Few things bring joy quite like a day at the beach: between the sound of crashing waves, the warmth of the sun, and breathtaking views, beaches have an uncanny ability to make us smile. CV Villas used facial recognition technology to discover the world’s happiest coastlines and which beaches make us smile the most.
The travel experts used AWS facial recognition software to analyse thousands of Instagram photos from over 100 beaches around the globe, revealing which sandy shores bring the biggest smiles. The researchers then calculated an average score out of 100 to create an overall Beach Happiness Score for each location. Barcelona’s Sitges Beach scored just shy of 100 (98.42), making it the World’s Happiest Beach.
The World’s Top 30 Happiest Beaches
| Rank | Continent | Country | Name of Beach | Beach Happiness Score |
| 1 | Europe | Spain | Sitges Beach | 98.42 |
| 2 | Europe | Portugal | Praia da Falésia | 97.24 |
| 3 | Europe | Spain | Port de Soller Beach | 96.95 |
| 4 | Europe | Wales | Rhossili Bay | 96.78 |
| 5 | Europe | Wales | Caswell Bay | 95.14 |
| 6 | Europe | France | Plage des Sablettes | 94.94 |
| 7 | Europe | Portugal | Praia Dona Ana | 94.31 |
| 8 | Europe | Portugal | Praia do Vale de Centeanes | 93.63 |
| 9 | Europe | Greece | Elafonisi Beach | 93.34 |
| 10 | Europe | Greece | Ai Helis | 92.25 |
| 11 | Europe | Spain | Cala Pregonda | 92.03 |
| 12 | North America | Mexico | Playa Delfines | 91.47 |
| 13 | Europe | Portugal | Praia do Parasio | 90.58 |
| 14 | South America | Peru | Las Pocitas Beach | 90.52 |
| 15 | Europe | Greece | Mongonissi Beach | 89.11 |
| 16 | North America | USA | Cannon Beach | 89.11 |
| 17 | Europe | Greece | Agios Georgios Pagon | 88.92 |
| 18 | Europe | Greece | Myrtos Beach | 87.82 |
| 19 | Europe | Ireland | Keem Bay | 86.27 |
| 20 | Europe | Greece | Glyfada Beach | 85.29 |
| 21 | North America | USA | Siesta Key Beach | 85.00 |
| 22 | Europe | Italy | Pescoluse (Maldive del Salento) | 84.75 |
| 23 | Europe | Greece | Kalamitsi | 84.64 |
| 24 | Asia | Sri Lanka | Mirissa Beach | 83.64 |
| 25 | Asia | Turkey | Kaputas Beach | 83.29 |
| 26 | Europe | Scotland | Troon Beach | 82.93 |
| 27 | Europe | Greece | Porto Katsiki | 82.07 |
| 28 | Europe | France | Santa Giulia | 82.03 |
| 29 | Europe | Portugal | Praia do Camilo | 80.74 |
| 30 | Oceania | Australia | Hyams Beach | 80.46 |
European Beaches Dominate the Rankings
Whether it’s the golden shores of Spain, the dramatic cliffs of Portugal, or the crystal-clear waters of Greece, the top 10 smile-inducing beaches in our rankings are all European. In fact, 23 of the top 30 happiest beaches are located in the continent.
Sitges Beach in Barcelona, Spain is crowned the world’s happiest beach, with a near perfect happiness score of 98.42 out of a possible 100. Just outside Spain’s popular city, it is much beloved among locals and travellers for a mix of smooth sands and warm, welcoming atmosphere with a lively promenade, too.
Another Spanish beach joins the list, with Mallorca’s Port de Soller ranking third with a smile score of 96.95. Framed by the Tramuntana mountains, the Mediterranean hotspot leaves beachgoers grinning and ready to snap photos admiring the view.
Following in the rankings, neighbouring Portugal claims four spots in the top 20, with Praia da Falésia (97.24) and Praia Dona Ana (94.31) landing in second and seventh place, respectively. Both located in Southern Portugal, Instagram users seem particularly keen on showing off bright smiles while dipping into the turquoise waters on offer in this part of the world.
Meanwhile, Greece claims five spots on the list of happiest beaches, including Elafonisi Beach (93.34) and Ai Helis in Kefalonia (92.25) wrapping up the global top 10. If you’re planning your next summer escape, Elafonisi Beach, in Crete, is particularly popular for striking sands with an ombre pink facade, making for a perfect photo opportunity.
