It’s clichéd but true: falling in love is easy at sunset. At day’s end, when the sun dips toward the horizon and bathes everything—including your companion’s adoring expression—in an amber glow, it’s hard not to feel infused with dreamy inner warmth. After all, thousands of postcards and screen savers can’t be wrong.
But though every sunset is beautiful in its way, real romantics (and their wedding planners) scour the globe, seeking the truly spectacular vantage points—the ones with the most vibrant colors and swoon-worthy vistas. What makes a sunset view truly unforgettable? Not surprisingly, there are almost as many opinions as there are sunsets.
“You need an expansive view uncluttered by tall trees and hills,” advises Lester Lefkowitz, a lecturer at New York City’s International Center of Photography and author of four photography books. And many agree that classic, wide-open skies—whether they’re over the sea or the desert—allow for uninterrupted viewing of the sun’s grand farewell.
Others, though, prefer the contrast of dramatic peaks, landforms, and architecture to offset evening’s fiery colors. For instance, soaring Hawaiian mountains, stately European buildings, and ancient Asian temples all lend their own majesty to the sunset.
Still others, though, believe that identifying the world’s best sunset spots has more to do with science than aesthetics. According to Stephen Corfidi, lead forecaster at the National Storm Prediction Center in Oklahoma, the grandest sunsets are in warmer latitudes; in cold climates, inversion layers trap a hazy layer of air near the ground, which can dull the colors. A little rain bodes well for a glorious sunset, too, Corfidi says; in the tropics—like Tahiti’s Bora-Bora—the frequent showers scrub the air of dust and grime, so evening hues look brighter.
Contrary to popular belief, Corfidi says, pollution doesn’t cause a more vibrant display. “If this were true,” he says, “then cities like New York and Mexico City would be famous for spectacular sunsets, and they’re not.”
Of course, urban romantics needn’t worry too much—a holiday, or even a day trip, may be all that’s required to get to a prime sunset-viewing spot. And the best thing about sunsets is, there’s no shortage of them. If you don’t catch a perfect one today, you can always try for tomorrow.
Ayers Rock, Northern Territory, Australia
Turning your back on a sunset may seem counterintuitive, but Uluru—the massive red-rock monolith that looms above Australia’s stark northern desert—always upstages the sun. The best vantage point, according to local photographer Steve Strike, is Sunset Strip, a picnic area in Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park. From here, Strike says, the rock seems to glow with fiery color—especially between May and October, when the cooler weather brings high clouds that reflect the light.
Mount Haleakala, Maui, Hawaii
Hordes gather at the summit of this dormant volcano at sunrise—but at sunset, when the clouds have rolled in for more vibrant color, the peak is usually deserted. Photographer Alex Farnum, whose images of Maui were awarded the Grand Prize in Photography from the North American Travel Journalists Association, vividly remembers the experience of shooting: “Being so high, the clouds were beneath us,” he says. “The sky went from blue to green, then the clouds glowed a blaze of orange and red, like stoking a bed of coals.”
Vairou Bay, Bora-Bora,Tahiti
Even on a bad day, the island of Bora-Bora is beautiful—with turquoise water stretching to the horizon and the jagged silhouette of Mount Otemanu (an extinct volcano) looming 2,385 feet above the powdery white sands of Vairou Bay. Four resorts with front-row seats to the nightly sunset display above the island are set across a lagoon on the easterly island of Motu Tofari: The St. Regis, Four Seasons Resort, Le Méridien and the Intercontinental Resort and Thalasso Spa.
Pfeiffer Beach,Big Sur, CA
Deep within Los Padres National Forest, Pfeiffer Beach is a surreal mix of purple sand, giant redwoods, sycamores, and oaks. Offshore, a smattering of sea stacks are scattered like biscuit crumbs across the ocean. A hole through the center of one—known locally as “the door”—provides a frame for the setting sun; as it dips, the rock glows like a set of otherworldly gates in the last rays of daylight.
Accademia Bridge, Venice, Italy
Venice has no shortage of romantic scenery—but for a sunset smooch, the Accademia Bridge over the Grand Canal is the city’s most gorgeous spot. From here, the lowering sun illuminates the 15th-century buildings below in a preposterous combination of pinks, oranges, and dusky blues. The clear air of summer brings the strongest color, but the winter fogs can be equally majestic, imbuing the scene with a diffuse peachy glow.
The Matterhorn, Zermatt, Switzerland
This iconic alpine peak cuts a breathtaking silhouette against the evening sky. For the perfect sunset view (and all the solitude any couple might require), make the hike across the Gorner Glacier to the newly constructed Monte Rosa Hut, elevation 9,226 feet (crampons required). Spend the night and witness Mother Nature’s ultimate double feature when the first rays of light illuminate the very tip of the Matterhorn like a lit candle.
Mallory Square, Key West, FL
Sunset at this waterfront plaza, in the heart of downtown Key West, brings locals and visitors together almost every night for the colorful display over the Gulf of Mexico. “It’s like everyone is sharing the most delicious secret,” says Keys-based wedding photographer Carol Tedesco. “When the last rays dip below the horizon everyone holds their breath hoping to see the elusive green flash, and then they cheer.”
Masai Mara,Kenya
The greatest wildlife migration on earth passes through this vast game reserve in western Kenya. During sunrise and sunset the animals here—including the Big Five: lion, elephant, Cape buffalo, rhinoceros, and leopard—are particularly active, forming an exotic shadow-puppet display against the sub-Saharan sky. Marett Taylor, Abercrombie & Kent’s director of sales for East and Southern Africa, recalled the view as resembling “a canvas with new colors repeatedly splashed across the landscape, changing it from orange to pink to lavender and ultimately a deep purple. Giraffes ambled among the trees, silhouetted against the orange glow of the sun.”
Gay Head, Martha’s Vineyard,MA
The Vineyard’s most westerly point, with its “painted” clay cliffs that rise above the Atlantic, is a popular and spectacular place to finish the day. The cliffs themselves glow with fiery hues, and at dusk, the Gay Head Lighthouse perched atop them sends out a sweeping red-and-white beam.
Pre Rup Temple, Siem Reap, Cambodia
While the west-facing reflecting pools of Angkor Wat are ideal for sunrise, this lesser-known temple five miles north of Siem Reap is one of Southeast Asia’s prime sunset-viewing spots. Siddharth Mehra, general manager of Siem Reap’s Amansara resort, says, “In the wet season from May to October, the sunset glow from the rice paddy makes it seem like all of Cambodia is paved with gold bricks.”
