These Are the Most Colorful Places on Earth

5 minute read

You can find color wherever you go, but there are some places that leave more vivid memories than others.

If you’re looking to douse yourself in the vibrancy of the world’s kaleidoscope, we’ve got some suggestions for you.

From an unexpected pink lake in the Dominican Republic to Iceland’s icy-blue Crystal Caves to India’s Holi festival, there are places all around the globe waiting to be explored.

Lavender fields, France

If the fragrant flowers don’t lure you in, the sea of purple will. Just imagining yourself completely surrounded in a delicious purple cloud is enough to bring your blood pressure down a few points.

Lady dress basket lavender field Provence perfume
Chad Ehlers—Getty Images

Lake Hillier, Australia

The pink color of this lake comes from its high salt content and the organisms living inside of it: algae and little dudes called halobacteria.

Lake Hillier.
Getty Images

Marble Caves, Chile

These beautiful caves change color depending on the color of the water. The gentle curves of the rock walls make it easier for sunlight to bounce around, reflecting the blues below.

Marble Caves, Lago Carrera, Patagonia, Chile
Witold Skrypczak—Getty Images

Tulip Fields of Holland

Every spring, rows upon rows of tulips bloom all around The Netherlands. Take a trip to Holland during March or April, and you’ll be treated to a once-in-a-lifetime scene.

Bulb Region with blooming tulips
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Crystal Caves, Iceland

These caves weaving through Vatnajökull glacier are a huge destination for tourists looking for a new kind of vacation memory. These ice tunnels are constantly changing — which is why you need to visit them with an experienced guide — given that the glaciers are always shifting.

Sv’nafellsjkull glacier ice cave, Iceland
Johnathan Ampersand Esper—Getty Images

Rua Luis de Camōes, Águeda, Portugal

This tiny street in northwest Portugal has become the subject of many Instagram posts, thanks to the colorful umbrellas providing shade to passersby.

Umbrella Sky Project in Águeda / Portugal 2016
Luis Diaz Devesa—Getty Images

Great Barrier Reef, Australia

If you thought things could get colorful above ground, just wait until you see the underwater world that is the Great Barrier Reef. There’s just something about the colorful fishes living among the vibrant reef that makes it feel like you’re peeking into a different universe.

Colored Coral Reef
Daniela Dirscherl—Getty Images

Lake Natron, Tanzania

This “salt and soda” lake in northern Tanzania can actually be deadly to some animals. According to Live Science, the pH balance of the alkaline water is enough to burn anything that attempts to swim in it. Coincidently enough, it’s the same toxicity level that gives it a red, cracked appearance.

Soda and algae formation on surface of Lake Natron, Great Rift Valley, Tanzania
Gerry Ellis—Getty Images

Grand Prismatic Spring, Yellowstone National Park

This hot spring in Yellowstone National Park is the deepest in the park. It gets its name from the dark green water it’s filled with, giving it the appearance of a never-ending tunnel into the Earth.

Grand Prismatic Spring, Midway Geyser, Yellowstone
Ignacio Palacios—Getty Images

Holi Festival, India

People around the world get together to celebrate the Hindu holiday of Holi, or “The Festival of Colors,” which marks the beginning of spring. One of the most fun activities is tossing colored powered onto everyone in sight, resulting in a human color wheel.

Holi, The Festival of Colors, India
Poras Chaudhary—Getty Images

Rue Targui, Chefchouen, Morocco

While the medinas of Morocco are colorful on their own, nothing beats the all-blue city of Chefchouen. Every street and building here is painted in a various shade of blue. The city was previously closed off to foreigners for 500 years, but now welcomes travelers in search of a blue paradise with open arms.

MOROCCO-TOURISM-DAILY LIFE
Emily Irving-Swift—AFP/Getty Images

The Wave, Coyote Buttes, Arizona

This sandstone formation is brushed in hues of brick red and golden yellow, changing colors as quickly as the weather patterns. Depending on when you visit — sunrise, sunset, the dead of night —you’ll get an entirely different palette.

The Wave
Getty Images

Northern Lights of Tromsø, Norway

Located in the Arctic Circle, the Tromsø area is home to some of the best Northern Lights shows in the world. If you’re lucky, you’ll even catch a night when the pink lights emerge from the sky.

Aurora Borealis Northern Lights, Tromso, Norway
Tim Graham—Getty Images

Rio Tinto, Spain

This red river in Spain gets its tint from thousands of year of mining in the area. Miners search for copper, gold, and silver, but the dissolved iron from the river’s rocks is the reason it’s so red.

Blood red mineral laden water in the Rio Tinto river in the Minas de Riotinto mining area, Huelva province
Getty Images

Cinque Terre, Italy

These pastel buildings meet the sea in a stunning cliffside scene. The best views are when the coastline is lit up at night illuminating the soft colors against the deepening blue of the sky.

Manarola
Guillaume Chanson—Getty Images

Tokyo, Japan

Visit Tokyo at night, and its neon signs will have you looking in every single direction, ten times over. If you thought Times Square was a nighttime sight to see, just wait until you’re lost deep into one of Tokyo’s neighborhood with nothing but the shop and restaurant signs surrounding you.

Center street shibuya
David Gee—Getty Images

Moscow, Russia

The Naryshkin baroque style of architecture you’ll find in Moscow is unlike any other. Pair the turrets and rounded design details with the colorful paint palettes and you’ve got yourself a scene straight from a storybook.

Saint Basil's cathedral in Moscow, Russia
Ayhan Altun—Getty Images

Salt Flats, San Francisco Bay

This grid of colorful salt ponds is best seen from the sky. These various ponds have been turned different colors because of the micro-algae and microorganisms living in each one.

SALT FLATS, SAN FRANCISCO BAY, CALIFORNIA
Michael Melford—Getty Images

Bo-Kaap, Cape Town, Africa

These neon-colored houses in Cape Town are recognized around the world. This neighborhood is an Instagram Story waiting to happen.

Houses in Bo Kaap, Cape Town.
Mark Williamson—Getty Images

Death Valley During a Super Bloom

It doesn’t happen often, but when Death Valley gets enough rain during the winter months, spring brings with it an explosion of brilliant blooms just waiting to be photographed.

Super Bloom in Death Valley
Trina Dopp Photography—Getty Images

Copenhagen, Denmark

The colorful area of Nyhavn has been around since the 17th century, and is home to a row of vibrant houses, restaurants, and bars. The waterfront location only adds to its charm.

Nyhavn, Copenhagen, Denmark
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Wisteria Tunnel, Japan

This tunnel of cascading wisteria flowers is a literal dream come true. If you’ve ever wanted to actually live inside a watercolor, head to the Kawachi Fuji Gardens.

Wisteria Tunnel
Getty Images

This article originally appeared on TravelandLeisure.com

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