Which country is the most relaxing tourist destination in the world?

Spa Seekers, a website that helps travelers find the best vacation experiences, conducted a new study to find the “most relaxing destination in every country.” Spa Seekers determined its rankings by counting the number of times the word “relaxing” was used in online travel reviews.

The analysis deliberately excluded “purpose-built wellness facilities,” including hotels and spas, to ensure fairness. The top spots in each country were then ranked globally and regionally to find out which is truly the most relaxing place in the world. And the winner was Iceland’s Blue Lagoon.

“Iceland's Blue Lagoon is a world-famous geothermal resort located less than an hour's drive from the capital Reykjavik,” Spa Seekers announced in its report.

The popular lagoon has 4,050 users who used the word “relaxing” in their online reviews. “It boasts stunning natural scenery and luxurious spa facilities, including saunas, steam rooms and a range of spa treatments using the Blue Lagoon’s iconic white mud. The lakes’ geothermal waters have long been the subject of scientific research, with algae and silica-rich white mud both proven to support skin barrier function, stimulate collagen, regenerate the skin and deep cleanse.”

Spa Seekers also found thermal pools such as Hungary’s Széchenyi, the UK’s Thermae Bath Spa and New Zealand’s Hanmer Springs thermal pools to be among the top 10 most relaxing destinations. Outdoor green spaces also ranked highly, with France’s Luxembourg Gardens, Singapore’s Gardens by the Bay and Australia’s Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria making the top 25.

Europe was rated as the most relaxing continent, home to six of the top 10 destinations. North America followed with eight spots in the top 25, including Costa Rica's Tabacon Hot Springs, Canada's Stanley Park and Strawberry Park Hot Springs in the US.