This Beach Town Was Just Named the Happiest Place to Travel in the World—and It’s Famous For Its Natural Lazy River, Cenotes, and Wellness Experiences
More than one million traveler reviews helped crown Tulum the destination where visitors most often described feeling happy and joyful.
Credit: Tommaso Lizzul/Adobe Stock
Your recent searches may include the safest, the cleanest, or the cheapest places to travel around the world, but did you know there are also destinations that are described as the "happiest"? According to a new study from the Irish travel insurance experts at JustCover, Tulum is officially the happiest place to travel.
After analyzing more than a million online travel reviews of tourist attractions, venues, national parks, resorts, and scenic spots in 155 vacation destinations, JustCover identified the places where travelers feel the most joyful and content. The team specifically looked at travelers' language that expressed "happiness and joy." Examples included, per the report, "this place made me so happy" or "I felt genuine happiness here."
Each destination received a "Happy Place Score," which was calculated based on the share of "happy" reviews relative to total reviews. Those scores were then converted to a scale of 0 to 100, with 100 being the highest amount of happiness. Tulum received a perfect score of 100 out of 100.
"The town is famously known for its preserved Mayan ruins, perched on a cliff and overlooking the Caribbean Sea, providing visitors with a picturesque view. Alongside its ruins and nature reserves, Tulum draws visitors with its thriving food, nightlife, and wellness scene," the JustCover report stated. While the report didn't go into too much more detail on why Tulum provides such positive experiences, we have a few ideas.
For starters, this tiny Mexican Caribbean town plays the perfect foil to its louder, buzzier neighbor, Cancun. It may no longer be an undiscovered gem—its population reportedly grew by 65 percent from 2010 to 2020—but it does have several resorts and boutique hotels that ensure guests can find quiet (and, yes, happiness) around every corner. The Beach Tulum and La Valise Tulum are favorites among Travel + Leisure contributors, and both Conrad Tulum Riviera Maya and La Zebra Tulum were featured on this year's World's Best Awards list of the best resorts in Mexico . Tulum is also known for its cenotes, natural lazy river, and Maya healing rituals, three experiences that inevitably leave travelers wanting to return time and time again.
Tulum wasn't the only destination in Mexico with a high Happy Place Score; Oaxaca, known for its "food, markets, and its deep indigenous culture," came in at No. 3 with a score of 88. Soufrière in Saint Lucia (No. 2), Las Vegas (No. 4), and Maui (No. 5) rounded out the top five list.
Read the full report on JustCover.ie .
Read the original article on Travel & Leisure
