Portmeirion is the 13th most colourful place on Earth and Wales’s most uplifting winter escape.

As the days get darker, the vibrant, Italianate village has been shown to offer a genuine mood boost when many of us feel our spirits dip.

The clocks have gone back, the days are darker, and many of us are feeling that familiar drop in mood. And it’s not just in our heads. Up to 1.6 million people in the UK are believed to experience Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) each year, a condition linked to reduced sunlight and duller surroundings.

Travel insurance brand Staysure worked with colour psychology expert Karen Haller to develop the ChromaTravel Index – a data-led ranking of the world’s most colourful destinations, all shown to brighten our mood during the darker season. Using custom image-processing software and expert analysis, the index scored destinations from 0–100 based on colour saturation, vibrancy and hue variation.

“The colours in our environment have a powerful effect on our psychological wellbeing. Travelling to visually rich destinations can lift our mood, change how we feel and respond, and make our experiences more memorable,” she said.

Chefchaouen, Morocco, takes top spot for the most colourful destination in the world.

Karen added: “There’s something about stepping into a place full of colour that instantly lifts you. It changes how you feel, how you move through the space, and even how you connect with others. That’s why colour-filled destinations are becoming more popular.

“We’re drawn to them not just because they look good, but because they leave us feeling better. Happier. More open. More alive. It’s something I do myself, seeking out places where colour isn’t just seen, it’s felt. And those are the experiences that stay with you.”

For the full ChromaTravel guide, visit Staysure (https://shorturl.at/5c595).