The 11 Best Places to Watch The Sunset Around The World

See The World's Most Beautiful Sunsets.

Wed May 25, 2011 09:04

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Photo: Microsoft Bench at sunset

If you accidentally catch one, you suddenly become incredibly calm, contemplative and feel like you’ve snuck in on a romantic moment—I’m talking about sunsets. And snuggled up couples have been watching them since long before Glee and American Idol took up our evening free time. Some of us still skip out on modern entertainment just to go watch the sunset. Some people are sunset connoisseurs, constantly seeking out the highest rooftop, quietest beach, or most off-limits location to sneak into and watch it. For those of you out there, here are 10 spots to watch the sunset that have probably appeared on a postcard.

Ayers Rock in Northern Territory, Australia

The sky is streaked in red here when the sun goes down. That is because Ayers Rock is the seat of Uluru, a 348-meter high, 500 million year old red rock and the world’s largest monolith. When the clouds move across the sky at sunset, they reflect the rock’s blood-orange hues into the sky.


Photo: Google Earth Ayers Rock Australia 

Academia Bridge in Venice, Italy
Of course one of the most romantic cities on earth offers one of the best spots to catch the sunset. Academia Bridge stretches over the Grand Canal, and from here you can watch the dying rays of light flutter across the 15th century architecture. For a more ethereal feel, go in the fall when fog makes the whole place feel like an old mystery movie.


Photo: Microsoft Sunset in Venice, Italy 


The Matterhorn in Zermalt, Switzerland
No, it’s not just a ride at Disneyland. The Matterhorn is a great Alpine peak. Visitors can hike across Gornier Glacier to Monte Rosa Hut for the best view. It’s best caught at sunrise, when the sunbeams climbing up the peak light up the tip to make it look like a candle.


Photo: Microsoft Alpine Peak Switzerland 

Mallory Square in Key West, Florida
Also a favorite spot for locals, Mallory Square pairs the view of the sun setting over the Gulf of Mexico with street performers, amazing food vendors, and the freedom to enjoy them all with a mojito in hand.


Photo: Microsoft Romantic couple at sunset 

Masai Mara in Kenya
Catching the sun set here might bring back memories of a beloved childhood film, The Lion King. This is a great destination for wildlife lovers as a large wildlife migration passes through. Elephants, rhinoceros, Cape buffalo, leopards and lions get particularly active and night time and visitors can watch their silhouettes move across the sun setting over this vast desert.


Photo: Microsoft Wildlife at sunset 

Gay Head in Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts
The sun can play with a variety of shapes and colors here. Clay cliffs peek out of the Atlantic Ocean and North America’s last glacier disintergrated here 10,000 years ago, leaving behind boulders and clay deposits. From the lighthouse, you can watch the sun move across this entire scene with water on three sides of you.


Photo: Microsoft Gay Head Martha's Vineyard 

Pre Rup Temple in Siem Reap, Cambodia
Already a popular destination for visitors because of its majestic temples, Pre Rup has reflective pools that face west. When the sun sets, the pools catch the reflection of these enchanting structures and light up with the rusty red from the brick and laterite.

Mount Heleakala in Maui, Hawaii
Mount Helealaka is a dormant volcano that rises over 10,000 feet. The volcano serves as the only display of colors on the baron landscape when the sun rushes over it’s blackened sides, lighting it up like water on hot asphalt.

Sentosa Island, Singapore
Sentosa is a small island just off the coast of Singapore.From the shore, visitors can watch the sun set over the dozens of oil refineries sitting on the water, with their rising smoke playing off different colors in the sun.


Photo: Microsoft Oil Rigs in Singapore

Santa Monica Pier, Los Angeles
If you sit on the beach just far enough from the pier, you can watch the silhouettes of people playing miniature golf, the waves crashing, and the lights from the Ferris wheel reflecting on the Pacific Ocean.

Photo: Microsoft Sunset over pier in California
They’re free. They’re accessible to everyone. And somehow, they always enchant us. Hopefully this gives you a good date idea for the next time you’re running low on money or you’ve just seen every movie on TiVo.

have to include Jerome Arizona: 

There is nothing I love taking pictures of more than sunsets. We spent a cloudy day in Jerome taking some photos. On the way home the clouds starting to clear perfectly and I pulled off of I-17 to take some shots. There wasn’t anything in the way of a focal point around so I decided to let the sunset speak for itself. This is one of the things I love the most about Arizona. Enjoy!Camera: Nikon D90
Lens: with the Nikkor 18-105mm
Processing: Photomatix Pro 4, Adobe Lightroom 3

Posted in: Arizona, D90, HDR, Jerome
By: Jason Hines

Views from the Porch
Jerome, Arizona

The views from the town of Jerome are nothing short of spectacular.  The following series of photos were taken in the winter of 2010 and were all taken from the the same porch.

Winter Sunset over Jerome

Sycamore Canyon as Snow Storm clears

Roiling Clouds over Jerome 

15 Stunning Sunrises and Sunsets

Enjoy these breathtaking photos taken on the cusp of night or day

By Olivia Putnal

Some of the quietest and most calming moments in the day are when the sun rises and sets over the landscape—and photographers have a special knack for immortalizing these magical occasions. From a purple sunset over Ocean City, Maryland, to the multicolored sunrise on the Balearic Islands, these 15 landscapes were the perfect setting for a picture like no other. Take a look at these eye-catching photographs and you too might be inspired to start capturing your own special dawn or dusk moments.

Port de Pollença, Spain

On the morning of March 15, 2009, Spain’s Balearic Islands were home to this magnificent multicolored sky. With a Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H camera, photographer Miquel shot this sunrise in a small fishing village on the island of Majorca. According to his fans, he captured this image as “not only a photographer, but a magician of light and color and imagination.” Photo courtesy of Miquel via Flickr.com.

Seattle, Washington

In July 2006, Amy Barr was sitting on her porch overlooking the Cascade Mountains in Washington. Having just returned home from the airport earlier that morning, she decided to stay awake despite her jet lag and exhaustion, and good thing she did! Using her Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT, she was able to capture this orange and yellow sunrise along with a couple of other beautiful photos. Photo courtesy of Amy Barr via Flickr.com.

St. Augustine, Florida

In the flatlands of Florida, St. Augustine stands out as one of the most cultured destinations in the state. James Watkins was able to photograph this outstanding scenery over the Atlantic Ocean in January 2009. If you look closely you can see the planet Venus in the sky as the sun sets. Watkins said “every five minutes the sky was going through a different color cycle and it was amazing.” Photo courtesy of James Watkins via Flickr.com.

County Wicklow, Ireland

Commonly called “The Gateway to the Garden of Ireland,” Bray in County Wicklow has many attractions such as scenic drives, the Blessington Lakes, aquariums, gardens, waterfalls and farms. Among all of these activities, walking along the beaches and cliffs remains the most popular. This seascape image was shot above the Irish Sea as the sun was setting over the water near Bray Head. Photo courtesy of Getty Images.

Sado Island, Japan

Paolo Negri captured this beautiful sunset shot on the island of Sado in Japan’s Niigata Prefecture. Photographers often scope out this area, which is on the sixth largest island of Japan, while tourists take ferries and hydrofoils back and forth among the islands as the sun rises and sets. Photo courtesy of Getty Images.

Lorain, Ohio

Lakeview Beach is a common spot for sun-gazing along Lake Erie in Northern Ohio. In 2008, Howard McGuire snapped one of the first sunsets of summer with a Nikon D40 camera, which resulted in a sky filled with a gorgeous mix of blue, purple, orange and yellow set above placid water along the lake’s shoreline. Photo courtesy of Howard McGuire via Flickr.com.

Ocean City, Maryland

Amanda Lockwood was definitely “in the right place at the right time,” as she says, to capture this purple sunset over Assawoman Bay in Ocean City, Maryland. In the winter of last year, while Lockwood was sitting on the docks, this photo op was right in front of her—and later sparked an interest in nature photography. Photo courtesy of Amanda Lockwood via Flickr.com.

Ojochal, Costa Rica

Frank Scott, a guide for Costa Rica Photo Tours, has been interested in nature photography for a number of years. One morning, Frank noticed this unique cloud pattern near his home in Ojochal and decided it was the perfect shot. Even though Hurricanes Caesar and Mitch blew through the area, this tree still stands tall—and is often a perch for toucan and aracari birds. Photo courtesy of CRPhotoTours.com.

Florence, Italy

Setting his camera directly in front of Italy’s Ponte Vecchio bridge to observe the beautiful summer sunset, this photographer captured not only one of nature’s best phenomenons but also a historic Italian landmark. Built during the Middle Ages, Ponte Vecchio is one of the few remaining bridges that is still lined with an array of shops as it spans the River Arno. Photo courtesy of Getty Images.

Worthing, United Kingdom

Brian Spicer has been interested in photography since the 1970s and loves experimenting with older film cameras (though recently he has invested in digital cameras and is learning how to use image altering software programs). One evening, along the low tide beaches of West Sussex, Spicer was able to digitally record this purple landscape with his Canon EOS 40D. Photo courtesy of Brian Spicer via Flickr.com.

San Francisco, California

The Golden Gate Bridge attracts millions of people each year, and on this particular afternoon, photographer Mitchell Funk went to the area to observe the beautiful sunset scenery. Floating out on the Pacific Ocean in his boat, Funk captured the full span of the famous bridge just after dusk. The New York City native began his photography career in 1966 and now works on projects in both New York City and San Francisco. Photo courtesy of Getty Images.

Botswana, Africa

As a travel and wildlife photographer, Steve Allen has been shooting nature scenes for over 37 years, traveling to 78 countries and all seven continents. Recently, Allen traveled to Botswana, Africa, to capture a variety of animals in their surroundings, including these giraffes set in the forefront of a Chobe National Park sunset. Photo courtesy of Getty Images.

Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany

Horst and Daniel Zielske, a German father and son photography duo, watched this magnificent combination of colors appear one morning in their native land. Inspired, they took this photo of a bare tree during sunrise at Jasmund National Park on Germany’s largest island, Rügen. The two also enjoy taking photographs of buildings and streets—especially in the rain. Photo courtesy of Getty Images.

Phoenix, Arizona

Born and raised in Southwestern Minnesota, Morey Milbradt has been taking pictures since 1991, and is now a freelance photographer. Milbradt had the idea of shooting a palm tree against a brilliant sunset background before actually taking this photograph. Generally, he enjoys taking photographs of wilderness landscapes throughout the Midwest. Photo courtesy of Getty Images.

Piha, New Zealand

Piotr Zurek is a professional photographer and blogger who resides in Auckland, New Zealand, and has a passion for travel and photography. On the afternoon of February 18, 2009, Zurek was enjoying his normal coastal view when this moment appeared before him. His Nikon D700 helped him memorialize the spectacular reflection of a sunset off the water so others could enjoy it as well. Photo courtesy of Piotr Zurek via Flickr.com.

25 Most Colorful Lakes on Earth

christianabe

Color is how the human eye perceives the reflection of different spectrums of light. We perceive color just as we perceive taste: sublime, exquisite, horrible and delicious. It provokes us, it enchants us and our whole world revolves around it. Everything from the clothes we wear, to the foods we eat are determined by color.

It’s only fitting then, that we explore some of Mother Nature’s most colorful works.The kaleidoscope of colors presented in this series of spectacular lake images, encapsulate the incredible natural beauty of enclosed expanses of water.

1. Turquoise and Blue Lakes >

2. Green and Yellow Lakes >

3. Purple and Red Lakes >

4. Token Sunset Lake Pics >