Spain's happiest town revealed as beautiful seaside hotspot
A beautiful seaside hotspot on the Spanish coast has been crowned the country's happiest town.
The results come from a YouGov study commissioned by sugar producer Azucarera which 'travelled the country to discover the happiest towns in Spain '.
Top of the list? Chipiona, a pretty seaside town in Cadiz.
Azucarera says Chipiona takes the crown for its people, its weather and its 'philosophy of life'. It adds that people in Chipiona 'know how to live'.
Although Chipiona is a popular holiday destination among Spanish tourists, it's not so well known by international visitors.
The town has been occupied since Roman times and came under Moorish rule for several centuries. These competing influences are reflected in its architecture.
It sits on Spain's Costa de la Luz, or Coast of Light, a 200km stretch of sandy beaches.
Chipiona's top-rated beach is Playa de Regla, a town beach that's been awarded Blue Flag status.
A tourist on Tripadvisor describes it as the 'ideal beach' for children as you 'can see them perfectly from any location'.
Another visitor writes: 'Spectacular beach, wide, good access and services. A great beach.'
The beach is easily found as it's located next to Chipiona Lighthouse, the tallest lighthouse in Spain standing at 205 feet/62 metres. It's a great spot to visit at sunset for beautiful views.
But Chipiona isn't the only seaside town to be named among Spain's happiest places to live.
Nerja, previously named one of Spain's best seaside towns in a Which? survey, comes third on the list.
Which? describes the Andalucian town as 'one of the more charming towns across this sunny stretch of Spain's coastline'.
Peniscola, Tarifa, Zahara de los Atunes, Benalmadena and Mojacar are among the other southern Spanish seaside towns to rank in the top 10 happiest towns.
Ronda ranks second on the list. The Andalucian town is located up in the mountains above a deep gorge.
The town ranks highly for its beauty, natural environment and people. Although Ronda is inland, residents won't have to travel far to reach the Costa del Sol's beaches.
San Vicente de la Barquera and Santillana del Mar are the only northern Spanish towns to make the top 10.
Both are located on Spain's Cantabrian region and are known for their natural beauty. San Vicente de la Barquera is a historic fishing port backed by the Picos de Europa mountains.
Santillana del Mar is an inland town that's known for its medical architecture and cobbled streets.
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