We all need green space in our lives – research has shown that it’s integral not only to the state of our mental health, but also the health of our cities – however, it comes in more leafy shapes and flourishing forms than you might think.
’s Best Cities with Intrepid Travel has just landed for 2026, naming Melbourne the best city on the planet. However, in the massive survey of 24,000 urbanites that we conducted to compile the list, we also quizzed people about how easy it is for them to access nature.
The UK city of Bath received the highest rating for its green spaces of all cities surveyed, with an impressive 94 percent of locals describing the city’s greenery and access to nature as ‘good’ or ‘amazing’. Nine European cities featured in the top 20 – here’s the full list of Europe’s greenest cities, according to locals.
Over in South America, Medellín, Colombia’s lush second city, received an 86 percent approval rating from locals. It’s known as the ‘city of eternal spring’, and that nickname refers to its consistently balmy daytime temperatures.
Dreamy, right? Well, you’d think so, but Medellín’s climate paired with its concrete-heavy streets actually means it can be a pretty stuffy place to live – and that’s where the green spaces come in. Back in 2016, strategically plotted plants (known as green corridors) were placed all over the city, leading to a decrease in average temperature of 2C in just three years.
São Paulo in Brazil also featured in our top 20, thanks to 76 percent of locals rating the quality of its green spaces. Historically, the city has been something of a concrete jungle, but efforts to protect its biodiversity and expand the number of protected green spaces have been championed by city mayor Ricardo Nunes since 2024.
Around 15 million trees have been planted in São Paulo since 2015, and according to C40 Cities, São Paulo’s green spaces will eventually amount to the size of Paris.
Read more about each of the top 10 ranking cities below.
🍃 Check out the complete list of the world’s best cities for green space and access to nature.
Ready to see the world’s best cities for yourself? Book your next trip with Intrepid Travel and start planning the ultimate adventure today.
ICYMI: Two of Central America’s most beautiful countries could soon be connected by train.
Stay in the loop: sign up to our free Travel newsletter for all the latest travel news and best stuff happening across the world.
