Tailor-made holiday specialists at Journeyscape analyzed the number of restaurants with outside dining, sunset duration, sunset timing and average rainfall to identify the world’s top destinations for unforgettable sunset dining with stunning natural backdrops. In the end, Sedona beat Santorini for the world’s best sunset dining spot.
You can find the research in full here.
6 U.S. destinations named top sunset spots
| Rank | Destination | Country | Restaurants with outdoor seating (%) | Sunset glow duration (mins) | Minutes from 7:30 pm | Average daily summer rainfall (mm) | Dusk dining score /10 |
| 1 | Sedona | United States | 40.7% | 26.9 | 13.1 | 0.7 | 7.47 |
| 2 | Dubrovnik | Croatia | 56.2% | 31.3 | 43.5 | 1.6 | 7.20 |
| 3 | Santorini | Greece | 61.1% | 27.6 | 57.6 | 0.1 | 7.10 |
| 4 | Carmel-by-the-Sea | United States | 34.1% | 27.7 | 47.3 | 0.1 | 7.00 |
| 5 | Mykonos | Greece | 58.6% | 28.1 | 60.7 | 0.1 | 6.99 |
| 6 | Bar Harbor | United States | 42.9% | 32.6 | 35.7 | 3.0 | 6.96 |
| 7 | Santa Barbara | United States | 25.8% | 26.7 | 33.7 | 0.1 | 6.72 |
| 8 | Po‘ipū | United States | 52.0% | 23.0 | 11.4 | 1.9 | 6.69 |
| 9 | Split | Croatia | 34.1% | 31.9 | 52.5 | 1.5 | 6.55 |
| 10 | Monterey | United States | 21.6% | 27.7 | 47.3 | 0.1 | 6.45 |
Sedona, Arizona has been crowned the world’s best destination for dining at dusk, beating iconic sunset spots like Santorini. With 40.7% of restaurants offering outdoor seating, low summer rainfall (0.7mm) and sunsets that glow for almost 27 minutes, it’s a dream spot to enjoy a memorable holiday dinner outdoors.
The US dominates the ranking, with five more destinations joining Sedona in the global top 10. Carmel-by-the-Sea, Bar Harbor, Santa Barbara, Po‘ipū and Monterey all feature, highlighting the country’s wealth of scenic spots for enjoying an al fresco dinner as the sun goes down.
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Taking second position, Dubrovnik is crowned Europe’s best destination for dining at dusk. The Croatian city offers the perfect sunset setting, with over half (56.2%) of restaurants providing outdoor seating and a longer-than-average sunset glow lasting more than 31 minutes, ideal for enjoying dinner against a golden-hour backdrop.
Santorini ranks third in the world for sunset dining. The Greek island boasts the highest availability of outdoor dining spots in the top 10, with more than six in 10 restaurants offering alfresco seating, while its 27-minute sunset glow creates the perfect atmosphere for a summer dinner by the sea.
Rob Holmes, North American travel expert at Journeyscape, explains the allure of dusking and its popularity:
“The rise of dusk dining reflects the way many travellers now think about their holidays. It is not just about seeing a place, but experiencing its rhythm. Sunset naturally changes the pace of the day. When travellers plan dinner around that moment, they give themselves time to sit, look around and properly take in where they are.
