Traveling is one of the favorite activities of many people from Lisbon and, of course, the Portuguese in general. After all, the chance to discover new destinations and cultures can help improve our well-being. That’s why more and more travelers aren’t just looking for monuments or luxury, they want an experience that will increase their happiness.
In this context, the question arises: which is the happiest vacation destination in the world in 2025? Although Finland is often considered the happiest country, the capital that leads the top 20, drawn up by BookRetreats, is much closer than you think. Yes, that’s right, Lisbon has been chosen.
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How was the study carried out?
According to a statement sent to Lisboa Secreta, the experts at BookRetreats, a yoga and retreat travel agency, teamed up with Dr. Natalie Dattilo-Ryan, a Harvard-affiliated psychologist and specialist in holistic happiness, to create the Holiday Happiness Index.
For the study, 47 popular vacation destinations around the world were considered and evaluated based on five fundamental key factors: sun exposure; sleep quality; food; nature and walkability (accessibility on foot to the main attractions).
Each factor mentioned above is commonly recognized as boosting the so-called “happiness hormones” (serotonin, dopamine, endorphins and oxytocin), and was scored up to 20 points, making a maximum total of 100.
Lisbon: the happiest vacation destination
After the experts’ analysis, Lisbon was voted the happiest vacation destination in the world. Why? According to the data, the city of the ‘Seven Hills’ stood out especially for its gastronomic offer, but also for the 2828 hours of sunshine per year.
A look at the top 20
The most important aspect of this study is Lisbon’s leadership. However, it’s important to know that other destinations can be a good option when it comes to improving well-being and mood.
Therefore, we take the opportunity to share the world’s top 20, made up mostly of European cities:
- Lisbon, Portugal
- Helsinki, Finland
- Orlando, USA
- Athens, Greece
- Edinburgh, Scotland
- Madrid, Spain
- Vienna, Austria
- Budapest, Hungary
- Oslo, Norway
- Vilnius, Lithuania
- Copenhagen, Denmark
- Rome, Italy
- Zurich, Switzerland
- Zagreb, Croatia
- Doha, Qatar
- Stockholm, Sweden
- Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Sydney, Australia
- Munich, Germany
- Chicago, USA
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