A list of sandy beaches across the globe was collated, with six data points researched in order to create a top 100 shortlist and ranking. The six data points were: the search volume for holiday rental stays surrounding each beach, the popularity of each destination amongst couples, the average temperature, the picturesqueness of each destination's sunset views, the number of romantic restaurants within 15 minutes of each beach, and the status of LGBTQIA+ rights and acceptance within each country. After obtaining the raw data, each data point was assigned a representative numerical value between 5 and 10, with 5 representing the lowest data point and 10 representing the highest data point. The hypothetical "perfect score" would be 60 out of 60. The following equation was used in order to calculate this for every factor:
Score(i) = 5 · (x(i) - xmin ) / (xmax - xmin ) + 5
Secluded Score: HomeToGo data was used to find the number of searches for holiday rental stays with a check-in date between June 1, 2024 - December 31, 2024 in each destination. The destination with the lowest search volume was awarded a maximum score of 10, and the remaining destinations were awarded a score of 5 or higher. Data was collected in June 2024 and is subject to change.
Popularity with Couples Score: HomeToGo data was used to find the average traveller group size used for holiday rental searches in each destination. The destination with the average traveller group size closest to 2 was awarded a maximum score of 10, and the remaining destinations were awarded a score of 5 or higher. Data was collected in June 2024 and is subject to change.
Heat Score: Historical weather data from sources including Visual Crossing Weather was used to identify the average annual temperature in the surrounding area of each beach. The destination with the highest temperature was given a score of 10, and the remaining destinations were awarded a score of 5 or higher. Data was collected in June 2024 and is subject to change.
Sunset Score: The number of Instagram hashtags featuring the destination name alongside the term 'sunset' was identified for each beach. The area with the highest number of hashtags was awarded a maximum score of 10, and the remaining destinations were awarded a score of 5 or higher. Data was collected in June 2024 and is subject to change.
Romantic Restaurants Score: The number of romantic restaurants within a 15 minute car journey from each beach, according to insights from Google Maps, was calculated. The destination with the largest number of romantic restaurants nearby was given a score of 10, and the remaining destinations were awarded a score of 5 or higher. Data was collected in June 2024 and is subject to change.
LGBTQIA+ Score: Equaldex's rating for the country of each beach destination was recorded. The destination with the highest rating was given a score of 10, and the remaining destinations were awarded a score of 5 or higher. Countries with Equaldex scores of less than 40 were excluded from this ranking. Data was collected in June 2024 and is subject to change.