Some places just have a way of putting a smile on your face – and according to new research, nowhere does it quite like Tulum.
Travel insurance company JustCover analysed more than one million online travel reviews across 155 destinations worldwide, tracking how often visitors used language expressing happiness and joy. (Think phrases like ‘this place made me so happy’). The idea was to build a ‘Happy Place Score’ out of 100 for each. The Mexican town came out on top with a perfect 100, making it the single happiest destination on the planet, according to the data.
It’s easy to see the appeal. The Yucatán Peninsula beach town around 130km south of Cancún is home to well-preserved Mayan ruins perched dramatically above the coastline, plus a buzzing food, wellness and nightlife scene that draws visitors from all over the world. Saint Lucia’s Soufrière took second place with a score of 95.2, prized for its dramatic Pitons rising straight out of the Caribbean Sea, while Oaxaca, also in Mexico, rounded out the top three thanks to its markets, food scene and indigenous culture.
Europe had its own separate ranking, and Italy swept the board. Positano topped the European list outright with a perfect 100, its car-free streets and pastel-coloured cliffside buildings apparently doing wonders for visitors’ moods, while Santorini and Montenegro’s Kotor took second and third. Florence and London rounded out Europe’s top five.
The world’s 10 happiest destinations
- Tulum, Mexico – 100
- Soufrière, Saint Lucia – 95.2
- Oaxaca, Mexico – 88.0
- Las Vegas, USA – 88.0
- Maui, USA – 84.6
- New York City, USA – 81.5
- Cappadocia, Turkey – 77.5
- Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – 75.2
- Chicago, USA – 74.0
- Toronto, Canada – 71.4
Did you see that Europe is getting a brand-new budget airline – with flights from €19?
ICYMI: A legendary Budapest ruin bar has been named the best bar in Europe for 2026.
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