Mexico with its houses in all colours of the rainbow, Italy’s Portofino with layered houses colour upon colour and Greece with its typical white and blue paint – all these places are well known and attract myriads of tourists throughout the year. But if you are seeking to escape the sun, chill by the beach and need a little colour in your life, then why not look further than the obvious candidates?

Muizenberg, Cape Town, South Africa

Cape Town is blessed with many beaches in its vicinity and since you probably won’t decide to swim in the always cold waters, you might as well hang out around the pretty beach huts that are lined up on the shore.

Brighton Beach, Melbourne, Australia

If you google colourful houses you will definitely find Brighton Beach. These are as iconic as they can get and can be found on many a Melbournian postcard but not many people go seek it out. I definitely recommend doing it!

Bo-Kaap, Cape Town, South Africa

One of the most visited spots in Cape Town and a tourist favourite, just seeing the trademark colourful houses tells you why. Each house has its own choice of paint and the owners seemed to be in agreement upon making it as rich in colours as possible.

Nyhavn, Copenhagen, Denmark

If you ask me about the one place you absolutely have to visit in Copenhagen, it is not the Little Mermaid but Nyhavn, a little harbour inside the city. The brightest shades and bobbing boats make spending you afternoon consuming coffee and cake here all the more delicious.

Mornington Peninsula, Australia

The perfect family getaway place, Mornington has a lot of tranquillity and laid-backness to offer. And if you want to invest a million or so dollars into a tiny beach hut, this should be on your list. It is not as big or empty as is Brighton Beach but it is just as famous and colourful.

Simrishamn, Sweden

Sweden is a no-brainer. Just walk around Skane and you pretty much get your colour fix right away. Be it Ystad, Kivik or little pockets in Malmo and Jakriborg. But my absolute favourite is Simrishamn, which retains its charm from centuries back, with flowers around the doors and a little water pump in the square!

Glebe Village, Sydney, Australia

Not far from the city centre but in a whole different sphere is Glebe Village, a place best described as hipster meets intellectual meets artist. The little wooden houses come in pastel colours, detailed carvings and lined by palm and gum trees.

Falsterbo, Sweden

Sweden loves colourful beach huts and a great place to snatch a pic is Falsterbo. And if you are into riding horses, even better! The beach is open to both humans and animals and really got for a city break and completely empty in winter (picture opportunities)!

Olympic Village, Munich, Germany

Once super boring looking blocks to host the Olympic contestants, the village has been turned into a lively residential area with colourful playgrounds made from pipes and a student village that serves as a canvas for anyone who buys paint and a brush. It is ever changing, so make sure to come back!

There are so many more places where I admired the colours but these have been most recent and stuck in my mind. If you want to add a place you love, let me know!