Travel Tips This European Nation Has the Most Pleasant Climate in the World — and It Receives 300 Days of Sunshine a Year Greece is truly perfect all year long. By Be a Travel Writer, an online course for the next generation of travel journalists. Her photos, videos, and words have appeared in print or online for Travel + Leisure, Time, Los Angeles Times, Glamour, and many more. You'll usually find her in an airport. If you do see her there, please say hello." tabindex="0" data-inline-tooltip="true"> Stacey Leasca Stacey Leasca Stacey Leasca is an award-winning journalist and co-founder of Be a Travel Writer, an online course for the next generation of travel journalists. Her photos, videos, and words have appeared in print or online for Travel + Leisure, Time, Los Angeles Times, Glamour, and many more. You'll usually find her in an airport. If you do see her there, please say hello. Travel + Leisure Editorial Guidelines Published on February 8, 2024 Trending Videos Close this video player Photo: Nick Brundle Photography/GETTY IMAGES A kiss from the sun and a warm breeze stroking your cheek in the middle of winter may just be the best sensation of all. And if you’re reading this sentence somewhere where it’s snowing, then, I’m sorry. But the good news is you can experience a moment like this right now just by hopping on a flight to Greece. In late 2023, U.S. News and World Report released its eighth annual Best Countries ranking, a list based on the “global perceptions” of destinations around the world in terms of several qualitative characteristics. According to the report’s methodology, the 2023 analysis covered perceptions of 87 nations and surveyed more than 17,000 people, asking them to rate destinations on 73 different attributes. And one of those attributes was just how pleasant a country’s climate is perceived to be. After crunching the numbers, the report ranked Greece as the nation with the most pleasant climate on earth. It’s well-known that the summers in Greece are pure perfection, with the sun shining almost every day and temperatures hovering in the 80s and 90s in the capital city of Athens and the 80s across the islands. Athens is even reported to get more than 300 sunny days a year. However, what makes it such a pleasant spot is the fact that the temperatures are always rather mild, even in months like January, when the average temperature in Athens dips to a cool, but not freezing, 48 degrees. And it only heats up from there. Greece also ranked highly in other aspects of the survey, including ranking second for heritage and third for adventure. But, if you need more variety, U.S. News and World Report also named Portugal as having the second most pleasant climate, followed by Spain in third, Brazil in fourth, and Italy in fifth. Rounding out the top 10 are New Zealand, Mexico, Costa Rica, Argentina, and Australia, so you have plenty of global options when it comes to finding a pleasant vacation destination. And really, anywhere is better than waiting out the next blizzard, right? See the full report at usnews.com.