A beautiful sunset may not be a holiday make-or-break, but it doesn’t hurt to have a colorful, vibrant display when you’re sipping on your first post-flight cocktail in your new digs. To sort out the world’s most photogenic sunsets, the travel experts at Titan Travel, a travel agency offering escorted tours, cruises, and train trips, combed through Instagram to see what destinations had the most sunset posts.
Its list, which included islands like Ibiza and Maui along with cities like Paris and Seattle, reveals what sunsets Instagram users can’t help but capture. At the top of the list, with 182,661 Instagram posts, is Bali, an island in Indonesia, long known for its surfing, beaches, waterfalls, and spiritual vibe.
According to Titan Travel, “The best locations to watch Bali’s sunsets are the beaches along its western shores, with views often featuring historic temples, making the golden panoramas of the island’s setting sun even more memorable.”
The island’s Uluwatu Temple, an ancient Hindu holy place that’s perched on a cliff and faces west, is an easy choice. Further up the western coast, visitors will stumble upon a handful of sandy, west-facing beaches, including Jimbaran Beach and Dreamland Beach (aka New Kuta Beach).
The Greek island of Santorini secured the No. 2 spot with 157,745 sunset photos. The isle’s renowned whitewashed, cubiform houses are only more picturesque when they have a sunset backdrop. From the capital city of Fira, sunset seekers can spot the active volcanic island of Nea Kameni along with their sunset views, while the town of Oia “is the most popular spot for tourists to take their sunset snaps – with views overlooking the town’s blue-domed churches,” according to Titan Travel.
The travel agency also reported that Santorini ranks as the most viewed sunset spot on TikTok, with 70.2 million views.
The No. 3 and 4 spots on the list were also islands — Ibiza and Maui — followed by a handful of cities (and the island city of Key West). Interestingly, the U.S. had the most sunset sites, with Maui, San Diego, Key West, and Seattle all making the list.
Here’s the full rundown, along with how many Instagram sunset posts Titan Travel found for each location:
1. Bali
Number of Instagram posts: 182,661
2. Santorini
Number of Instagram posts: 157,745
3. Ibiza
Number of Instagram posts: 120,982
4. Maui
Number of Instagram posts: 120,727
5. San Diego
Number of Instagram posts: 96,348
6. London
Number of Instagram posts: 84,784
7. Key West, Florida
Number of Instagram posts: 58,260
8. Seattle
Number of Instagram posts: 50,648
9. Perth, Australia
Number of Instagram posts: 42,160
10. Paris
Number of Instagram posts: 38,596
