There’s nothing like a sunset at Hanalei Bay. The semi-circular bay frames the sunset against the silhouette of the Hanalei Pier. Dramatic skies are reflected on the water and even on the wet sand.
Each night, visitors and residents alike gather near the Hanalei Pier to watch the show that nature puts on. Unless there’s complete cloud cover, the sunsets never disappoint.
You will not want to miss this spectacle if you’re in the area. Arrive about thirty minutes before sunset. Sunset times change throughout the year, from about 6PM in the winter to about 7:30PM in the summer.
Park at Waioli Beach Park until further notice due to repairs near the pier. From there, you can watch the sunset or walk down to the pier area to watch. Don’t give up on a sunset because of cloud cover.
Sometimes the sun pierces through at the last minute on the horizon underneath the clouds. But even if there’s complete cloud cover, the scene is still beyond words.
In those instances, there’s often a cool breeze along with cloud-shrouded mountains as consolation.
Hanalei Sunset Photos
The “golden hour,” a term used in photography to describe the period shortly before sunset when the daylight is redder, takes on a whole new meaning on many evenings during sunsets at Hanalei Bay, Kauai. Photos taken during the “golden hour” are often richer and more dynamic than those taken during daylight hours. At Kauai’s Hanalei Bay, the effect is even more dramatic!
On a recent late Summer evening, the entire bay was bathed and reflected in golden rays. It was a remarkable sight and one we tried to capture in photos. It made some beautiful photos (below), but the experience of a golden sunset at Hanalei Bay is even more intense in person.
The Red sky at night sailors delight is an age-old seafaring proverb that indicates good weather is ahead. The rest of the rhyme goes: “red sky in the morning, sailors warning.
Not every sunset is the same. Sunsets are always a special time at Hanalei Bay when the elements of sun, sky and water come together for a few minutes to create a magical experience.
Though many sunsets are fiery red and orange, this particular sunset in September featured a pastel palette. We took dozens of photos of the sunset using our iPhone camera and we’ve shared a few below.
The sun shone through at the horizon, just below the clouds. As always, nature works together in Kauai to create beauty. Rain produces green. Clouds are a canvas. The water is a mirror.
