This is an unusual village! Here, all the houses were repainted blue and, when the residents had the opportunity to go back, they refused…
If tourists already knew Chefchaouen (in Morocco) or Burano (in Italy), another village also stands out thanks to the walls of its houses all colored… in blue. It looks like a decoration but it is a real, peaceful hamlet, which is home to some 227 inhabitants all year round. They all agreed and, subsequently, almost no one wanted to return to other facades…
This dates back to 2011. At that time, the houses in this small village had white walls. But a totally unexpected proposal came to shake things up. In fact, the American studio Sony Pictures asked the mayor of this village if it was possible to make it the venue for the world premiere of one of their films. And this was not a marketing stunt aimed at transforming all the buildings in the village – church, town hall and even cemetery – into blue. Request accepted. For what? To promote the animated film The Smurfs !
But which village was chosen? This is Júzcar, a small town in the province of Malaga, in Andalusia. The lime-coated walls of this “pueblo blanco” were therefore transformed thanks to 9,000 kilos of paint and this allowed the studio to launch its film worldwide with actors Neil Patrick Harris and Jayma Mays in the cast.
The marketing operation was only supposed to last a few weeks, time to promote the feature film; which accumulated $550 million in box office revenue. Once the campaign was over, the studio had to restore the village to its former appearance, with its white facades. But the plan changed after a vote by residents…
Indeed, once designated the world’s first Smurf village, Júzcar has experienced a phenomenal tourist boom! In a few months, the peaceful village saw 80,000 curious people pass through. The mayor then held a vote and the majority of residents voted against a return to white facades. It must be said that this influx of tourists has boosted the local economy: cafes, shops, bakeries… everyone still benefits from it.
Moreover, it is not the only colorful village in Spain. Those who travel may also know Villajoyosa, a town of around 37,000 inhabitants in the province of Alicante. Here, the buildings are of all colors, from the seaside to the streets behind. Enough to attract tourists eager for beautiful photos for Instagram.
