Traveling abroad is believed to be the most desired wish for many people in recent years. With many countries gradually relaxing their entry restrictions, the desire to travel is becoming more and more restless! For those of you planning your next journey, where do you plan to go? Expectations for travel can be crazy shopping, discovering authentic cuisine, or finding unique attractions to capture the most beautiful scenery. Would you add these “blue” cities introduced below to your bucket list?
1. Santorini Island in Greece
When it comes to blue destinations, many people will immediately think of Greece, with its blue and white houses and elegant architectural style, full of charm! In the two small towns of Oia and Fira on the island of Santorini, it is easy to find traces of blue-roofed churches. Walking up the city’s stairs, you can admire the Aegean Sea from an overlooking perspective, along with the blue sky and white clouds, adding a sense of leisure, making it a place where you’ll want to stop and take photos wherever you go!
2. Chefchaouen, Morocco
Located in northwest Morocco, Chefchaouen is known as the “Blue City” or “Blue Pearl,” with the BBC even calling this ancient city the “ocean in the desert.” In the old town of Medina, everywhere you look, the walls of houses, stairs, streets, and alleys are painted in various shades of blue, from sky blue to deep blue to turquoise, creating a serene atmosphere. Some say that these blue tones carry religious significance, representing God and heaven, as in the 1930s, Jewish people sought refuge here from religious persecution in Spain and painted their houses blue as a way to seek God’s protection.
3. Palace of the Marquis of Pombal in Portugal
The Larião Palace in Braga, Portugal, was built by the famous 18th-century sculptor André Soares, adopting a Baroque architectural style. Its exterior is covered with blue azulejo tiles representing Portuguese culture, symbolizing “exquisite stones.” The palace’s terrace railings and main door are also in blue tones. The decorative elements on the exterior walls and the azulejo tile paintings inside are details worth admiring.
4. Jodhpur, India
In the second largest city of Jodhpur in Rajasthan, India, everywhere is a sea of blue. It is said that the Brahmin class painted their walls blue to highlight their noble status, and later other people also painted their houses blue. There is also a belief that the color blue can repel mosquitoes, so people paint their walls blue. If you want to overlook the cityscape, you can go to the walls of Mehrangarh Fort and enjoy the unique blue scenery from this perspective.
5. Blue Temple in Chiang Rai, Thailand
If your “next stop” is Thailand, why not take a detour to the “Blue Temple” in Chiang Rai for sightseeing! It is said that the Blue Temple was originally an abandoned temple, but later a local artist named Puttha Khabkaeo was brought in to spend 11 years creating and renovating it. The temple is mainly in deep blue color, with a blue dragon in a coiled posture at the entrance, giving a spectacular feeling. Inside the temple, there are statues of the Buddha emitting a blue glow, along with blue-themed murals, and intricately decorated beams, pillars, and ceilings, full of character and truly eye-catching!
Image source: Pinterest, ig@the_millers_journey
