The proptech Sonneil Homes has developed the ‘Spain Happy Index’ to celebrate the International Day of Happiness, in which the Costa Blanca stands out as one of the happiest areas in Spain, with an average score of around 81 points out of 100 , in the range defined by Sonneil, according to company sources in a statement. The scale that the company, following its technological nature, has designed from quantitative data published by sources such as the Ministry of the Interior and the State Meteorological Agency to map the places in Spain with the highest quality of life.
The statement states that, “among the data shown by the Spain Happy Index are Blue Flag beaches, international schools, hospitals, distance to airports, and meteorological data such as average temperatures, windy days, rainy days, and sunny days in a year. In this aspect, there are numerous studies that relate the sunlight we receive with our physical and mental well-being. For example, sunlight activates the production of serotonin in our body (known as the happiness hormone) that regulates our mood and sleep quality.”
Therefore, the Costa Blanca presents one of the best happiness indices in the Sonneil study, with an average of 284 sunny days per year. In addition, Alfredo Millá (CEO of Sonneil Homes) highlights that “the Costa Blanca enjoys more than 2,800 hours of sunshine a year, which makes it an ideal destination to take advantage of the outdoors, social life and natural environments”.
The ranking is led by the municipality of Alicante, with 89.63 points thanks to the union of the city’s amenities with access to natural environments and beaches (four of them with Blue Flag). This is followed by Santa Pola, with 89.32, and Pilar de la Horadada, with 88.81.
One of the factors included in the Spain Happy Index is the mildness of the climate and this adds points to the province of Alicante, which has an average temperature of 18°C. The areas with the most days of sunshine per year are in the southern part of the Costa Blanca, such as Playa de San Juan with 307, Alicante with 308, Santa Pola and Elche with 306, and Torrevieja, Pilar de la Horadada and surroundings with 304 days of sun per year.
The coast of Alicante also stands out for its infrastructure, which guarantees easy access to services even from areas far from urban centers. For example, the province has large hospitals and health centers such as the general hospitals in Alicante, Elche and San Juan and the IMED Hospital in Benidorm. In addition, for international residents, the Alicante-Elche Miguel Hernández Airport is a plus when choosing the Costa Blanca as a place of residence.
Therefore, the Spain Happy Index was born with the purpose of serving as a guide for those looking for a new destination to live. According to Millá, “we identified the needs of our clients when they had to choose an area to move to, and we realized that there was no source that collected the information they requested, so we decided to create one from Sonneil. The Spain Happy Index is a very interesting tool for foreigners who have not decided on the area in which to have their second residence, since they can search based on the factors to which they give most importance in their purchase”.
