Kuşadası – Kuşadası, Turkey - Atlas Obscura

Kuşadası

A charming beach town in Turkey captures all the colors of the rainbow.  

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Nestled on Turkey’s Aegean Coast is the resort beach town of Kuşadası. A popular cruise ship port and jumping off point for viewing the nearby ruins in Efes, Kuşadası has now become an Instagram-worthy destination for its rainbow-colored houses. 

In an effort to revitalize the beach resort town and draw tourists, 400 homes in the Tepe neighborhood were repainted in a spectrum of Caribbean blues, baby pink, mint green, and sunshine yellow. The cascade of color is part of a larger project called “Let’s Colour“ by the Marshall Paint brand. 

The neighborhood of Tepe was chosen for its prime location that overlooks all of the city and stands next to a large sign of Kuşadası—Turkey’s very own Hollywood Hills. 

“It’s the first place seen by tourists when they arrive at Kuşadası port. It makes for a striking panorama, which is why we believe this project will make a great contribution to our community,” said Mayor Özer Kayalı in a statement

It should be noted that Kuşadası is not the first “rainbow town” to snag the spotlight. Similarly, Kampung Pelangi in Indonesia painted their houses in varying shades of colors in an effort to drive up tourism. Kuşadası is one of 2,300 projects around the world that the Marshall Paint brand hopes to complete by Summer 2019.

Know Before You Go

Kuşadası is accessible by air, boat, car, and bus. There are two major airports near Kuşadası—Izmir International Airport and Bodrum Airport—that travelers can fly into. People who are visiting the nearby Greek island of Samos can also reach Kuşadası by ferry. Kuşadası can also be visited via cruise ship as it is a popular port. 

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February 11, 2019

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