The research examined thousands of Tripadvisor reviews for some of Europe’s best-known beaches, measuring how frequently visitors described the sunset as a highlight of their experience.

These beaches were ranked according to a proportion of reviews mentioning sunsets, identifying the destinations where evening views leave the biggest impression on travellers.

Idyllic scenery

While Iceland claimed the top position overall with Reynisfjara Beach, Portugal secured two places in the European top four.

In the Algarve, Praia da Falésia ranked third with 1.47 percent of Tripadvisor reviews referring to its sunsets. The beach’s distinctive ochre-red cliffs and long stretch of sand overlooking the Atlantic are frequently praised as an ideal setting for the end of the day.

Ursa Beach, near Cabo da Roca in Sintra, followed closely in fourth place, with 14.3 percent of reviews mentioning the golden hour. According to the study, visitors regularly showcased its rugged coastline, towering rock formations and atmospheric scenery.

Portugal also featured prominently elsewhere in the rankings, as Praia da Marinha placed 20th after 0.41 percent of reviews referred to sunsets, while Praia do Carmilo ranked 22nd with 0.34 percent, and Praia de Benagil finished in 32nd with 0.07 percent.


European leaders

According to the findings, Portugal placed four beaches in Europe’s top 20 and five in the top 32, second only to Greece.

Greece led the rankings with six beaches in the top 20, while Spain also performed strongly with four entries.

The European top 10 was led by Reynisfjara Beach in Iceland, where 1.66 percent of reviews mentioned the golden hour, while Greece’s Myrtos Beach came second with 1.52 percent, followed by Portugal’s Praia da Falésia and Ursa Beach.

The remainder of the top 10 included Haukland Beach in Norway, Keem Beach in Ireland, Sarakiniko Beach and Porto Katsiki in Greece, Ksamil Beach in Albania and Scala dei Turchi in Italy.

At the opposite end of the survey, several beaches recorded no reviews mentioning sunsets using the search criteria. These included Praia do Porto do Seixal in Madeira, along with beaches in France, Greece, Italy, Montenegro and Spain.

The researchers noted that this does not indicate a lack of scenic sunsets, but rather suggests visitors were more inclined to focus on other aspects of their visit.

For the study, researchers analysed Tripadvisor reviews for popular beaches across Europe and calculated the percentage of reviews containing the word “sunset”, and those with the highest proportion of references were ranked as Europe’s standout destinations for golden-hour views.