Lisbon came first in the Holiday Happiness Index, a ranking by the BookRetreats platform that assessed 47 destinations around the world. The study was guided by clinical psychologist Natalie Dattilo-Ryan, who is affiliated with Harvard University and specialises in holistic happiness.
The assessment took into account factors associated with well-being, such as sun exposure, walkability and the exercise it encourages, green spaces, the availability of healthy food and sleep quality.
Lisbon stood out for having around 10% of restaurants rated as healthy, the second-highest proportion in the index, 49 square metres of green space per inhabitant — almost four times as much as Madrid — and 2,828 hours of sunshine a year. The beaches of Cascais and Costa da Caparica are less than an hour away by public transport.
Next in the ranking come Helsinki, Orlando, Athens and Edinburgh, with Madrid in sixth place. Orlando is the only city outside Europe in the top 10.
