“Barbiecore” as a travel trend for 2023: these spots no longer need a pink filter

Take the Barbie dream mobile to the nearest pink beach, splash in the pink water and then visit a pastel-colored church? Oh yes, something like that is probably only possible in the plastic universe of the most famous blonde in the world…

Nonsense. There are a few vacation spots on this planet that look like they came off Mattel’s drawing board. We owe that (largely) to Mother Nature. These places are now experiencing a resurgence with the theatrical release of the hyped ‘Barbie’ movie on July 20. They are called “Barbiecore” targets. Travel platforms such as Omio also draw specific attention to pink travel locations.

We show you nine places in the world where you don’t need a filter or tinted sunglasses to immerse yourself in the Barbie dream vacation feeling.

In Greece, there is an enchanting beach that appears pink because of the thousands of shell fragments in the sand. The place Elafonissi is a separate island in the southwest of its big sister Crete. To reach Elafonissi beach, you just have to wade over a small sandbar and through shallow water.

Even without the special coloring, Elafonissi would be worth a detour. On the one hand, the small island has an important history (in 1824 battles are said to have taken place here between the Greek population and the Ottoman troops), on the other hand, the rocky area around it is a nature reserve and has the typical mild-rough charm that is typical of Greek beaches.

A warning right at the beginning: Craigievar Castle in Scotland is another restoration project this year! But as early as 2024, the facade should shine brightly in the typical pink for which the tower castle west of Aberdeen is known.

Winding staircases and small bay towers make Craigievar Castle a good destination for romantics and those interested in history. Built in the late 16th century, the building was lived in by the Forbes family for four hundred years before opening to the public. The reason why the Harlputz (lime plaster with pebbles) shimmers pink is apparently for no other reason than: Looks really nice.

If you are planning a road trip on the west coast of Australia, you should definitely take the 139 past the Hutt Lagoon, because the lagoon there sometimes appears soft pink, sometimes bright pink, sometimes even almost red. Turning onto Port Gregory Road from here, you can reach vantage points to get a closer look at the play of colours.

The coloring comes from algae and bacteria that thrive in especially salty water. The salt crystals of the lagoon also sparkle in a rose quartz look. How strong the color effect looks depends on the amount of light, which is said to be optimal in the early evening hours to get true “Barbiecore” shots.

The Catholic Church has been very professional when it comes to dramatic staging for thousands of years, that is a well-known fact. It is therefore not surprising that the master builders, commissioned by the French colonial rulers, decided in 1876 to go for bubble gum pink when they painted the Tan Dinh Curch in Vietnam.

The striking facade of the church in Ho Chi Minh City earned the building the nickname “the pink church”. and to this day causes influencers from all over the world to flock to this place of worship to spread pictures of it. If that’s not PR with a long-term effect.

Indonesia’s well-known Komodo Beach really does look like a Barbie dream destination and is usually reliably pink compared to the also well-known Lombok Beach. This is due to the red micro-organisms (Foraminifera) that live and wash up in coral reefs.

The only downer is that Komodo Beach is not so easy to reach: Tourists must take a boat across as there is no flight let alone land route to Komodo National Park. But you can snorkel here and with a lot of luck you will see one of the rare Komodo dragons. But beware: the primeval lizards are venomous, so not exactly harmless and do not belong in the Barbie photo shoot.

The Rainbow Mountains don’t always look as pink as they do in this photo. Depending on the time of day and the incidence of light, they also appear red, yellow and even turquoise. The beautiful natural spectacle is only reserved for sports enthusiasts, because the mountain “Vinicunca”, as it is actually called, is located at an altitude of 5,200 meters – higher than Mont Blanc!

Only climate change in 2012 has exposed the peaks of the “Montaña de Siete Colores” (Mountain of the Seven Colors) and with it the view of its colorful stripes, which are made by various minerals in the earth. For example, the pink consists of red clay, mudstone and sand, while the purple consists of marl and silicates.

Precisely because the area in the Andes is so photogenic, the area has already been damaged by tourism in recent years. So if you want to visit the Peruvian mountains, you should stick to a responsible tour guide who also takes care of safety (the difference in height can be dangerous for the blood circulation).

The most famous pink photo motif on social networks is the facade of the Paul Smith store in Los Angeles, USA. The British designer’s «Pink Wall» on Melrose Avenue has been one of the most photographed places in the Californian metropolis for many years.

This is probably one of the cheapest marketing gimmicks in the world if you factor in the cost of the wall paint. To remain exciting, the wall design is played with from time to time. For example, in 2017, a rainbow graced the wall for Pride Month, then striped a corner.

In 2018, strangers sprayed graffiti on the wall, which should be understood as a protest against the social media madness: “Go fuck ur selfie trash” – but even that became a cult online. The most shocking thing Smith could do to his wall was paint it over. In alpine white.

Coloradas – isn’t that the confectionery mix of a well-known German gummy bear manufacturer? No, much better: Las Coloradas is a small fishing village in Mexico best known for its pink salt flats. Depending on the time of day, several pools of water close together shine in intense pink colors.

The lagoons on the Yucatán Peninsula are so salty that aquatic life, such as microorganisms and crabs, must produce large amounts of astaxanthin to balance the salinity. This substance causes the pink color. The pink crabs, on the other hand, like to be eaten by pink flamingos, which is why bird lovers also like to visit the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve (protected since 2004).

Located in the Cais do Sodré district of Lisbon, Rua Nova do Carvalho is one of the most popular landmarks in the Portuguese city. Even though most visitors warn that you don’t need to plan much time here, because the street itself – apart from its brightly colored appearance – is nothing special.

But hey! It’s actually not bad news that after a few shots you can stroll on to the nearest Pastel de Nata store. Or you can come back in the evening: Then the “Pink Street” is very busy and the beautiful scenery is accompanied by a correspondingly violent pub culture.