Move over, Bali. The Sunshine Coast has been handed a rather delightful piece of international bragging rights: first place in a 2026 ranking of relaxing holiday destinations.
Yes, Queensland’s familiar stretch of beaches, bushland and hinterland has finished ahead of Marbella in Spain, Split in Croatia and Bali in Indonesia. For those of us fortunate enough to call the Sunshine Coast home, the result may prompt a satisfied smile, preferably delivered from a deckchair.
But before anyone commissions a trophy the size of the Big Pineapple, a little perspective is in order. This isn’t an award from the United Nations, nor a declaration that everyone on Earth will find their inner peace here. It is the result of a commercial research study by holiday-villa rental business Ibiza Summer Villas.
And, within that qualification, it is a splendid result.
What put the Sunshine Coast on top?
The 2026 research, which covered 91 holiday destinations, considered six aspects of a potentially restful escape: the availability of accommodation with swimming pools, access to spa and wellness facilities, average temperature, population density, traffic, and noise pollution.
Put simply, the researchers examined not just whether a destination looks heavenly in a brochure, but whether everyday conditions might actually allow visitors to relax.
The Sunshine Coast’s reported strengths included pool access, comfortable weather and relatively light crowding and noise. According to the study, 84 per cent of accommodation properties analysed had swimming pools. That figure applies only to the sample examined, not to every hotel, apartment or holiday home in the region.
Researchers also reported 244 residents per square kilometre, fourth-lowest population density and fourth-lowest noise pollution among the destinations compared, plus the twelfth-lightest traffic. These figures come from the study’s own comparisons, not universal measures of how busy every Sunshine Coast suburb feels.
For another perspective, the Sunshine Coast Regional Council area had an estimated 381,957 residents at 30 June 2025, according to government-linked population data. That local-government figure excludes neighbouring Noosa Shire and should not be confused with the wider area or denominator used in the study’s density calculations.
Anyone who has negotiated school-holiday traffic into Noosa will appreciate the distinction.
The temperature is right and so is the scenery
The study put the Coast’s annual average temperature at about 21°C. That broadly matches the Bureau of Meteorology’s Sunshine Coast Airport figures, which record an annual mean maximum of 25.5°C and a mean minimum of 16.0°C.
Of course, averages do not prevent a sultry summer afternoon or a determined tropical downpour. But they help explain why the region appeals to travellers who would rather wear thongs than thermal underwear.
Better still, the Sunshine Coast offers different ways to do precisely nothing.
At Noosa, visitors can exchange an early beach stroll for breakfast without straying far from the ocean. Further south, Mooloolaba, Coolum and Caloundra offer more sand, seaside cafés and plenty of excuses to postpone checking office email.
Then there is the hinterland. Maleny and Montville offer leafy scenery, galleries, local produce and cafés where lingering over a second coffee is practically a civic duty. Visit Sunshine Coast documents the region’s range of coastal and inland experiences.
For visitors seeking a little exercise before returning to the hammock, Noosa National Park’s coastal walk provides spectacular headland views. The full return route is 10.8 kilometres and graded as more demanding, so choose a section that suits your fitness and conditions.
Relaxation, after all, should not require a rescue helicopter.
Sorry, Bali, but fourth place is hardly a disaster
Bali finished fourth in the reported ranking, behind the Sunshine Coast, Marbella and Split. Dubrovnik completed the top five.
That does not make Bali a poor choice for a restorative holiday. Quite the opposite: the study found swimming pools at 95 per cent of Bali accommodation properties analysed, while 89 per cent offered spa or wellness facilities.
Those figures help explain why Bali remains so appealing to Australians. Bali’s official statistics agency recorded nearly 6.95 million direct international visitor arrivals in 2025. Australians accounted for 23.44 per cent, approximately 1.63 million arrivals. That counts visits, not necessarily 1.63 million different people.
Bali’s congestion and density weighed against it in this particular analysis, but a peaceful villa, a quiet village and a well-timed massage can still make a persuasive case for paradise.
It would be rather unfair to judge an entire island by the traffic outside one busy resort.
Marbella, Croatia and the contest for calm
Second-placed Marbella gave Spain a strong showing. The study reported pools at 74 per cent of analysed accommodations, with spa and wellness facilities at 34 per cent.
Split, in Croatia, took third place, while fellow Croatian favourite Dubrovnik claimed fifth. The report credited Split with particularly light traffic relative to other destinations examined, while both Croatian locations performed well on noise measures.
That left the confirmed leading five in the published account as follows:
- Sunshine Coast, Australia
- Marbella, Spain
- Split, Croatia
- Bali, Indonesia
- Dubrovnik, Croatia
The wider reported ranking included other Mediterranean and Asian holiday favourites, but the full original data table wasn’t independently available for checking.
And then there is New York
At the opposite end of this particular survey came New York, ranked last for relaxation among destinations assessed.
The research cited a population density above 11,000 residents per square kilometre, about 46 times its reported Sunshine Coast figure, along with high noise levels and relatively few accommodation properties with swimming pools.
But no sensible traveller goes to New York expecting the city to behave like a sleepy beachfront village. Its theatres, galleries, restaurants and irrepressible energy are precisely the point.
New York does excitement wonderfully. It simply has a different idea of a ‘quiet afternoon’.
And crossing Times Square can feel like an organised sporting event.
The John Alwyn-Jones verdict: no passport required
I live on the Sunshine Coast, so I freely admit to a certain local bias. And yes, there are busy roads, crowded car parks and days when the weather seems to have misplaced the sunshine.
Still, what makes this part of Queensland special is not a spreadsheet or a fashionable new ranking. It is the chance to move between ocean and hinterland, fine dining and fish and chips, a good walk and a glorious afternoon doing absolutely nothing.
For the tourism industry, the Ibiza Summer Villas result offers a useful marketing message: travellers seeking rest, nature, and a slower holiday need not automatically look overseas. But tourism operators should present it accurately as first place in this specific study, not an official title bestowed by the world.
As for me, I shall celebrate with the traditional Sunshine Coast approach to a major international achievement.
A quiet moment in the shade, something cold within reach and absolutely no intention of rushing anywhere.
Now, where did I put that hammock?
By: John Alwyn-Jones – © 2026.
Read Time: 6 minutes.
Author Bio:
John Alwyn-Jones is one of those rare figures who can make the business of travel sound positively adventurous.
A lifelong communicator with the polish of a broadcaster and the curiosity of a journalist, he’s spent decades shaping stories and strategies across tourism, aviation, and the cruise world. He’s led from the front as CEO, director, mentor, and advisor, and still brings warmth and wit to every boardroom and microphone.
Known for his sharp insight into global cruise lines and destinations, John has an old-school belief in professionalism, tempered with the sparkle of someone who’s genuinely seen the world. He’s not just in the travel business; he’s made it an art form.
