Who doesn’t love a good sunset? Whether it’s a cloudless, gently pastel-coloured sky or a fiery jumble of multi-hued streaks, a good sunset can take even the most beautiful scenery to the next level. Sunsets are always some of my strongest travel memories, and in the last few years I’ve made more of a effort to search out the best sunset spots around the world.
Everyone has seen images of Santorini or the Taj Mahal at sunset, and yes, they’re beautiful. But what about the lesser-known places that are just as stunning as evening comes around? That’s why I’ve put together this list of the best sunset spots I’ve found on my travels through places not on everyone’s radar.
Lake Malawi, Malawi
Malawi was the first time my original plan for traveling the world went astray. Instead of continuing on my course of a second year in Australia then exploring more of southeast Asia, I took a job at a wildlife rehab centre in one of the poorest countries in the world. This small African nation has beautiful scenery, incredible wildlife and sunsets rivaling any popular tourist destination. A third of Malawi’s territory actually consists of Lake Malawi, a huge lake that gives the landlocked country some semblance of a coastline. There are two places along the ocean-like coast where I witnessed beautiful sunsets during my time here.
Read more: Malawi – My Life as a Wildlife Rehabilitation Assistant
The first was at Senga Bay, a popular section of the lake lined with plenty of lodging options. As a day trip from Lilongwe, it couldn’t have been more perfect – sunbathing on the sand, watching monkeys terrorise other tourists, then drinks on a platform bar surrounded by wildlife and fisherman moving slowly through the shallow water below.
The second was further north at Nkhata Bay, where we spent three days at Malawi’s Lake of Stars music and arts festival. Not only did we experience sunset swims in stunning scenery, but we got sunrises over the water too. Lake of Stars, indeed.
Read more: A Lake of Stars – Malawi’s Festival of Music and Art
Baltimore, Ireland
Just before I left for Canada for two years, my parents surprised me with a short trip to a part of Ireland I’d never been to before – Baltimore, in Cork. Our first evening we drove out a country road to The Beacon, a tall stone structure overlooking the entrance to the town’s harbour.
We got there at the perfect time. The sun was just hitting the horizon over nearby Sherkin Island and the cliffs surrounding us were breathtaking. I normally would have been jealous of the people rolling in on the yacht below, but I think our view was better.
Liwonde National Park, Malawi
I spent two months living in a tent in this Malawian national park studying a wild troop of vervet monkeys. While most of my days were spent following the cheeky troop around and recording their behaviour, I did get to spend a few days here and there seeing the work of other conservationists in the park, including tracking my first ever wild rhino.
One of these days was spent with the staff and volunteers of Carnivore Research Malawi, and while we didn’t find any of the hyenas we were tracking, we did end our day with sundowner drinks by the beautiful Shire River. Herds of antelope grazed nearby, and crocodiles and hippos could be seen in the distance. Heaven.
In the past couple of years, conservation efforts in Liwonde have been incredibly successful, with both lions and cheetahs reintroduced into the park (they had been poached into extinction before that). So safari tours in the park are now even better than they were before.
Read more: Tracking Hyenas in Liwonde National Park
Kensington Market, Canada
Not all beautiful sunset spots are on mountain peaks or at the ocean’s edge. Sometimes they’re at the top of a small parking garage in a hipster neighbourhood.
Sundays are the best day to visit this area of Toronto, as the pedestrian market occurs, with stalls of jewellery and live performers lining the street of the most beautifully painted and decorated houses I’ve ever seen. When you’ve finished taking in all the sights of the market, climb the admittedly dirty and smelly steps of the nearby carpark to find the Toronto skyline laid out in front of you.
It might be a pretty random spot, but you won’t be the only one here. Couples enjoying a sundowner drink and fellow photographers all gather here on warm nights to watch the city change colour.
Taupo, New Zealand
Five years later, I’ve still never been anywhere where sunsets were as consistently spectacular as New Zealand. Coming from Ireland, where heavy clouds mean colourful sunsets don’t happen very often, I was astonished when the sky lit up almost every night in New Zealand.
While exploring the North Island, I found myself at Lake Taupo in time for sunset. I was waiting to be picked up by my boss when the sky burst open over the water. I rushed across the road to take pictures of the golden lights slowly turning a deep orange only to find on my return that my boss had shown up in the meantime and was wondering where the hell I was.
He didn’t appreciate the sight as much as me, and thought I was pretty crazy for being so excited about it, but I didn’t care. Really wish I’d had more time with this particular sunset.
Read more: 20 Amazing New Zealand Destinations Not To Be Missed
Monkey Mia, Australia
If you want to get really up close and personal with the famous dolphins of Monkey Mia, then you need to spend a week volunteering with the Department of Conservation and Environment in Shark Bay. The programme protects the friendly dolphins from too much human contact and interference, while also educating visitors about the dolphins of the bay.
But anyone can come and enjoy the beautiful sandy beach and campground, the yacht tours and fishing and the incredible scenery of this UNESCO World Heritage site. The sunset yacht trip is particularly beautiful, but you can also just sit on the pier with an icecream or drink and enjoy the fiery skies.
Read more: Why you need to Volunteer with the Dolphins of Monkey Mia
Plovdiv, Bulgaria
Bulgaria in general blew me away. I absolutely loved my ten days in the Balkan country, but it was watching the sun setting sitting on a hill above the city of Plovdiv that has really stayed with me. It was one of those moments I have occasionally where I think ‘this is why I travel’.
Plovdiv has so much going for it – 8000 years of history, Roman ruins, street art, hip cafes and artisan shops, and of course, several amazing sunset spots to choose from. Just like Rome, it is a city of seven hills, with some easier to get to than others. Nebet Tepe is just a short walk through the Old Town part of Plovdiv. At the top you’ll not only find a spectacular view over the city, but also remains of an ancient Roman fortress.
If you’re planning on climbing the hill for sunset, get there early, as it’s probably the most popular place in the city, so the good spots get taken quickly. Find a place for yourself on the ancient stones and enjoy the view.
Read more: The Perfect 10-Day Bulgaria Itinerary
Monte Leão, Cape Verde
When I told people I was moving to Cape Verde to work as a turtle ranger for a season, the general reaction was ‘where’s Cape Verde?’. Understandable, as it’s not the most popular tourist destination. Although the island of Sal sees far more visitors than any other island in this Atlantic archipelago, Monte Leão still isn’t well-known.
Read more: Project Biodiversity – Saving Sal’s Loggerhead Turtles
Lucky for us, it was one of the beaches we patrolled for nesting loggerhead turtles, so we were able to spend a few days here camping on the beach, relaxing during the day, swimming in the clear water and watching the sky change colour at this perfect sunset spot before starting our night shift. The area gets its name from the nearby hills that take the shape of a resting lion (not everyone sees it – can you?).
It’s no wonder Monte Leão is one of my favourite places on Sal Island.
Read more: My Favourite Places on Sal Island
Melaka Straits Mosque, Malaysia
Malaysia is by far my favourite country in southeast Asia, and when there are sunset spots like this Floating Mosque, can you really blame me? Unfortunately, when I visited the tide didn’t match the time of sunset exactly, so we didn’t get the full floating mosque experience. But when the lights of the architecturally-beautiful mosque changed in time with the turning sky, it didn’t matter one bit.
Melaka (or Malacca) is a great city full of art, history and a fusion of European colonial and Asian cultures, and sunset at the Melaka Straits Mosque was the icing on the cake.
Lough Derg, Ireland
I couldn’t finish this list without adding in one of my favourite places in the world – the place I grew up. Lough Derg is the biggest lake in Ireland, so there’s plenty of beautiful spots to take in the views on a summer evening. We don’t always get colourful sunsets, but when we do it’s magical.
This particular sunset was extra special because it occurred on my Dad’s birthday, an event I’ve missed many times over the last decade. So I was so happy I was around for last year’s party celebrating the day. A barbecue by the water with fellow boating friends, followed by this beautiful pink sky – not all my favourite memories are from my travels.
Have you heard of any of these sunset spots?
Where was the best sunset you ever saw? I’d love to hear all your stories, so tell me in the comments below!
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