World's most relaxing holiday destinations ranked - and the places to avoid

Australia is well known for its chilled-out 'she'll be right' vibe, and now it's been crowned the world's most relaxing place to visit.

BookRetreats' latest relaxation index is partly based on the crowd density you will encounter while travelling around a place, and Australia has a concentration of just 3.4 people per square kilometre, making it ultra cruisy.

The BookRetreats 2025 Global Relaxation Index comes at a time when some European countries are being over-crowded with tourists and introducing taxes to help governments recoup wear and tear on their infrastructure.

Europe's top destinations reportedly attract more than 55 million tourists annually, meaning some traditionally perceived "relaxing" places like Italy (198.3 people per square kilometre) and Mauritius (626 people) are now becoming stressful.

Australia is followed by Canada as the second most relaxing holiday destination and Iceland in third place.

Our chilled-out neighbour New Zealand claims fifth place, beating so-called relaxing European holiday staples Greece, France and Spain.

Along with crowd density, the index looked at peacefulness, noise and light pollution, traffic, number of cities, protected areas, forest coverage, biodiversity and wellness activities, giving each destination a relaxation ranking.

Australia's was 73.8 out of 100 and we scored highly on nature destinations and wellness activities.

The index will hopefully help Aussies find other places to relax (besides our own backyard, that is), and let foreigners know where they can go to avoid crowds.

The company's co-founder Sean Kelly said the report confirms the places we once visited for peace and quiet have become "victims of their own popularity".

"As we look to 2025 and beyond, destinations that protect their serenity - whether through untouched wilderness or mindful urban living - will become the new standard for relaxation travel," Mr Kelly said.

Meanwhile, Preply has put together a list of the places you should avoid at all costs.

The most stressful tourist traps in the world - places where you might have an overrated and underwhelming experience - are Times Square in New York, Checkpoint Charlie in Berlin and the Eiffel Tower in Paris.

Interestingly, their top 20 includes an Icelandic destination (BookRetreats' third most relaxing holiday country): the Blue Lagoon at Reykjavic. Other notable places to avoid are the Holywood Walk of Fame in California and the London Eye in London.