25 Coastal Jewels Where Colorful Homes Meet The Sea

15. Ilulissat, Greenland – A Rainbow Among Icebergs

In the icy heart of Greenland, the coastal village of Ilulissat stands as a beacon of color against a frozen world. Here, brightly painted houses in shades of red, green, yellow, and blue perch along the shoreline, providing a vivid contrast to the floating icebergs that drift through Disko Bay. This color tradition, much like in Nuuk, was born out of necessity—to help people navigate through the long, dark winters. But beyond function, it has given Ilulissat an otherworldly beauty, where the dance of light on the ice creates a mesmerizing interplay of reflections and hues. Ilulissat is famous for its spectacular Icefjord, a UNESCO World Heritage Site where enormous icebergs break off from one of the world’s most active glaciers. Whether you’re kayaking among the ice floes, watching the midnight sun paint the sky in shades of pink and gold, or simply standing at the edge of the Arctic, Ilulissat feels like a dreamscape where color and nature collide in the most extraordinary way.