There’s something indefinably magical about sundown, whatever the destination. As someone who travels for a living, what I’ve noticed is this: when the sun starts to dip, the energy of a place transforms. The business of the working day is done; people are ready to switch off and relax, to eat, drink and be merry, to open themselves up to new connections and fresh possibilities.
In the glow of the golden hour is when you often see a place at its best – streets come to life, locals head out to meet up with friends, and landscapes are bathed in a flattering light that makes everyone and everything look like they just stepped out of a perfectly filtered Instagram post.
And you don’t need to visit somewhere far-flung or “exotic” to tap into that feeling and taste a slice of local life. I’m all about slow, sustainable travel; I haven’t set foot on a flight since November 2019. But, if anything, my sundown experiences have been enhanced by the decision to swap plane for train, boat, bus, bike and my own two feet.
Some of my most cherished travel memories take place at that sweet spot between day and night; here are just a few of my favourites.
Running wild in Hastings
A run along the beautiful Hastings seafront cured the January blues
(Helen Coffey)
You don’t need to go far to experience the so-gorgeous-it-hurts majesty of a superior sunset. At the beginning of this year, struck down with a serious case of the January blues, I took myself for a “workation” to the seaside town of Hastings on the Kent coast. By day, I kicked off with early morning swims before working from a cute apartment. By eve, I headed out on runs along the seafront. I say “run”… every 100 metres or so I simply had to stop and stare and try to capture the colours – peach, tangerine, amber, flamingo pink – on my phone. The euphoria of that kaleidoscopic sky combined with the endorphins of a bout of cardio resulted in me grinning like a buffoon at everyone I saw, delight bubbling over like boiling water in a pan. January blues? What January blues?
Pintxos crawls in northern Spain
A laidback tour of San Sebastian and some beers in the sunset made for a relaxed, restorative evening
(Helen Coffey)
For me, sundown and eating and drinking are inextricably linked – and, to be perfectly honest, cuisine is one of my major incentives to travel anywhere. This feels particularly true in Spain, where getting well-fed and watered for a decent price is one of the great draws as a…
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