Dingle in County Kerry has been ranked one of Europe’s top destinations for "longevity living" in a new study.
Longevity is the big wellness theme of 2026, with one in four luxury travellers saying health is the main reason they take a leisure trip, wellness-focused hotel bookings rising 32% this year and searches for "wellness holidays" up 162% in the past year.
There’s evidence behind the trend, too: the Global Coalition on Aging and Transamerica Institute found that regular travel can lower mortality risk by more than a third (36%), and PhD researchers in Australia also believe travel could be the best way to defy premature ageing.
Beyond travelling helping us live longer lives, some places on Earth are even dubbed ‘Blue Zones’. This term, popularised back in 2005 as part of Dan Buettner’s ‘Power 9’ Blue Zone longevity research, describes the places that are home to the most centenarians. Europe is home to two of them: Ikaria in Greece and Sardinia in Italy.
While the other three Zones are further afield in other continents, the patterns behind their long lives repeat. Blue Zone residents tend to walk more, eat simply and, in places like Sardinia, drink wine slowly with others. Stress is lower, and the sense of community is stronger.
(Getty Images)
To help holidaymakers promote a longevity lifestyle through their travels, villa holiday specialists CV Villas ranked almost 100 European destinations against six lifestyle principles from Dan Buettner’s ‘Power 9’ Blue Zone research - scoring each on walkability, pace of life, plant-based dining, local wine culture and places to meet and belong.
Dingle ranked 10th with a Longevity Score of 43.04/100, making it one of only two non-Mediterranean destinations in the top 10 (alongside Eger, Hungary).
Dingle town, Co. Kerry. (Tourism Ireland)
The only town on County Kerry's Dingle Peninsula, it is small enough to explore entirely on foot. Its lively historic pubs, traditional music sessions and fresh-off-the-boat seafood make it a natural fit for a slower, sociable way of life.
Meanwhile, Valletta in Malta achieved the highest overall score of 96.81/100, making it Europe’s top destination for longevity travel.
Europe’s top 10 destinations for travelling to live longer:
- Valletta, Malta
- Paxos, Greece
- St Tropez, France
- Eger, Hungary
- Mdina, Malta
- Ibiza, Spain
- Taormina, Italy
- Lefkada, Greece
- Budva, Montenegro
- Dingle, Ireland
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Hannah Marshall, villa holiday specialist and Marketing Manager at CV Villas, says: "Beyond being lovely to visit, our new analysis shows that some destinations have lifestyles that could contribute to living longer.
"At CV Villas, our team is fascinated by the Blue Zone research and the lifestyles these places allow holidaymakers to experience. From their walkability to their good food, sense of community and general downshift from the pace of life so many of us are used to, these destinations offer everything that a good, restful holiday should be.
"While Europe has only two officially designated Blue Zones, our years of destination expertise mean that we know many other places on the continent have a similar way of life. From Paxos in Greece to Taormina in Italy, or even the ancient walled old town of Budva in Montenegro, we hope that our new research helps give holidaymakers a more intentional inspiration list when booking their next holiday."
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