If your idea of a perfect holiday includes plenty of sunshine, good food, green spaces and enough walking to keep you active, Lisbon may have just made a strong case for your next trip. Portugal’s capital has been named the world’s happiest travel destination in the latest Holiday Happiness Index by BookRetreats, which assessed 47 destinations around the world on factors linked to wellbeing during a holiday. The index considered five areas: sunlight, sleep quality, healthy food, time spent in nature and opportunities for physical exercise. Each factor was given equal weight. Sun. Rays! 2,828 hours of sunshine. This is one of the biggest factors is something travellers cannot control but certainly notice, aka, the weather. According to the index, Lisbon gets around 2,828 hours of sunshine every year, giving visitors plenty of opportunities to spend time outdoors. The study links this combination of sunlight and outdoor activity with a more positive holiday experience. So, if you are someone who takes out their head from the laptop only to see that the sun has already set, Lisbon might be the right place for you to get everything you need. Lisbon is a also city that rewards being outside. From its hilltop viewpoints overlooking the River Tagus to its historic neighbourhoods and waterfront, much of the city can be experienced on foot. Lisbon Ranked #1 on Happiness Index (Credits: iStock) Another factor is walking. Social media has anyway been brimming with the chatter of walkable cities and Lisbon is here to take center stage. Lisbon is compact enough to explore by walking, although its famously steep and uneven streets can make the experience more of a workout than some visitors may expect. The Holiday Happiness Index considers this an PLUS, highlighting the city's walkability and the physical activity naturally built into sightseeing. Its viewpoints, streets and neighbourhoods mean visitors can get exercise without necessarily having to set aside time for a formal workout. Where there is sun, there is greenery, and so the city also scores strongly for access to green space. Lisbon has around 49 square meters of green space per resident, according to the index, almost 4x the figure cited for Madrid. Its location also makes it easy to combine a city break with time by the coast, with beaches including Cascais and Costa da Caparica accessible by public transport in under an hour. That mix of urban sightseeing and nearby nature gives travellers the option to switch between busy city streets and quieter outdoor spaces. And that's not all. Food is another major part of Lisbon's score. Nearly 10% of restaurants in the city are classified as healthy, giving Lisbon the second-highest share among the destinations assessed in this category. The index also points to the variety of food available, from fresh seafood to traditional Portuguese taverns. The appeal, therefore, is not simply about eating “healthy” while travelling. Lisbon combines local cuisine with options that the index associates with a healthier holiday experience. Lisbon was followed by Helsinki and Orlando. Helsinki's extensive green spaces, walkability and access to nature helped it secure second place, while Orlando's sunshine, lakes and green spaces contributed to its third-place position. The rest of the top 10 was dominated by European destinations: Athens, Edinburgh, Madrid, Vienna, Budapest, Oslo and Vilnius. The ranking is specifically a measure of holiday wellbeing based on the index's selected factors, rather than a universal measure of happiness among residents. Still, for travellers looking for a destination where sunshine, food, nature and movement come together, Lisbon's result offers an interesting reason to put Portugal's capital on the holiday list. Travel News - Find latest news and tips based on Indian and World travel including top 10 travel destination, tourism information, how to reach visit and more at Times Now. Simran covers books that start conversations, beauty insights, fashion moods, and stories that make people feel something. Off duty? You’ll find her c... View More