By Harper's Bazaar
When you’re trying to decide where to take your
summer holidays, there are a number of factors that can quickly turn the
idea of a last minute long weekend getaway in to a mammoth 13-hour
flight across the Atlantic, in search of a destination that’s obscure
enough for you to actually Geotag.
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Your final
decision could be based on finding somewhere with that elusive
combination of hedonism and culture (yes, even Ibiza has a contemporary
art museum) or you could be on the hunt for somewhere that’s so
overwhelmingly aesthetically pleasing that you’ll risk your entire data
roaming allowance to get that ‘gram.
And now with Pantone’s bubble gum shade of ‘pale
dogwood’ inspiring every designer from Balenciaga to Gucci and Céline,
pastel is undeniably this year’s most coveted hue – so why not pay a
visit to the world’s dreamiest, soft-hued destinations.
Santorini, Greece
It’s known as the “supermodel of the Greek islands”
for a reason. With its whitewashed sugar cube houses, multi-coloured
volcanic cliffs and red and white lava pebbled beaches, Santorini is
undeniably the most insta-worthy of the Greek islands. The island—which
was born out of a cataclysmic volcanic eruption—has long been the go-to
spot for Greek royalty and the fashion crowd (Gianni Versace holed up at
the iconic Tsitouras Collection
hotel for a month) and with its lilac sunrises, azure blue waters and
endless sunsets it’s easy to see why. Be sure to pay a visit to the
small fishing village of Oia in the far north of the island – and stay
at the super kitsch Pink Cave House.
It’s like Santorini’s answer to the Beverly Hills Hotel - it’s got
three sprawling terraces, a hot tub – and is visible from every point of
the village.
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Alicante, Spain
La Muralla Roja is easily one of the
world’s most fantastical pastel buildings. Located in Calpe (a small
town on the coastline of Alicante) La Muralla Roja—which translates as
‘the red wall’ in Spanish—is a mystical, geometric apartment block built
by acclaimed architect Ricardo Bofill in 1972. With graphic, winding
stairways washed in dusty shades of blue, purple, pink and red, it’s
near impossible to take a bad photo of La Muralla Roja. Climb up to the
rooftop for an unspoilt view of the sea and sky – if you go at the right
time of day, you’ll see the blue walls melt into the ocean.
Cape Town, South Africa
Situated on the slopes of Signal Hill, directly
above the city centre, is the historical neighbourhood of Bo-Kaap. It’s a
10-minute walk from the centre of Cape Town and is well worth the
visit. With winding 18th century cobblestoned streets and vibrant one
and two-storey houses, Bo-Kaap’s buildings have next to no space between
them, creating a stacked Lego-effect of overlapping shades of mint
green, duck-egg blue, lilac and baby pink.
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Curaçao, Caribbean
With over 750 pastel-coloured buildings, the
Dutch-Caribbean island of Curaçao is unrivalled in the pastel game. The
buildings, which date back to the 19th century, were apparently built
because Governor-General Albert Kikkert suffered from severe
migraines—which he attributed to the bright sun reflecting off of the
white buildings— so he instructed all citizens to paint structures any
colour other than white - and the result is spectacular. Pay a visit to
the historic, inner-city area of Willemstad or drive along the coast,
stopping off at the former plantation houses along the island’s 35
beaches for the best soft-hued photo ops.
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Mexico City, Mexico
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