A beach sunset can turn a regular vacation day into the moment travelers remember most. Now, a new study has revealed which U.S. beaches visitors are most likely to describe as having beautiful, breathtaking or amazing sunsets.
Researchers at PR Superstar analyzed Tripadvisor reviews for 60 popular beaches across the country to find where sunset views are mentioned most often. The study ranked beaches based on the share of reviews that reference beautiful, breathtaking or amazing sunsets, highlighting the places where golden hour appears to be a major part of the visitor experience.
Clearwater Beach in Florida ranks No. 1 overall, with 40.74% of Tripadvisor reviews mentioning sunsets. That puts it well ahead of every other beach in the study and suggests the evening sky is one of the biggest reasons travelers remember the destination. Clearwater Beach is home to the nightly Sunsets at Pier 60 celebration, a free year-round event featuring artisans, street performers and sunset views over the Gulf of Mexico. The event begins two hours before sunset and continues until two hours after, weather permitting.
Sunset Beach in Hawaii ranks second, with 35.45% of reviews mentioning sunsets. The beach already has one of the most fitting names in the country for this ranking, but the review data shows travelers are not just drawn in by the name. Visitors are actively describing the evening views as one of the standout parts of the experience.
Kaanapali Beach, also in Hawaii, ranks third, with 21.57% of reviews referencing sunsets. The Maui beach is already known for its scenic shoreline and Black Rock, where visitors can watch the evening cliff-diving ceremony, one of the area’s most recognizable traditions.
Florida takes another leading spot with St. Pete Beach ranking fourth, where 16.96% of reviews mention sunsets. Alongside Clearwater Beach, its placement reinforces the Gulf Coast’s reputation as one of America’s most memorable regions for watching the sun go down.
Laguna Beach in California rounds out the top five, with 14.07% of reviews mentioning sunsets. The Southern California destination is known for seven miles of protected coastline, 22,000 acres of protected wilderness and a strong arts legacy, giving travelers a dramatic coastal setting where the evening light becomes part of the appeal.
California appears again in sixth place with Pfeiffer Beach, where 12.58% of reviews reference sunsets. Set along the Big Sur coastline, the beach is known for dramatic cliffs, rock formations and rugged Pacific scenery, which helps explain why sunset views stand out so strongly in traveler reviews.
Siesta Beach in Florida ranks seventh, with 11.80% of reviews mentioning sunsets. The beach is often recognized for its powdery white sand and clear Gulf Coast setting, but the data suggests many visitors also remember staying late enough to see the sky change.
Carmel River State Beach in California ranks eighth, with 11.74% of reviews mentioning sunsets, followed by Manzanita Beach in Oregon in ninth at 11.26%. Manzanita’s appearance gives the Pacific Northwest a place among the country’s best sunset beaches, showing that dramatic coastal skies can compete with warmer, more tropical destinations.
Poipu Beach Park in Hawaii completes the top 10, with 10.44% of reviews mentioning sunsets. Its inclusion gives Hawaii three beaches in the top 10, matching California and Florida as the most represented states at the top of the ranking.
At the lower end of the ranking, Naples Beach in Florida ranks last, with 0% of reviews in the study mentioning sunsets using the analyzed terms. This does not mean the beach lacks scenic evening views. Instead, it suggests travelers may be more likely to talk about other parts of the experience.
Asbury Park Beach in New Jersey ranks 59th, Hollywood Beach in Florida ranks 58th, Kiawah Island Beach in South Carolina ranks 57th and Fort Lauderdale Beach in Florida ranks 56th. These beaches may be more closely associated in reviews with boardwalks, restaurants, family activities, resorts, nightlife or daytime beach use rather than sunset watching.
Methodology
The study analyzed Tripadvisor reviews for 60 popular U.S. beaches and calculated the percentage of reviews that mention beautiful, breathtaking or amazing sunsets. Beaches were ranked based on the share of reviews referencing sunsets, with a higher percentage indicating that visitors were more likely to highlight sunset views as part of their experience.
