Greece is the most popular European country for beach lovers this year, according to the Best Beaches Index 2022 released by vacation rentals search engine Holidu.
According to Holidu’s “Most Popular Countries for Beaches in Europe” listing based on Google rankings, Greece is in the lead garnering 5.4k Google searches every month and 142k+ Instagram hashtags.

Top picks for beach-seeking travelers planning trips to Greece and searching for info on Google are Crete, Naxos and Mykonos.

“Make sure Greece is at the top of your list this year, as you won’t want to miss out,” says Holidu.

Besides Greece, second in line is Italy with 5.4k Google searches per month and 71k+ Instagram hashtags, followed by Portugal with 3.6k Google searches each month and 61k+ Instagram hashtags.

Completing the Top 5 list are France with 3.6k Google searches per month and 42k+ Instagram hashtags and Ireland with 880 Google searches per month and 42k+ IG hashtags.

The study included all European countries and the ranking was drawn up using the average number of monthly searches on Google in the last 12 months for each of the country names combined with the keyword: “beaches”, the Instagram hashtags for this keyword, and its variations.
It should be noted that 581 Greek beaches are among the world’s cleanest awarded this year with Blue Flag quality certification. Greece ranked second in the world after Spain, which was ranked 6th in Holidu’s “Most Popular Countries for Beaches in Europe” listing, with 8.1k Google searches per month and 29.9k+ Instagram hashtags.

The Blue Flag is one of the world’s most recognized voluntary eco-labels, awarded to beaches, marinas, and sustainable boating tourism operators.