This coastal city was just named the world’s best place to watch the sunrise and sunset
IF chasing the perfect golden hour is high on your list of can’t-miss experiences, you’re going to want to visit Cyprus. The coastal city of Paphos has been named the world’s best destination for sunrise and sunset views, topping a new ranking of the globe’s most photogenic golden-hour locations.
Compiled by European photo-printing company Cewe in partnership with award-winning travel photographer Bella Falk, the list ranked destinations based on visual appeal, accessibility, and, of course, their potential for striking sunrise and sunset photographs. The final picks included all kinds of landscapes, too, from mountains to deserts to the sea.
With more than 300 days of sunshine each year and a stunning stretch of Mediterranean coastline, it’s no surprise that Paphos, Cyprus, edged out some of the world’s most iconic destinations.
The city is home to Cyprus’ longest stretch of coastline, offering visitors plenty of places to soak up golden-hour views along the shore, especially on Lighthouse Beach or Coral Bay Beach, about a half-hour north of the city centre.
Alternatively, head to the dramatic sea cliffs surrounding the Edro III shipwreck for one of the city’s most memorable morning or evening panoramas.
Cyprus, one of Travel + Leisure’s top 50 places to travel in 2026, has the cleanest swimming water in the world, according to the 2025 report from the European Environment Agency (EEA).
Santa Monica, California, claimed second place—and was the only destination in the United States to make the top 10. Famous for its postcard-worthy Pacific sunsets, the beachside city just west of Los Angeles offers front-row views as the sun sinks behind the Santa Monica Pier, illuminating its iconic Ferris wheel and golden shoreline in vivid evening light.
The sprawling Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area offers even more spectacular scenery, with hundreds of miles of hiking trails winding through rugged peaks, coastal canyons, oak woodlands, and scenic overlooks.
Rounding out the top three was Kenya’s Maasai Mara, where sunrise transforms the sprawling savannah into a sea of golden light as majestic wildlife—think lions, elephants, giraffes—roam the plains.
The rest of the top 10 spans nearly every corner of the globe, from Costa Rica’s surf-friendly Tamarindo to Sicily’s Marsala Salt Pans, Canada’s Halifax waterfront, Guatemala’s ancient Tikal National Park, Morocco’s golden Sahara dunes, and Portugal’s sun-soaked Faro District.
Check out the full rankings below:
Paphos, Cyprus
Santa Monica, California
Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya
Tamarindo, Costa Rica
U Bein Bridge in Amarapura, Myanmar
Marsala Salt Pans in Sicily, Italy
Halifax Waterfront in Nova Scotia, Canada
Tikal National Park in Petén Province, Guatemala
Merzouga, Morocco
Praia dos Três Irmãos and Ponta da Piedade, Faro District, Portugal
