Hawaii Sunsets Are Beautiful But Not The Best?

• New study reveals most beautiful sunset destinations around the world.
• Many of the best sunsets in the United States can be found in Hawaii.
• The destination that stood out more than any other was the Greek island of Santorini.

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With travel restrictions slowly easing, new research reveals the most beautiful sunset destinations around the world and Hawaii is the 3rd best location.

The study looked at the number of travel articles and blogs which recommend the destination, the number of Instagram posts and the level of pollution caused by artificial light in each area to give them a sunset score out of 10.

The top 10 best destinations for sunset and sunrise

Rank	Destination	Country	Number of articles/ blogs	Sunset Instagram posts	Sunrise Instagram posts	Combined sunset & sunrise Instagram posts	Brightness (mcd/m2)	Sunset Score
1	Santorini	Greece	12	105,692	2,417	108,109	0.627	8.29
2	Bali	Indonesia	5	154,376	20,590	174,966	0.216	7.13
3	Hawaii	United States	5	113,666	20,869	134,535	0.179	6.62
4	Rio de Janeiro	Brazil	4	231,193	2,874	234,067	9.62	5.70
5	Grand Canyon National Park	United States	7	8,163	3,319	11,482	0.173	5.65
6	Angkor Wat	Cambodia	6	1,960	21,943	23,903	0.268	5.49
7	Key West	Florida	6	43,610	2,657	46,267	2.24	5.38
8	Maldives	Maldives	6	16,026	1,190	17,216	0.916	5.27
9	Haleakalā	United States	4	10,086	33,049	43,135	0.175	5.15
10	Uluru	Australia	4	16,676	9,056	25,732	0.172	4.93

The destination that stood out more than any other was the Greek island of Santorini, which is thought by many to be the most beautiful of the country’s many small islands, known for its towering cliffs and whitewashed houses on the shore of the Aegean Sea. 

Santorini was recommended in far more articles than any of the other destinations that we looked at and also doesn’t suffer from light pollution like major cities, with a brightness of 0.627 mcd/m2.

The second best destination for sunset skies is Bali in Indonesia. Bali has many beaches along the west coast such as Jimbaran Beach where you can watch the sun go down with a drink or a bite to eat in one of the seafront bars and restaurants as the sun drops behind the sea.

Many of the best sunsets in the United States can be found in Hawaii, including at the Haleakalā national park, but the Aloha State is also home to some of the best beaches in the world too and comes in at third place in the research. The sparkling white sands of the likes of the Kohala Coast are perfect for watching the Pacific Ocean turn brilliant shades of pink, yellow, and orange.