One of Australia’s largest cities, Sydney isn’t only known for the Sydney Opera House and lively waterside life. The sunsets in Sydney are a beautiful sight, with blush-pink and orange shades colouring the sky and bathing the waters of Port Jackson Bay in a golden light. The city is blessed with a unique skyline, several stunning beaches, and landmarks such as the Sydney Harbour Bridge, which means you can enjoy sunsets in Sydney in a variety of places.
Here are the best spots to watch the Sydney sunsets -
1. Observatory Hill
Observatory Hill, overlooking the Sydney Harbour Bridge, is one of the highest points in Sydney. While the sun sets opposite the bridge, the colours and the warm orange glow tend to sweep around the hill. The hill is also a great picnic spot, and you could lay blankets on the grass and enjoy the sunset. This quiet spot also offers panoramic views of Sydney and the harbour and has heritage-listed pubs nearby you can visit after the sun goes down.
2. Water Street, Balmain
The Balmain Sailing Club at Sydney Harbour is where you can enjoy an idyllic evening watching the beautiful sunset in Sydney. Boats keep cruising along the waters, and the sunset bathes them in its warm orange glow. So you could spot boats as well as watch the sunset.
3. Bradley’s Head
Located along Sydney Harbour’s north shore, Bradley’s Head is home to the large foremast of an old navy ship, erected in 1934 to honour all the Australian ships lost and soldiers killed at war. Being at the end of the jetty on this large headland feels like being right in the middle of the harbour. With the entire city skyline visible, this is a great spot to catch the sunset in Sydney and enjoy its reflection on the water below the jetty.
4. Fairfax Lookout, Manly
Part of a kilometre-long paved walking circuit, Fairfax Lookout offers stunning views of Sydney’s skyline and the harbour on one side, and the ocean on the other. You get sweeping views of the sun setting over the city from the North head of Fairfax Lookout, and there are other viewing points too. You could even see whales in the ocean if you visit between May and October.
5. Cremorne Point
This suburb on Sydney’s Lower North Shore is a great place to walk around and an even better place to enjoy the evenings under the warm glow of the setting sun. Cremorne Point offers magnificent views of the harbour and is a lovely spot to watch sunset in Sydney. There’s always enough room here for some privacy, and you will be able to find secluded spots to enjoy a quiet time.
6. Manly Cove
The ferry pier on Manly Cove’s western side remains busy with ferries and paddle boarders throughout the day. This makes it a beautiful spot to enjoy the sun setting behind the busy wharf. The cove is home to numerous restaurants, and you can enjoy a relaxing evening at any of these while watching the sunset.
7. Dudley Page Reserve
Located in Dover Heights, Dudley Page Reserve is an open and slightly elevated park that overlooks the city and the harbour. Sunsets against the backdrop of the skyline and the Harbour Bridge are gorgeous, and you can watch the sun setting behind Sydney’s skyscrapers. The reserve is quite close to Bondi as well.
8. America Bay, Ku-ring-gai National Park
America Bay inside the Ku-ring-gai National Park is right on top of a waterfall and overlooks a bay. It is only about an hour away from Sydney’s Central Business District and a kilometre from the park’s entry gate. You get stunning views of the sun setting over the bay from here, in an envelope of greenery and peace and quiet.
9. Opera House
The walking path around the Sydney Opera House is incredibly popular among tourists and locals alike, and for a good reason. You get fantastic views of the sunset in Sydney, especially on clear summer evenings, and there are benches to sit on as well. You could also have a drink at Opera Bar and enjoy the sun setting against Circular Quay and the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
10. Darook Beach, Cronulla
Darook Park Beach is one of the few west-facing beaches in Sydney, which means you can enjoy the sunset from the sandy shore of Gunamatta Bay. The waters of the bay are calm and clear because the beach is in a sheltered spot, making it the perfect place to enjoy a relaxing swim. Darook Beach is among Cronulla’s lesser-known beaches, and you can enjoy a quiet and fun time here without crowds of people bothering you.
11. Queens Avenue
From the grassy edge of Queens Avenue, you can see the Harbour Bridge, with Shark Island in front of it. Below the edge is Queens Beach, and like the viewing spot, it remains quiet most of the time. The beach and the edge both make for great viewing spots for a sunset in Sydney. You can also enjoy a picnic on the grassy edge, with the foliage giving the place a slightly jungle-like ambience. While the parking area only has space for three cars, there’s a bigger parking area available five minutes away on Vaucluse Road.
12. Mrs Macquarie’s Chair, Botanic Gardens
Mrs Macquarie’s Chair, located inside the Royal Botanic Gardens, offers the best of Sydney in one viewing. You can see the bay, the Sydney Opera House as well as the Sydney Harbour Bridge from here, with the sun setting in the background and bathing the sights in its warm orange glow. Mrs Macquarie’s Chair is a sandstone rock cut into the shape of a bench for Elizabeth Macquarie, the wife of Governor Lachlan Macquarie. It is situated on a walking path along the shoreline.
13. Robertson Park
Situated in Watson's Bay, the view from Robertson Park stretches out to the skyline of Sydney's CBD. With vessels anchored in the bay, the park goes down to the water's surface. The best views are from the water's edge, with the sun setting over the boats and ferries and Sydney's skyline. After sunset, you could go on the Watson's Bay circuit walk and have dinner at one of the numerous pubs and restaurants in the area.
14. Milk Beach
Milk Beach faces Shark Island in Sydney Harbour, and the city’s skyline forms a magnificent backdrop to views of the sunset in Sydney. This beach is set away from the big waves of the Harbour, and that means you can enjoy a relaxing swim in the afternoons. Post-swim, you could hang around and catch the sunset, colouring the sky with its glorious warm hues. The beach is one of the more secluded ones, offering solitude you can appreciate while catching the sunset.
15. Jeffrey St. Wharf
You get glorious views of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Opera House from Jeffrey St Wharf and also catch the harbour in action. The sun sets behind the Bridge, colouring it in its warm glow and leaving a beautiful reflection on the water. The place makes for great photographs as well, and you could try taking a shot of the Harbour Bridge’s reflection in the water.
16. Clovelly Beach Car Park
A car park doesn’t seem like a traditional sunset viewing spot, but the Clovelly Beach Car Park offers among the best sunset viewing points in Sydney. The car park overlooks Gordon’s Bay and Coogee Beach, and the sunset over the bay is breathtaking. The southern part of the car park is part of a walking track between Bondi and Coogee and is a great spot to settle into and catch the sunset. After the sun sets, you could head into one of Coogee’s numerous pubs and restaurants.
Sydney offers a diverse range of spots to enjoy a sunset from, and this list comprises beaches, wharves, harbours and even a car park. In addition, the numerous waterside restaurants mean you can enjoy the city’s culinary culture while you watch the sunset in Sydney and get the best of both worlds.