A new take on the January blues

We’ve got a new take on the January blues… Here we highlight some of the most beautiful blue places around the world to visit, from Chefchaouen to the turquoise waters of Raja Ampat.

Chefchaouen, Morocco

Chefchaouen is a visual feast of blue, surrounded by the Rif Mountains. There are many theories as to where it gets its distinctive blue buildings, from warding off mosquitoes to representing the Mediterranean Sea and keeping homes cool. Another theory points to the arrival of Jews escaping the Spanish Inquisition in the 15th century and the rise of Hitler in the 1930s, who brought their tradition of painting buildings blue with them: according to Jewish belief, blue is said to symbolise the sky and heaven. Whatever Chefchaouen’s origins and meaning, wandering its maze of colourful alleyways is a…