains, about two hours south of Tangier, remains a popular draw for tourists. All of the buildings in and out of its medina are painted a dreamy sky blue—and sometimes, even the streets and the steps of the winding old town are as blue as the walls around them. Why blue? When Jewish refugees from Spain moved here in the 1930s, they brought with them their custom of coloring things blue to reflect the divine.
Get the shot: Turn any corner of Chefchaouen’s medina and you’re bound to find a jaw-dropping view of its blue buildings or the surrounding mountains. But for a view over the whole town, make the 20-minute hike up to the Grande Mosquée.
- Peerakit Jirachetthakun/Getty
Hitachi Seaside Park, Japan
Hitachi Seaside Park is a stretch of flora-packed hills in Japan that could easily pass for a whimsical Dr. Seuss-invented landscape. The park is filled with kochia plants that turn bright red during autumn, but the star attraction is the sea of 4.5 million blue nemophila flowers (aka “baby blue eyes”) that spills over the field in late April to mid-May.
Get the shot: Hitachi Seaside Park also features a cute little amusement park with a Ferris wheel; it’s worth paying the small fee to get a bird’s-eye view of the flowers from the top.
- Places to Stay21 Best Airbnbs in Austin for Group Trips, Solo Stays, & Wellness GetawaysKristi Kellogg
- Yuanping/Getty
Shah Mosque, Iran
Structures like the Azadi Tower and Tabiat Pedestrian Bridge in Tehran have put Iran on every design lover’s radar. But it’s the ancient mosques of Isfahan that earn a spot on this list, with elaborate mosaics and hidden Persian gardens.
Get the shot: Shah Mosque (also known as Imam Mosque) is one of the finest examples of Islamic architecture in the city. Built in the 17th century, the sacred building is known for its Persian domes, marble columns, and, above all, intricate mosaics. The mosque's entrances and prayer halls are covered with hundreds of thousands of blue tiles, punctuated with yellows and greens.
- StockNinja/Getty
Johannesburg, South Africa
You can find blooming jacaranda trees around the world, from Australia and Southern California to Spain. But among the most beautiful are South Africa's jacarandas, which flower each fall between September and November. The periwinkle trees scatter fragrant petals on streets in Johannesburg and the country's capital, Pretoria.
Get the shot: In Johannesburg, head to the Kensington neighborhood (Highland Road is a popular stretch) for an up-close view.
- Places to Stay21 Best Airbnbs in Austin for Group Trips, Solo Stays, & Wellness GetawaysKristi Kellogg
- Mike Enerio/Unsplash
Gardens by the Bay, Singapore
Singapore is an all-around photogenic city, but most shutterbugs head straight to Gardens by the Bay for indoor waterfalls and vibrant flower exhibitions. The visual feast doesn’t end at sundown, either: The famous Supertree Grove holds twice-nightly light shows, which transform the attraction into glowing displays of pinks, purples, and blues.
Get the shot: Some parts of the park open as early as 5 a.m.—set your alarm to get gorgeous shots of the Supertrees in the soft glow of sunrise. (Then come back later for the light show.)
- Tu xa Ha Noi/Getty
Provence, France
The seemingly endless stretches of lavender make Provence one of the prettiest (and best-smelling) places in France. Distilleries—where the essential oil from the flowers is bottled or used to make soaps, lotions, and creams—dot the area, but the multitude of fields featuring unreal violet views are the real pride of Provence.
Get the shot: One of the most scenic spots to enjoy the flower fields is Sénanque Abbey, a twelfth-century church near the village of Gordes. The gentle heather-gray color of the abbey looks custom-made for its surroundings, particularly in the summer, when the acres around it bloom into a sea of purple.
- Places to Stay21 Best Airbnbs in Austin for Group Trips, Solo Stays, & Wellness GetawaysKristi Kellogg
- Jef Wodniack/Getty
Kawachi Fuji Gardens, Japan
Japan might be known for its pink cherry blossoms, but its purple wisteria trees bloom just as brilliantly for a few weeks every spring, turning parks and gardens around the country into a vision of pastel hues.
Get the shot: Located in the Kawachi Fuji Gardens in Kitakyushu (six hours outside of Tokyo), Japan’s Insta-famous “wisteria tunnel” is straight out of a fairy tale. The best time to visit is in late April or early May, during the Fuji Matsuri, or “Wisteria Festival,” when the magical tunnel is in full bloom. (At any other time of year, you'll find bare branches instead of lush, purple flowers.)
- Taketan/Getty
Nakameguro, Tokyo
We still gotta mention those cherry blossoms, though. You can find beautiful blooms all over Japan in the springtime, but head to the neighborhood of Nakameguro in Tokyo for the best hanami experience. The 800 trees lining the Meguro River come alive in shades of pink around late March/early April, reflecting beautifully in the water below.
Get the shot: Head to the Japan Meteorological Corporation’s website for up-to-date predictions on when peak cherry blossom season will occur in each of Japan’s regions each year.
- Places to Stay21 Best Airbnbs in Austin for Group Trips, Solo Stays, & Wellness GetawaysKristi Kellogg
- David Clapp/Getty
Valley of Fire, Nevada
Valley of Fire State Park is one of our recommended day trips from Las Vegas, and for good reason: The drive to the 40,000 acres of bright red sandstone, petrified trees, and petroglyphs from ancient civilizations takes just over an hour from Sin City.
Get the shot: Go early in the morning to beat the heat, and shell out for a guide to help you explore the inner workings of the canyon.
- Merche Portu/Getty
Las Salinas de Torrevieja, Spain
The world is full of otherworldly bodies of water, from the green lakes of New Zealand to the technicolor hot springs of Yellowstone National Park. But the saltwater lake in Torrevieja, Spain is easily one of the most delightful, with a mixture of bacteria and algae giving the water a bubble-gum pink hue. And the lake isn’t just for admiring from a distance—in fact, the water’s high concentration of salt makes it a perfect place to float (you can even use the underlying mud as a makeshift spa treatment).
Get the shot: If the millennial pink lake is a little too trendy for you, try to sneak a flamingo or two into your photo. The birds frequent the lake to eat the algae-filled shrimp in the waters, giving their feathers a shade equally rosy to their surroundings.
- Places to Stay21 Best Airbnbs in Austin for Group Trips, Solo Stays, & Wellness GetawaysKristi Kellogg
- Guillermo Avello/Alamy
La Muralla Roja, Calpe, Spain
One of Catalan’s most famous architects, Ricardo Bofill was responsible for many social housing projects in Spain and France. One such project is La Muralla Roja in Alicante, a Moorish fortress-inspired complex with a striking red facade and series of labyrinthine staircases (anyone else getting major Squid Game vibes?).
Get the shot: La Muralla Roja is actually available to rent on Airbnb. Guests can explore beyond their individual apartments, including the building’s rooftop pool and countless photo backdrops.
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Lake Natron, Tanzania
On the northern border of Tanzania and Kenya, the deep-red Lake Natron is one of the most inhospitable places on earth. It’s high in salt content, is about 120 degrees Fahrenheit, and is extremely alkaline, so much so that its pH is about that of ammonia. The only beings that live within the lake are the red algae that thrive in the harsh conditions.
Get the shot: The other draw to Lake Natron is the world’s largest population of pink flamingos that lay eggs during the dry season—September to December—on the lake’s safer shores.
- Places to Stay21 Best Airbnbs in Austin for Group Trips, Solo Stays, & Wellness GetawaysKristi Kellogg
- Getty
Laguna Colorada, Bolivia
About a three-hour drive north of Chile’s San Pedro de Atacama, this salt lake in the shadow of the Andes has a similar story to Tanzania’s Lake Natron. Spanning 14,000 acres and just three feet deep, its waters are blood red due to its extreme alkalinity and the algae that thrive in its otherworldly heat. Like Lake Natron, too, Laguna Colorada is popular with flamingos—specifically the rare, light pink James’s flamingos.
Get the shot: Flamingos (and the lake) look their best from December to April: The lake is full of water, making it more reflective for photos, and the birds are breeding. Be sure to try and catch the lake at sunset, when it’s at its reddest.
- Apostolos Kaloudis/Getty
Zhangye National Geopark, China
These striped, technicolor mountains are Mother Nature’s answer to Photoshop. Red sandstone and mineral deposits have been building up in China’s Zhangye National Geopark (formerly Zhangye Danxia Geopark) for more than 20 million years, causing the surreal layered effect.
Get the shot: There are a couple of viewing platforms surrounding the geopark. The highest platform comes at the end of a rather grueling climb up hundreds of steps, but the trek allows you to take in panoramic views of the rainbow mountains (bonus points for sunset photos).
- Places to Stay21 Best Airbnbs in Austin for Group Trips, Solo Stays, & Wellness GetawaysKristi Kellogg
- Philippe Lejeanvre/Getty
Chengdu, China
There’s a reason we picked Chengdu as one of our favorite places to visit: The Sichuanese capital is known for its contemporary culture and devotion to the Szechuan pepper, which writer Tom Parker Bowles called both “high art and base pleasure.” Its ancient red-themed streets—like the one pictured here—don’t hurt, either.
Get the shot: Head to Jinli Street in the evening to catch the sunset and see the red from the lanterns, which are most typically strung up during Chinese New Year (February).
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Fushimi Inari Taisha, Japan
The path to the inner shrine of Kyoto’s Fushimi Inari complex is lined with more than 10,000 red-orange gates, or toriis. Built close together, and engraved with the names of the people who donated them, the toriis form a story of colorful canopy for those walking to pay their respects to the inami, divine Shinto fox spirits. They are also a hugely popular background for social media posts, so the climb is often very crowded.
Get the shot: The shrine is open 24 hours and is just a quick walk from the Fushimi-Inari Station and Inari Stations. Incredibly popular with tourists, it’s best to come early in the morning (before 10 a.m.) to get a semblance of quiet.
- Places to Stay21 Best Airbnbs in Austin for Group Trips, Solo Stays, & Wellness GetawaysKristi Kellogg
- Torstenvelden/Getty
Antelope Canyon, Utah
This slot canyon, embedded deep in eastern Page, Arizona, by Lake Powell, Utah actually comprises two parts: Upper Antelope Canyon and Lower Antelope Canyon (the former is also known as “The Crack,” and the latter as “The Corkscrew”). Shaped by erosion of the sandstone, the canyons exhibit swirling striations in the rock that’ll make you feel like you’re on the inside of a giant creamsicle.
Get the shot: Regardless of when you visit during the day, you’ll need to head out with an Indigenous guide (the canyon sits on Navajo lands). But for optimal views of this nature-made marvel, check out Upper Antelope Canyon at midday: Like a cathedral, light pours into the slot canyon from above, illuminating the twisted, rust-red stone. The Upper portion is the only one to experience this phenomenon; it’s also more accessible, especially for those with mobility issues.
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Jaipur, India
Jaipur may be nicknamed the “Pink City” for its painted buildings, but we’d place it strictly into terracotta territory on the color wheel. The city’s maharaja, Sawai Ram Singh II, ordered the buildings be painted an orangey-pink color in 1876 for a royal visit from Prince Albert and Queen Victoria; many buildings in the city’s old town remain painted this color today.
Get the shot: Head to the grand Hawa Mahal (attached to Jaipur’s also pink City Palace), the Patrika Gate at the Jawahar Circle Garden, and the entry to the Ganesh Pol at the Amber Fort for ultra-colorful photos.
- Places to Stay21 Best Airbnbs in Austin for Group Trips, Solo Stays, & Wellness GetawaysKristi Kellogg
- Westend61/Getty
Namib Sand Dunes, Namibia
Talk about otherworldly: Aside from their, ahem, hot Cheeto coloring, these peaks in the Namib Desert are some of the highest dunes on earth, with the tallest, Dune 7, topping a staggering 1,256 feet. For a study in contrasts, head to Sossusvlei in Namib-Naukluft National Park, a dusty white salt and clay pan surrounded by towering rust-red dunes. In the neighboring clay pan of Deadvlei, dead, darkened camel thorn stumps—sometimes called “tree skeletons”—sit parched in the sun, lending the whole place a kind of post-apocalyptic feel.
Get the shot: Get started early in the morning, as this is when the dunes are their most photogenic, with one side glowing red and the other in the shadows.
- Borchee/Getty
Tulip fields, Holland
You can’t visit Holland in the spring and not expect to see rainbow displays of tulips. The scene is particularly colorful in the northern Dutch village of Burgervlotbrug, where the flowers are grown in lines separated by color—take a few steps, and the palette can change from sunny orange to soft purple.
Get the shot: Mid-April is the best time to visit, as tulips around the Netherlands are in peak bloom during this time.
- Places to Stay21 Best Airbnbs in Austin for Group Trips, Solo Stays, & Wellness GetawaysKristi Kellogg
- F11photo/Getty
Shwedagon Pagoda, Myanmar
Located in the center of Yangon, Shwedagon Pagoda is a shining gold stupa over 300 feet tall, surrounded by similarly gilded pavilions and shrines. The temple is said to hold several important religious relics—including strands of hair from the Buddha himself.
Get the shot: From the street, you can take an elevator up to a covered hallway that leads to the pagoda—stop at the end of the hall for some of the best, crowd-free photo ops.
- Westend61/Getty
Dallol, Ethiopia
One of the hottest places on earth thanks to volcanoes and geysers, Dallol, which sits on Ethiopia’s northern border with Eritrea, is best viewed from afar. The average annual temperature is 94 degrees Fahrenheit, and it routinely hits highs of 116 in the summer. The brilliant yellow, pictured here, is the result of sulfur and salt reacting.
Get the shot: Dallol’s “coolest” temps are between October and February; visit early in the morning to avoid peak heat. Go with a guide, and stay away from the water, which can reach up to 212 degrees.
- Places to Stay21 Best Airbnbs in Austin for Group Trips, Solo Stays, & Wellness GetawaysKristi Kellogg
- Danita Delimont/Getty
Kebler Pass, Colorado
There’s no such thing as an unattractive season in Colorado, but we think autumn might just be the most spectacular. Starting in August, a gold rush takes over the aspen trees in Rocky Mountain National Park, working down to lower elevations in October (September is peak leaf-changing season). The tundra transitions from summer flowers to shades of russet, brown, and gold as the seasons change.
Get the shot: Kebler Pass connects Paonia (near Somerset) with Crested Butte to the east. Sitting at an altitude of about 10,000 feet, the 33-mile drive is an excellent way to take in those famously golden aspen leaves.
- Cinoby/Getty
Izamal, Mexico
Located about an hour east of Mérida, Izamal is known for its sunny, mustard-yellow buildings. Nearly every structure along the town’s cobblestone streets is a varying shade of yellow, including homes and the central market. There are also plenty of Mayan ruins, including the climbable Kinich Kakmó Pyramid, smack in the middle of town (these have fortunately not been painted yellow).
Get the shot: The Convento de San Antonio de Padua (pictured) is the most iconic yellow building in town. Built in 1561 by Spaniards, who used stones from the Mayan pyramid they destroyed on-site, the monastery is open every day of the week and has a small museum dedicated to Pope John Paul II’s visit in the ‘90s.
- Places to Stay21 Best Airbnbs in Austin for Group Trips, Solo Stays, & Wellness GetawaysKristi Kellogg
- Ugurhan/Getty
Royal Palace, Fez, Morocco
Also known as Dar al-Makhzen, this 17th-century palace is not open to visitors—but that doesn’t stop its seven golden gates from being heavily photographed. Each brass door is covered with an intricate pattern, which is then surrounded by colorful tilework and carved cedar wood.
Get the shot: Go early in the morning to avoid the heat—and to beat everyone else to the palace doors.
- Mauritius Images/Getty
Luoping, China
It isn’t easy to get to China’s Luoping County, where the fields of canola (the plants that make the cooking oil of the same name) transform into a seemingly endless sea of yellow flowers. During the blooming season, the fields are also dotted with beekeepers, who set up apiaries for their bees to create honey from the canola flowers’ nectar.
Get the shot: The flowers bloom between February and March, but it’s a bit of a hike to see them: You’ll need to drive about 10 hours south of Chengdu. Buses also travel to Luoping from nearby Kunming.
- Places to Stay21 Best Airbnbs in Austin for Group Trips, Solo Stays, & Wellness GetawaysKristi Kellogg
- Kryssia Campos/Getty
Antigua, Guatemala
The quaint Guatemalan city of Antigua is known for three iconic images: Its colorful colonial architecture, the towering ring of volcanoes surrounding it, and that one, canary-yellow archway—right in its town center. Antigua’s most popular site, the Arco de Santa Catalina, sits on 5th Avenue North, where it once functioned as a secret passageway for cloistered nuns to walk unseen between two churches on opposite sides of the street.
Get the shot: On clear days, stand on the north side of the arch to see the towering Volcano de Agua peeking through it. Line your trip up with Semana Santa to see the city’s famous alfombras—intricate designs made of fresh flowers, fruit, and sand—laid out on the street in front of it.
- Sergio Amiti/Getty
Bo Kaap, Cape Town, South Africa
From its position on Signal Hill, the neighborhood of Bo Kaap is known for its amazing city views and colorful buildings. Rose and Chiappini streets are particularly popular with tourists, thanks to building fronts painted bright shades of yellow, orange, and hot pink.
Get the shot: The historic Muslim enclave also has a small museum that gives a wonderful primer on the close-knit Cape Malay community, so be sure to visit after you take the obligatory selfies.