Best Florida Beaches for Sunsets – Check Out These 10 Gorgeous “Golden Hour” Locations!
Sunsets are one of nature’s most glamorous displays. As the sky shifts from dazzling day to dusky night, the world is caught between a bittersweet goodbye to the sun and a warm welcome to the stars. It’s a time for reflection on what has been and what is to come.
It’s also a great time to take a selfie. The lighting at sunset is perfect.
Whether you’re looking for a spot of quiet contemplation or just a seriously great Instagram shot, here’s the 10 best Florida beaches for sunsets! (Because everyone knows the best sunsets happen on the beach!)
Stunning Sunsets in Florida
While sunsets occur worldside, there’s something extra spectacular about twilight in Florida. (We aren’t called the Sunshine State for nothing!) A few things factor into this atmospheric phenomenon: humidity, air quality, and thunderstorms.1
The best seasons for watching sunsets in Florida are fall and winter. During this time of year, humidity is ideally lowered and clouds are higher, which allows them to catch those gorgeous colors.
In Florida, we’re thankful for decent air quality. Not only can we breathe easier, but cleaner air also means better sunsets!
While summer isn’t our best season for sunsets, frequent rain storms tamp down any air pollution and leaves behind amazing cloud formations for soaking in those evening hues. In other words, there’s really no bad time to see a sunset here!
However, there is an optimal time of day. Sunset connoisseurs call this the “golden hour.” During this time, shadows are long, sunlight is softer, and the world is basked in a pleasant, vermillion glow. This twilit time occurs approximately one hour before the sun slips behind the horizon. Of course, the exact time of sunset changes from day to day, so for down-to-the-minute calculations on golden hour in Florida, you can check out websites like sunsetsunrisetime.com.
All right, so we’ve got the best seasons and time squared away, but what part of Florida has the best sunsets? Definitely the west coast! You know, ’cause the sun sets… in the west. Indeed, all of the best Florida beaches for sunsets overlook the Gulf of Mexico – including that of Florida’s “sunset capital!”
But what if you’re vacationing in Cocoa Beach or St. Augustine? Can you see the sunset on the east coast of Florida? Well, the sky will still come alive with brilliant pinks and oranges, but you won’t see the sun itself sinking into the ocean. (Well, not unless you venture out onto an inlet, like Jupiter Inlet, which affords you a western-facing view of things.2 Geography’s weird!)
The Best Florida Beaches for Sunsets!
The best place to watch the sunset on the west coast of Florida is obviously the beach, and these 10 are the best of the best! There’s no better way to end your day than taking in the serene scene of these beautiful locales.
Clearwater Beach
Clearwater Beach sunsets are so amazing, they actually have a nightly festival dedicated to celebrating them! The Sunsets at Pier 60 Festival is brimming with artisans, musicians, and folks from far and wide who simply have a mutual appreciation for nature’s artwork.
Clearwater Beach boasts white sands, clear water (…that was probably obvious), and perhaps the prettiest sunset in all of Florida. Whether you watch from the pier that stretches out into the Gulf or with your toes planted firmly in the sand, you’re in for a spectacular view!
Fort Zach Beach, Key West
No list of stunning sunsets in Florida is complete without a mention of Key West. With a view like this, it’s no wonder Ernest Hemmingway felt inspired by the place! The best beach for soaking in this sunset is at Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park. “Fort Zach” is a popular yet relaxing spot locals will recommend time and again.
However, like Clearwater, Key West also has a nightly sunset party with its Mallory Square Sunset Celebration. While Mallory Square might be touristy…and isn’t exactly a beach…we had to mention it because it’s genuinely an amazing place to watch the sunset! With artisans, food, and live music, watching the sunset has never been such a lively experience! If you’re spending time in Key West, an evening in Mallory Square needs to be on your bucket list.
Siesta Key Beach
Siesta Key Beach is considered one of the best beaches ever. Full stop. Highly ranked stateside and even worldwide, it makes sense it would have sunsets to match its stellar reputation!
Nevertheless, Siesta Key Beach tends be less crowded than other sunset hotspots (like Mallory Square), making it a great choice for a relaxing photography session or date night activity. Additionally, Siesta Key Beach is also one of the best beaches near Walt Disney World, making it the perfect option for Disney (or Orlando) vacationers to catch an oceanside sunset!
Blind Pass Beach, Sanibel
Sanibel Island is famous for its shelling, but it’s also one of the best places to see stunning sunsets in Florida!
Blind Pass Beach is especially picturesque, offering a sweeping vista of the Gulf. The Blind Pass is a small inlet between Sanibel Island and Captiva Island, and it’s a true stretch of paradise. In addition to breath-taking sunsets, Blind Pass has also been known to host manatees and other wildlife, so you might even capture some awesome animal snaps while you’re here!
Although Blind Pass is a great place to sunbathe and watch the sunset, strong currents makes it inadvisable to swim. So, if you’re looking to get in the water while the sun is sinking low, this probably isn’t the best place. It’s also worth noting that Blind Pass is more of a rural setting, so you won’t find restaurants or upscale facilities on this beach.
Other beaches on Sanibel Island include Lighthouse Beach and Bowman’s Beach, and each one offers equally gorgeous, Gulf-facing views of the sunset. As Sanibel’s more popular beaches, they’re also likely to be a tad more crowded than Blind Pass.
Naples Beach & Pier
Naples is definitely a contender for having the very best sunsets in Florida.
With a 1,000 foot long pier that stretches well into the Gulf, you can take in the sunset surrounded by water on all sides. Sometimes, you can even spot dolphins bobbing in the waves! At the very least, you’ll probably encounter plenty of swooping pelicans.
Because of its prime real-estate over the ocean, the pier can get pretty busy with photographers and fishers. Thankfully, Naples Beach offers a lovely, long stretch of white sand where you can stake out a spot all your own. Ahhh, time to sit back, relax, and take in one of the most stunning sunsets in Florida!
St. George Island
St. George Island is located just off of Florida’s north Gulf coast. With strict building codes that prohibit chain stores and high rises, St. George is beautifully unspoiled, which also makes it one of the best Florida beaches for sunsets!
With an unobstructed view and natural surroundings, sunsets on St. George Island are truly magical. The beaches here remain pleasantly uncrowded and are great for swimming, fishing, and shelling. And, if you want to experience golden hour with man’s best friend, we’re pleased to report St. George Island is home to dog-friendly public beaches! Now that’s something to wag your tail about.
While St. George Island might be part of Florida’s “Forgotten Coast,” we’re here to loudly remind you it’s a top choice for postcard perfect sunsets!
Henderson Beach, Destin
Henderson Beach State Park in Destin, Florida, is perfect for a romantic date night stroll or for an evening with the whole family. 6,000 feet of sugar-white sand cascades into the gentle, emerald green waters. As the sun sinks low, everything is bathed in a warm, cherry-blossom pink hue. It’s the perfect moment to make a memory or capture a Nat Geo worthy photo!
Because Destin in located in Florida’s panhandle (part of the glittering “Emerald Coast”), its coast line is south-facing, meaning you will experience the sunset at an angle. However, that certainly doesn’t minimize its beauty! It’s also worth noting visitors have to leave the State Park premises shortly after sunset unless they are camping for the night.
St. Pete Beach
St. Pete Beach is Florida’s sunset capital and often lauded as the best place to watch the sunset on the west coast of Florida. In fact, it holds the record for most consecutive days of sunshine with an insanely impressive streak of 768 days!3
St. Pete Beach is on a barrier island south of Clearwater, and was voted America’s best beach in 2021 on Tripadvisor! With beautifully clean, soft, white sand and gorgeous jewel-green waters, it’s a dream destination for photographers, landscape artists, and aspiring beach bums alike.
This west-facing beach is consistently dazzled by some of Florida’s most enchanting sunsets, so you’ll definitely want to plan a beach day and a beach evening for St. Pete!
Honeymoon Island State Park Beach
Located on a barrier island off of the west coast, the beach at Honeymoon Island State Park offers a front-row seat to some of the most stunning sunsets in Florida. A fairly peaceful park, it’s wonderfully easy to find a spot in the sun-warmed sand to sit and watch the evening sky becoming a living Bob Ross painting. Undeveloped and wild, you can enjoy a refreshing sea breeze as the clouds come to life with color!
Bean Point, Anna Maria Island
Aside from having a great name (shout out to my pet frog, Bean), Bean Point is a favorite sunset spot for locals and visitors alike.
This secluded section of paradise is on the northern end of Anna Maria Island and has an unspoiled, white sand beach. Aside from holidays, it’s usually incredibly quiet; you feel truly a part of nature here. In fact, reaching the beach can be a bit of a challenge because there aren’t many signs marking the way! However, visitors will tell you it’s worth taking the time to find it.
Be prepared to park away from the beach and walk the rest of the way, and be careful to park in designated areas only; Anna Maria Island strictly enforces parking regulations!
While it sounds like a bit of hassle, it’s really more like a treasure hunt because Bean Point is the crown jewel of places to see stunning sunsets.
Quick Tips For Great Sunset Pics!
Now that you know where to go for the best sunsets in Florida, here just a few quick tips for getting the best snapshot to remember the skies by!
- Don’t put the horizon in the middle of the picture. Utilize the rule of thirds; try making the horizon the bottom third and the sunset the top two thirds, or vice versa.
- Stay late! There’s a “blue hour” after the sun sinks below the horizon where the sky lights up with even more beautiful colors (usually blues, pinks, and purples). Sometimes this is even more beautiful than golden hour.
- Look back! While it’s tempting to focus solely on the red-drenched sun, sometimes the scene it’s creating behind you is just as brilliant.
- Find something in the foreground. Whether it’s a pier or a piece of driftwood, it can add depth and interest to the picture.
- Look for birds! Birds flying through the sky add interest and motion to the photo, so don’t worry about them photo-bombing. It’s honestly for the best!
These are easy tips you can use with any kind of camera, including your phone! For folks who are serious about photography… well, I’m afraid I don’t know much about aperture and shutter speed. I just know a good beach when I see one.
So, please, feel free to leave your best sunset photography tips in the comments below! And let us know your favorite places to see stunning sunsets in Florida.
See you on the next adventure!
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