Revealed: The best UK beaches to watch the sunset and expert reveals top tips for nailing the photographs

A beautiful beach sunset (photo: Parkdean)A beautiful beach sunset (photo: Parkdean)
A beautiful beach sunset (photo: Parkdean)

Bask in a beautiful beach sunset

As the weather warms up and Brits flock to the beach to enjoy the summer sun, brand new research from Parkdean Resorts has discovered the best UK beaches to watch the sunset by analysing the number of Instagram hashtags for popular UK beach resorts.

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The top 5 best beaches to watch the sunset

Brighton Beach - 8,469 hashtags

Brighton Beach sunset (photo: Parkdean)Brighton Beach sunset (photo: Parkdean)
Brighton Beach sunset (photo: Parkdean)

The sunset at Brighton beach is the most hashtagged beach in the whole of the UK, with 8,469 and counting! Brighton’s coastline makes for the perfect sunset spot, with the Victorian pier the perfect feature for Instagram posts.

Margate beach - 2,071 hashtags

Sunset on Margate Beach (photo: Adobe)Sunset on Margate Beach (photo: Adobe)
Sunset on Margate Beach (photo: Adobe)

Margate is home to the second-best sunset spotting beach in the UK, with 2,071 Instagram posts showcasing these stunning views.

Blackpool beach - 1,515 hashtags

Sunset, Blackpool (photo: Parkdean)Sunset, Blackpool (photo: Parkdean)
Sunset, Blackpool (photo: Parkdean)

Blackpool is the third most Instagrammed beach to watch the sunset, with 1,515 posts including #Blackpoolsunset. Not only will the bright lights of this seaside resort wow you, but so will the romantic sunset views from the beach.

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Morecambe beach - 1,390 hashtags

Sunset on Morecambe Bay (photo: Adobe)Sunset on Morecambe Bay (photo: Adobe)
Sunset on Morecambe Bay (photo: Adobe)

The seaside resort of Morecambe beach is the fourth most hashtagged sunset in the UK, with 1,390 hashtags displaying the golden hour in all its glory.

Newquay beach - 1,083

Newquay Beach in Cornwall (photo: Adobe)Newquay Beach in Cornwall (photo: Adobe)
Newquay Beach in Cornwall (photo: Adobe)

The fifth most hashtagged sunset in the UK belongs to the breathtaking Newquay beach, with over a thousand hashtags featuring the spectacular setting sun.

Top tips for watching and photographing the sunset

Plan ahead.

Look at the time the sun is due to set and get there ahead of schedule to secure your spot.

Take snacks.

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You might be waiting a while to capture the perfect shot, so it's best to be prepared.

Take layers.

When the sun sets, the weather gets colder, and you’ll be so mesmerised by the view, you won’t want to leave!

Snap happy, but more specifically for those keen photographers, maximizing depth of field with a higher aperture and keeping the ISO low to avoid graininess will produce the most Instagrammable snaps!

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As part of the research, Parkdean also discovered how you can best photograph the stunning UK sunset by speaking to professional photographer Kelvin Davies.

“When shooting a sunset on any form of camera, I would always recommend using the grid setting to ensure your shot is in a ‘rule of third’ format.

"You can then line up the horizon with the upper or the lower third to emphasise the sky or the foreground. Depending on the surroundings, try to use leading lines to create something that points towards the sun.

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If you are using a smartphone, you can amend the brightness to make the photograph more dynamic.

This can make the sunshine brighter or the silhouette more dramatic.

If you would like to capture a photograph using a subject or person, I would always try to angle it so that the sun is creating an interesting silhouette around the subject.”